3 Days

Ok, I found a little time tonight, so I will give you a brief update on today's events.

This morning Romane came over to be watched. She and Pierre played a game downstairs and I spent all morning working on my suitcases and boxes. Then at just after 2, I took the train to Lille to meet up with my penpal from 9th grade, Manon! She and her friend, Lison, met up with me at the train station and then we walked around and had a drink at a café and talked. That was great being able to finally meet up with her. We went back to the train station just before 5 so I could get my train ticket home, but there was a long line and we didn't have the time to wait in it, so we found a guy with a French credit card and asked him to use the machine to get my ticket (since my card didn't work) and I paid him back with cash. That ended up working out really well. Manon and Lison helped me find my train and then they went back to Armentières. Now, this trip should have only taken me 40 minutes, but since I don't know how to listen, it wound up taking me almost 3 hours! The announcer started talking when we got on like normal and announced the places we were stopping and I didn't pay a whole lot of attention since this is pretty basic stuff. Unfortunately I missed the part where she said people going to Arras had to switch trains at the Douai station! I ended up taking the train all the way to Cambrai, then I got off and called my host mom to let her know I was running late. haha. She told me to see if I could get a ticket back to Arras, and if not, she'd drive the hour and come pick me up. I got really lucky, and after explaining my situation to the guy at the ticket counter, he gave me another ticket that would get me back to Douai and then to Arras, and I didn't even have to pay a second time! I had about five minutes to get onto the train to Douai, and then I sat at Douai for over a half an hour waiting for my connecting train. In that time, I bought a snack from the vending machine. I was sitting in the middle of a bench, with plenty of room on both sides of me for someone else to sit down, but this guy insisted that I move over to the far side of the bench so he could have his space. That was kind of rude, I thought, but I moved anyway. I made it to my next train and got off at Arras and found my host mom in the parking lot, laughing at me. haha. I had a pretty good laugh at myself, too. It was bound to happen sooner or later that I screwed up with the trains.

When I got home, I went back up to my room and packed until supper. After eating, Pierre and I went on a walk around town and I took pictures of things and places I frequently talked about on here. Simon saw us outside his house, so he came out and talked with us, followed by Arlette a little later. We talked a little bit and then continued our tour around town.

Tomorrow morning is finally the hot air balloon ride. We have to be there at freaking 6:45AM! And since it is already past 11PM here, I should probably get my butt upstairs and get ready for bed.
I'll try and write again tomorrow, but it will be another busy day & night!

See you sooooooooon<333
-Miranda

Acronym of the Day: TER = Transport Express Régional = a train that travels within the region.