Cannes I get a woo woo?

"Feels like I'm constantly playing a game that I'm destined to lose. Cause I can't compete with your boyfriend, he's got 27 tattoos." - One Direction

I know, not a song lyric you would normally pick out as inspirational or anything, I just happen to think this line of the song is funny, especially since each member of One Direction probably has 27 tattoos. And it's appropriate since I was recently in the same place as One Direction. Saw the tops of their heads, so I feel like I almost met them. This past weekend was the SKEMA ski trip, so three of the four roommates were gone, leaving me and my roommate Sam to hold down the fort here in Antibes. I declined going to the ski trip because it was expensive, and knowing me, I probably would've come back with a broken leg or something. But, as luck would have it, we found of the NRJ Music Awards were here in Cannes (a town about 10 minutes away) and suddenly we were on the better end of the deal. Celebrity spotting while everyone else was trapped in the Alps? Sounds great to me. We made our plans and made our way to Cannes prepared to meet our newest celebrity crushes, One Direction. We managed to stumble across their hotel, saw them getting into their cars to go walk the red carpet, witnessed Psy walk up the red carpet while everyone danced to Gangnam Style, and saw hundreds of little girls serenade One Directions car with their songs. Chants of "Harry! Harry! Harry!" started down the street. These girls were obsessed. All we wanted was to eat, so we left. In retrospect, maybe we should've waited until they had walked the red carpet but when your stomach speaks, you move. 

After a great dinner, a relaxing after dinner drink at Morrison's pub, we ended up back at the convention center in time to see Taylor Swift perform We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together- slightly awkward considering the big "Haylor" split, but hey, you go girl. They were broadcasting the events inside on a screen outside so it was ALMOST like we were inside... almost. They opened up the red carpet, we took a picture and walked around a bit more. Seeing as any club we would've wanted to go to had a cover we decided we'd just head home to Antibes by catching the Noctumbus, which turned out to be the sketchiest thing ever.

While witnesses a possible prostitute and pimp work the street, we climbed onto a bus full of French... gangsters. There's no other way to describe it. With one step we were suddenly on Sketchville francais. Screaming was the noise level of the whole bus home and they yelled back and forth to each other, one woman got spit on, the security guard got told to "Go back to Africa" and I really didn't know if I'd make it home to Antibes. When we finally pulled up to our stop I was never more relieved, and as we walked away, the police pulled up and I was told they gave tickets to all the people on the bus. Score one for us. My friend Jennifer ended up sleeping over at our house because all her roommates were gone and after such a horrifying display of France's finest we decided it'd probably be the best thing. After all that, I fully embrace never going to Cannes at night again, not unless I want to walk home. Or maybe splurge for a cab. Funny how such glamour was simply a five minute walk away from the hooligans that were on the bus with us... All in all, it was an interesting night, one that I won't forget anytime soon. But that's why I came here! To make memories, to experience new things (albeit not something I would've asked to experience) and to broaden my perspective. It's easy to look at the French riviera and see glamour and beauty, but within each city there's always a rough side lurking somewhere. Kind of like with people.

You can look at someone and judge them from the outside and never actually know what's going on inside. They might look perfect and put together but they could be falling apart, struggling and just desperate on the inside. Yet how often do I brush off people simple by judging what's on the outside? Knowing someone, knowing somewhere and loving it means embracing all parts of it. The ugly parts, the beautiful parts and the parts in between. I'm learning to enjoy each experience. Maybe it wasn't what I wanted or what I expected but it was an experience worth having. That's what I love about being here. The opportunity to go out and see beauty, and then the ability to go and see the not so glamourous parts of France. That's why I love being able to live here, not just visit. My eyes are being opened and I truly enjoy every second of seeing life in the French Riviera!