Way before I even began classes at UC, I was had my eye on the study tours offered by the University Honors Program. Going into college, I had never been outside the United States, and I knew that one of my major goals during my collegiate career was to go abroad, several times if possible. During the summer before my first year, I saw there was a study tour going to Paris, and as French minor, I was overjoyed, and I swiftly applied. To my greatest pleasure, I was accepted into the study tour during fall semester. Contemporary Paris was an Honors seminar offered and organized completely by the University which counted toward my first of five required Honors Experiences for this Honors Program. This course, taught by Professor Catherine Lorenz, began in January as the twenty students selected began to learn deeply about the history and culture of Paris, from the original settlement of the Ile de la Cité to studying and discussing the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks of January 2015. We studied three days a week about food, music, architecture, monuments, major personalities, and iconic moments of Parisian History, along with Friday Survival French crash courses, all in great preparation of our study tour in March during UC's Spring Break. One of the requirements for the course was that we keep a journal. This journal would be taken along with us to Paris, of course, but before we even left, Professor Lorenz asked that we take the weeks leading up to our study tour to visit sites around Cincinnati which we could observe closely and compare to similar places we would be visiting in Paris. These could include public parks, movie theatres, restaurants, the river (since both cities have important waterways), etc. I was very excited for and interested in the food of France, so I researched a bit and found both a French café downtown called French Crust, along with a place called Macaron Bar in Over The Rhine. I wrote in my journal about these experiences, regarding the specific sights, sounds, tastes, and atmospheres I encountered at these French themed places in Cincinnati so that I could remember and compare these experiences for when I would have macarons or espresso and croissants in Paris. This exploration of Cincinnati really began getting my excitement to sky-high levels for the trip, and helped me become more and more aware that every moment I would have in Paris needed to be one of observation, and fully being present for each and every sensory experience I would have, so that I could take as much as I could out of the short week I would have there. The experience in Paris was just that - far too short. I do not think I have ever fallen in love with anything or anyone or any place as quickly as I fell completely, utterly, and hopelessly in love with Paris. We crammed our itinerary for the week with everything we could really possibly hope to see. We went from l'Arc de Triomphe, to Notre-Dame, to the Louvre, to Versailles, to theTour Eiffel, to the Pompidou, to Les Invalides, to Sacré Coeur, and much, much more in between. It all seemed to fly by at 9000 miles an hour, and the next thing I knew, I was back in Cincinnati (sick, by the way). Paris came and went, and I tried my best to grasp every second, every moment, sound, taste, sight, and memory, so that I could never forget the incredible City of Light. Obviously, I am madly in love with Paris. There is so much I took away from this experience, and so much I want to never forget from what I was able to see and witness in this incredible location of history and human progress. One of the most important lessons I took from being in Paris and from the entire Contemporary Paris course was the idea that a people's history has an enormous influence on who they are today. As we learned all about Parisian history, we explored stereotypes of the people and how those may be partly true and partly false, as well as what in the people's history caused these behaviors to come about. We learned about the problems the French may have regarding some racism and prejudice toward Muslim people, about their hatred of feeling stupid and thus their desire to speak French instead of embarrassing themselves by attempting English, about their general history of submitting to invasion instead of resisting and risking absolute destruction, and then we were able to discuss upon our return how we experienced and noticed some behaviors of the Parisians which reflected these same ideas. In this, I was able to take away a huge lesson, that every person is the way he or she is for a reason, one that can be explained and studied, and that we all act upon human nature, that people whom Americans may look down upon for certain behaviors may have other qualities which are extremely redeeming and based upon very deep values or deep history. It was a sort-of eye-opening experience which allowed me to change how I plan on interacting with others. I find myself extremely interested in and empathetic for people of other countries after this study, for I know they are just at human as I. This experience has allowed me to feel much more of a global citizen, and I hope that I can soon travel and interact with more cultures, that I can continue to connect with people and find that common thread we all have in being human. One of the most rewarding parts of this experiences for me may not have been something all my fellow students felt; I was overly thrilled to be able to practice my French skills. Before this trip, I had not been in any French-speaking community since I completed AP French in May of 2014. I was so excited to be plunged into a place where it would be all around me, and I am so, so overjoyed to announce that I do believe I thrived! I had several moments where I was able to step up into a leading role in our group and guide others, talk to vendors, and interact with locals in their native language. For me, it was an opportunity to both become a leader and to put into practice a great passion of mine. I remember one of the moments that made me the happiest was at the Louvre when I had a lengthy conversation with one woman, during which I told her I was studying French; she responded with a compliment of my language skills and encouraged my continuation of my studies. Throughout the tour, I became more and more bold and excited to practice my speaking and lead others, helping them learn as well. It was really rewarding for me, and surely encouraged me and reinforced my yearning to master this language! I desperately hope to keep French with me for the rest of my life and intend on teaching it to my children, for I think it is a priceless thing to be able to interact and connect with as many people as possible. After we returned from Paris, we had the remaining weeks leading up to finals to do our own reflective project; we had very open guidelines, meaning the project could really be whatever we wanted it to be. I decided to go outside my comfort zone and create an art piece. I chose this partly because we saw countless pieces of art in the several museums we visited all around Paris, and partly because I wanted to challenge myself, for I really do not consider myself an artist in any capacity. I decided to focus my piece on my favorite area in Paris - the Ile de la Cité / Notre-Dame area. My reasoning behind why this area is my favorite in Paris can be found in the attached document which accompanied my painting when I turned it in. This project allowed me to reflect a lot on my experience in Paris. I am so deeply in love with the city, and I want to badly to return. In all honestly, I do hope that I get the opportunity to live in Paris for some time after college, though surely not permanently. I have been thinking more and more about the possibility of doing ministry in Paris since I left; it would be absolutely incredible to be able to build relationships with people in Paris and share Christ there. The people of Paris are vibrant and kind, and it would be an absolute blessing to be able to do ministry there. My experience through this course and tour have me feeling that this really could be a possibility, for I feel comfortable in the city and with speaking there, and I feel I know and understand the people there a significant amount, though there would still be so much to learn. I do think this could be a goal for life after college, and I am so thankful that this experience has opened my eyes and heart to this possibility to serve. I am in love with this city where cultures mix, where love is all around, where the river provides life and a constant reminder of nature and its incredible power, and where there is a constant reminder of humanity's history and future all at the same time. This experience is the premier of what I hope to be a long journey of my life's travels, and I am so happy Paris could be where it all began. I am extremely thankful to God for this opportunity and for allowing me to see Him in the history of Paris, in the Seine, in the art, in the architecture, and in every person with whom I interacted there. I cannot wait to continue traveling, and to return to Paris as soon as possible. Paris, je t'aime. À la prochaine. |
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