As I write this and I am lounging in my desk chair at the Cité Universitaire in Paris, France eating a sandwich from a local boulangerie and alternating bites with the Texas BBQ Pringles I bought (sometimes you just need a little America, you know?).
Currently, I’m ending the first week of a study abroad program I am participating in through FSU. While I do have to take classes at a local university five days a week, (it’s not all fun and games) I’ve already seen more than I could have thought I would have had a chance to in my lifetime. Paris is absolutely beautiful and I don’t think that I will even have enough moments to capture all the sights in the month I will be here.
For this trip I actually made a Power Point (equipped with pictures and all) and presented it to my dad and step mom about why I should go on this program. Needless to say, my dad needs a lot of convincing sometimes. In it I listed numerous reasons why I should have this opportunity, from discretions about money to why it should be now, while I’m in college.
Below are a few of my moments so far from my trip, but there many more to come. It’s only the first week of course! Below that however, you will see a reason why YOU should travel in college, either on a study abroad program, or not.
Reason #1: Photo moments.
Epic pictures like this one are going to fill my cameras and my scrap books by August. These are pictures that I will show my kids, and maybe my grandkids. Let me tell you one thing: pictures don’t do justice to anything in Europe. Inevitable, at least once a day I will grab my camera for a quick picture of something I find absolutely mesmerizing. Yet, when I take the picture of said item, it looks not nearly as phenomenal. So, my point here is yes, you have seen the Eiffel Tower, The Great Wall of China, and the rivers in Venice hundreds of times, but have you actually seen them? You need to go, see them, and take your own pictures.
Reason #2. Culture.
Experiencing another culture and fully immersing yourself in it is tough, especially if you’ve lived in America your whole life, like I have. Above this you will see a street near the Bastille in Paris where we watched the USA vs Belgium World Cup game. Does it not look very similar to Bourbon Street? From the outside one might think that, but from the inside it is bursting with Parisian culture. Everyday I get a little more accustomed to eating bread for every meal and not using conditioner on my hair (they don’t sell it here). Experiencing a new culture is a must and it definitely helps you appreciate how we live much more.
Reason #3. The Classes.
This is the Institute Catholique, or the Catholic Institute of Paris. For 21 hours a week I can be found inside a classroom here studying and being lectured in French. Sounds fun, no? It’s not easy, but it’s a chance of a lifetime and I constantly am reminding myself of that. This is the main reason to choose a study abroad experience over a simple trip to Europe. You take these classes with students from Ukraine, China, Japan, and other countries around the world. Where else would you ever have this opportunity?
One of the main points I had in my Power Point presentation almost a year ago was, “Why Paris, Why Now?”
Well, tell me something. Will you ever be this young or mobile again? For those of you who do not support yourself, will you ever find another time in your life where you aren’t struggling to pay a house payment, a car payment, or insurance? There are a few exceptions, don’t get me wrong, but I can bet most of the answers here are “no”. Now is the perfect time to take advantage of this extraordinary opportunity to experience a new culture, find new places to love, eat too much foreign food, and meet new friends from FSU and abroad. So get packing!