#1. Gotten lace-up boots before I left the states. In the meantime, my Toms got rained on, my French boots proved to suck badly, and I spent a LOT of time on eBay trying to win some lace-up boots until the good folks at Etsy proved much more reliable.
#2. Ix-nay on the heels, ladies. I brought a pair and have worn them once, cut my feet so badly that I wore my sneakers for a week, then once more to the Opera. Should have brought cute flats in order to run through the metro whenever necessary. Not black ones, but maybe red? Don't try to tell me you can't wear those with socks.
#3. Scarves. Girls in France wear big huge scarves and wrap them around their faces a million times, but not so high that they can't smoke cigarettes. By about late October, it's certainly chilly enough to want a scarf-situation but not necessarily a winter coat, so bring a huge knit scarf and wrap it around your neck until it's thick like an anaconda. The scarves I bought here, while cute and large, and therefore warm, tend to, um, leak dye all over my neck and chin and turn me, respectively, Kelly green or turquoise. Not the most attractive nor beneficial quality.
#4. Pants that, um, actually fit me. The belt-and-tucked-in-shirt thing can't work in every situation. Luckily, I was kindly informed of a discount store with a penchant for trousers, and subsequently found The France Pants. But the re-sewn black jeans have proved hopeless, the sweatshirt-material shorts to sleep in make my French family laugh more than anything else, and some mornings are too cold for just tights.
#5. Fancy bra, you do not belong in Paris. Well, not in the life a 20-year-old broke student anyway. You're nice, and I got you at Ross: Dress For Less, but I should have left you at home with my Dr. Dre blanket.
#6. Damn you summer. When I left you, I didn't think I would be essentially leaving you in Chapel Hill. And when I arrived it was quite warm still. That is, for about 2 weeks. Then all of the sleeveless tanks and short-sleeved cardigans were rendered useless, though my stunning lack of jorts is welcomed.
#7, Should have brought waaaayyy more books. Reading Russian poetry and my host dad's comic book collection, along with the last novel my parents sent me. Good thing I like to read travel guides so much.
#8. Should. Have. Brought. Toilettes edition: Q-Tips, um eyeshadow, um mascara, um lipstick, um what was I thinking. More Aleve.
Bisous.
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