Photo by Natalie Pieterick
Scribblings of a sappy study abroad student Words by Chloe McElmury THURSDAY (5/24) Today I really felt present and aware that I was in Paris and that’s amazing. I absolutely loved the Musee d’Orsay. The Impressionists were beautiful, my familiar color schemes of cotton candy skies. I would hunt each painting for a small trace of flowers, anywhere. The Degas sculpture of the ballerina made me think of my mother, and I’m not sure why. I took a photo of it for her. When I was little, I had a large framed print of young ballerinas, stretching against a barre. After we left the museum, we found ourselves walking across the bridge where everyone locks up their love. A passing older man and I made eye contact for a moment, and he remarked that I had “beautiful blue eyes” on the bridge. He seemed French but spoke in English. I thought it was nice that he looked at my eyes before anything else. Every mundane thing today seemed magical. Even drinks by the Gare du Nord at dusk with a little group of us seemed special. I was happy.
4 | Canvas
