So this is the blog I meant for last week, but somehow last week turned into this week without my permission, so here it is. . .
We are certainly in Europe in "the off season." Why do I say that? Well, it seems to me that every place we visit is covered in scaffolding! Paris, London, Basel, Strasbourg, Heidelberg, Brussels, EVERYWHERE was covered in the eyesores of renovation!
In a way, it is really interesting to be over here in the not-so-touristy season, in fact I rather prefer it. It is much less crowded, and we get to see things from a different perspective with it being fall/winter. However, I find it very hard to believe that every historical monument needs restoring at the same time! I have a large collection of pictures of scaffolding on major historical buildings, monuments, or whatever! It's all under construction!
I guess they won't restore themselves, and I guess it makes for a good story! Really, I think the benefits of being here in the off season outweigh anything else. It has been really nice not to be fighting with hundreds of other tourists everywhere we went! Seeing everything in its not-so-pretty state reminded me that we are really here in unique circumstances, and might have even been a quite reminder that "touring" shouldn't have been our main purpose here.
12/10/2011
My supplementary book was Mark Twain's "Innocent's Abroad". I found this book to actually be pretty dense, sometimes it was a little tough to follow the descriptions that Twain presented about certain things, such as his peers or his destinations. However, the descriptions that I was able to follow easily I found them to be pretty witty. He incorporated humor into his book and it did keep me entranced with the book, despite the weight of it. I also found his descriptions of the places that he went to were wonderful as well. He depicted scenes of grandeur as well as squalor in very vivid colors. It made me want to experience all of these places myself. All in all I would recommend this book for future students.
In summation of my trip here, It was an experience of a lifetime. Yes, I know that is just the typical, regurgitated description of a trip abroad. Nonetheless, it is an accurate one. I have never been abroad before in my life and the fact that I was able to cover so many places I have only seen in magazines, books and the internet it was amazing to see them first hand and say "I've been there". I can now be able to say that I have done something that no one in my family has ever done before. I am a truly a lucky person. I know that the majority of my friends and family will think so as well. My best friend Colleen said something that I had never thought of before. She told me that she has always thought that I have been the most independent and bravest person that she has ever met in her life. And considering I have known her for the better part of 15 years, I would say that is quite the achievement. That statement made me think, I have never thought of myself as independent or brave at all. However, now looking back over the past three and a half months I would say yes, I have grown to be an exceptionally brave and independent person. I have had to go through some tough times in order to get to this status, but I am here. And although, I have never missed home as much as I have during this time, it was all worth it; because if I had never come to France away from everything that was near and dear to me then I would never have grown into the person that I am today.
In summation of my trip here, It was an experience of a lifetime. Yes, I know that is just the typical, regurgitated description of a trip abroad. Nonetheless, it is an accurate one. I have never been abroad before in my life and the fact that I was able to cover so many places I have only seen in magazines, books and the internet it was amazing to see them first hand and say "I've been there". I can now be able to say that I have done something that no one in my family has ever done before. I am a truly a lucky person. I know that the majority of my friends and family will think so as well. My best friend Colleen said something that I had never thought of before. She told me that she has always thought that I have been the most independent and bravest person that she has ever met in her life. And considering I have known her for the better part of 15 years, I would say that is quite the achievement. That statement made me think, I have never thought of myself as independent or brave at all. However, now looking back over the past three and a half months I would say yes, I have grown to be an exceptionally brave and independent person. I have had to go through some tough times in order to get to this status, but I am here. And although, I have never missed home as much as I have during this time, it was all worth it; because if I had never come to France away from everything that was near and dear to me then I would never have grown into the person that I am today.
12/09/2011
Homeward Bound
So I go Home in a week? Yes I suppose this is true. I can't believe it has flown by so fast. It seemed like just yesterday I was running to catch the plane or train to get here. Everything was so new. I think today's class was very interesting. It was cool to see the quotes everyone picked and their remarks.
This trip has been full of surprises from the start, even before arriving. I had mindset coming in and somewhat of a plan. For the most part, both of those have changed. Everyone's said this over and over, but I have truly learned alot about myself. For about a four month period I was certain of my career. I wanted to work for the government and be a diplomat or an ambassador. After being here, this is certainly not the case. There were a number of positives as well, but this totally is changing my plan.
Also I have changed; I am certainly not the same Sharrell Barnes who arrived here.
I am the same in respects that I will always have the same background and things of that of nature; but outlook is certainly different. I am so proud of myself, not to toot my own horn. But I never thought I'd be here. I didn' t know just what I was capable of. I can tell the change in just how differently I act in situations, and my response.
I have met a number of wonderful people. Some of the people I really believe will become life long friends. I have been challenged and I have been inspired. This will certainly be a memory for the rest of my life. The frustrations and aggervations may fade, but I will remember the important things that effected me.
My hope is that everyone has had a life changing experience just like I have. I can't say that if I had the opportunity I would do a few things differently, but I'll keep that in mind for next time around. I can't wait to apply what I have learned here to my life in the states. This is only the beginning, can't wait to see what's next.
BEWARE! The end is nigh.
It's difficult to imagine that it's already been over three months since I was met by Willi at the Gare de Strasbourg in the waning summer heat. As classes come to an end and the finals beat me about the heat, I reflect quietly on the time I've spent in France. I've seen history, dreamed of the future and become lost in the present. I will miss the friends I've made here. I will remember fondly stepping onto the tram upon returning from my trip to Paris and thinking, "Ohmy! I'm home."
As I look back, I see that I could have done some things differently. But at the same time, I value every moment that I've had here. It's sad to grow so fond of a place and then have to be ripped from it. That said, another band of merry GSU students will soon be on their way to take the place of my cohort. I can only wish them the same awe-inspiring experience that I've had.
12/08/2011
The Inflexibles
I have a new word for the people in Strasbourg: the inflexibles. It seems that they don't want to alter the smallest things, really small things. My example is my first French final. First of all, I didn't know that I was going to have to take the final. I walked into class and she just starts going a mile a minute, in French, talking about that being the only option. So another Guy and I went to "Kahina's" office and sitting there was the other girl that wears the glasses. She gives us some blank booklets and another paper with our assignment. Keep in mind, I am from the U.S and we do things quite differently. First of all, no matter how many times we have taken a certain type of test, like scantron,essay, etc., the professors make it a point to give us clear directions. She just gave it to me like I was supposed to know what to do. So, thinking that the professor was supposed to write his/ her comments on the first page, I turn and start on the second, or really the third page. While I am half way done with my 200 word response, she stops me and tells me, " you started on the wrong page." I wish some one was there to see her face! She was so distraught. So she says something along the lines of answering the second question on the first page, where I should have started. I completely ignored her and continued on, I did not want any body to be confused about what I was doing. To make a long story short, I handed in my paper. She looked at it, and made a sigh. You didn't start on the first page, she said. " You had time to rewrite. I was hungry and was short and I asked " Is that a big problem?" She said no, but it looked like she was really bothered by me not starting on the right page. Why can't you just open the booklet and start reading where I started writing. Its that simple. Just make a little movement, I'm not asking you to move a mountain.
On my way!
"I'm going home, to a place where I belong. Where your love has always been enough for me. ..." And whatever else the song says but I'm happy I made it here...in this airport. It is much more brighter this time around. The last time I was in this airport, it was 10pm and I had just missed the last bus to Strasbourg. So guess what, I had to spend the night. I tried to check into the Sher....(however you spell it)...ton hotel and it was booked for the night. This airport has no carpeted floors and there was a half naked man, pants unzipped and "draws" showing, with some type of hip condition, walking around the airport. This time, my bags are checked in I am sitting in the USO office taking advantage of their free wifi and soft drinks. This is the first time I've drank gingerale in a long while, I don't really care for it unless I'm sick, Sharrell Barnes, or its FREE. If any of you are military dependents, when you get here take advantage of this..its great. My flight leaves in about four hours but I am content to just be here, on time. I had three scares so far. The first one was on this morning when my ride was a little late. I was ringing Jim and Jan's doorbell like crazy. Just to make sure they weren't parked on the other side, I walked over, but there was no one there. I was so scared that I walked to the Path. Tears started running down my face, and I said.." I wanna go home". I'm such a baby. As soon I turned around, a saw the lights of some french car come down the path. My second scare was when I scanned my passport to look up my ticket and there was no data. But I went to the check-in line and the clerk handled it there. Finally my last scare. I went to go pay for my second check-in bag. Now, previously, I was told that I would have to pay 40 euro and that was good, because the website said 50. When got the desk where all of those things were handled, the lady tells me that I have to pay 127Euro. I looked at her a little sideways and I boldly asked "why?". I was not about to swipe that card until she gave me an explanation. She explained and I said " Why?". I just didn't understand, she was speaking a foreign language. Then I asked a question that kind of guided her to the correct price. " How did the price go from 40 to 127, and website said for flights going into the U.S, the extra bag is 50." So she asked for the little sticky notes they give you when they give your boarding pass. She said, "Oh, Atlanta!" " I think its 40"..I let out a sigh and said " Thank you Jesus!" Instead of being in this office writing one my final blogs, I would have been on the phone, trying to get some money in my account, just so I wont over draft. By the way, in the USO office, you can make free calls to the U.S. Anyway, that is my journey so far and I'm pretty sure I'll be writing again during my 20 hour layover in Poland. Life is funny.
12/06/2011
I don't know what I wanna be when I grow up...
The past week I have been enjoying copious amounts of time to myself just lounging around the Chateau. Well, actually the computer lab since there is now a gigantic lack of wifi anywhere close to my room. It is quite a crying shame. The point in this is that I haven't gone anywhere, no random travels to distant places. No spending money I do not have on things that I do not need. These past few days I have been preoccupying my time by thinking about the future. Trying to get an apartment set up for the upcoming new year. Trying to figure out what my budget is looking like for the near future, which is pretty much next to nothing. Money has never been a big deal to me. I know things will straighten itself out eventually, and I can only try to work towards that little by little. This will be especially difficult with the amount of debt I have built up this semester while studying abroad. Living ain't cheap is what my dad always tells me, he just never said living in France will run ya into the ground. That part I was not prepared for. However, I have always been very independent and I realize that money is always a priority, but to me it's just paper. I can manage mine pretty easily, despite what my mother thinks.
It has been a pretty enlightening past few days, figuring out what my near future holds. The one thing I know for sure is that I will be so stressed that my hair will probably be falling out by the end of the semester. Some things that I am not sure about is whether or not I will be have enough hours to graduate like I intend too this upcoming semester or if I will fall short of a few of my major requirements. If my advisor would ever get back to me on this subject then I think I could put my mind at ease. Another thing is of course, my financial situation but I have already talked about that. Something that has been weighing on my mind the most lately is if I am even prepared to graduate next semester. This time I don't mean hourly wise. But am I seriously prepared to take on the real world? I seriously have my doubts. I have a great resume that I have built up over the years, however where will that take me. What kind of jobs can I look forward too. These are the sort of things that I have to look forward too in the next few months, loads of uncertainty. Hopefully I can get myself set up with an internship or two in order to further build my resume. Then if all works out then I can move on to law school, at least I know that if I manage to make it through that then I will have set myself up for the future. See, the thing is, I have a hazy plan laid out in my head, but who knows if everything will work out the way I hope to God that they do. I guess that is just the funny thing about the future, you never know what it will hold. You don't know if it's "gonna run ya into the ground." Or if it is going to let you land on your feet. When I drop out of the sky that is college, I guess that's when I'll finally find out.
It has been a pretty enlightening past few days, figuring out what my near future holds. The one thing I know for sure is that I will be so stressed that my hair will probably be falling out by the end of the semester. Some things that I am not sure about is whether or not I will be have enough hours to graduate like I intend too this upcoming semester or if I will fall short of a few of my major requirements. If my advisor would ever get back to me on this subject then I think I could put my mind at ease. Another thing is of course, my financial situation but I have already talked about that. Something that has been weighing on my mind the most lately is if I am even prepared to graduate next semester. This time I don't mean hourly wise. But am I seriously prepared to take on the real world? I seriously have my doubts. I have a great resume that I have built up over the years, however where will that take me. What kind of jobs can I look forward too. These are the sort of things that I have to look forward too in the next few months, loads of uncertainty. Hopefully I can get myself set up with an internship or two in order to further build my resume. Then if all works out then I can move on to law school, at least I know that if I manage to make it through that then I will have set myself up for the future. See, the thing is, I have a hazy plan laid out in my head, but who knows if everything will work out the way I hope to God that they do. I guess that is just the funny thing about the future, you never know what it will hold. You don't know if it's "gonna run ya into the ground." Or if it is going to let you land on your feet. When I drop out of the sky that is college, I guess that's when I'll finally find out.
12/05/2011
I know three words in English: "I love you."
These were the words from an 80+ year old Dutch woman that was in the car with me en route to my cousin’s mother’s 80th birthday party on Saturday.
This weekend I had the incredible opportunity to visit my mother’s side of the family in the Netherlands. I spent the weekend with my second cousin and his wife in Echt, a very small village close to Roermond and Maastricht (the two cities where my grandparents grew up).
The whole weekend was sort of surreal. I’ve heard my grandmother talk about Roermond and her childhood. It felt so special to be there, to walk the same streets, see her childhood home, and to visit the town hall where she and my grandfather were married. I was also lucky to meet the rest of my extended family, including one of my great aunts and many more second cousins and their children. They’re all names that I’ve heard before and it was incredible to finally meet them. I recognized a lot of family similarities in personality and appearance. We’re sort of an atypical looking Dutch family. The very dark hair and eyes are common for us.
I felt incredibly welcomed and just like a part of the family that’s been living there all along. Everyone was so sweet and interested in how I’ve been and how my family is doing. I wouldn’t hesitate to return or to invite any one of them to my home in the US.
I also really loved spending the weekend in a European home. Just to be in a home in general, was a nice change from these past several months. There is so much space for so few people! Anyways, I didn’t notice any significant differences between a Dutch home and my own. I felt very comfortable, there was an endless supply of brewed (!!!!) coffee, and lovely people.
Overall, I feel this was exactly what I needed. This was the first family I’ve seen in nearly 7 months and it’s really been a great reminder of why I’m looking forward to going back home.
-Maria
This weekend I had the incredible opportunity to visit my mother’s side of the family in the Netherlands. I spent the weekend with my second cousin and his wife in Echt, a very small village close to Roermond and Maastricht (the two cities where my grandparents grew up).
The whole weekend was sort of surreal. I’ve heard my grandmother talk about Roermond and her childhood. It felt so special to be there, to walk the same streets, see her childhood home, and to visit the town hall where she and my grandfather were married. I was also lucky to meet the rest of my extended family, including one of my great aunts and many more second cousins and their children. They’re all names that I’ve heard before and it was incredible to finally meet them. I recognized a lot of family similarities in personality and appearance. We’re sort of an atypical looking Dutch family. The very dark hair and eyes are common for us.
I felt incredibly welcomed and just like a part of the family that’s been living there all along. Everyone was so sweet and interested in how I’ve been and how my family is doing. I wouldn’t hesitate to return or to invite any one of them to my home in the US.
I also really loved spending the weekend in a European home. Just to be in a home in general, was a nice change from these past several months. There is so much space for so few people! Anyways, I didn’t notice any significant differences between a Dutch home and my own. I felt very comfortable, there was an endless supply of brewed (!!!!) coffee, and lovely people.
Overall, I feel this was exactly what I needed. This was the first family I’ve seen in nearly 7 months and it’s really been a great reminder of why I’m looking forward to going back home.
-Maria
There and Back Again
So, I forgot to blog last week. This means this post will be a SUPER POST.
The past two weeks have been great! I had my boyfriend visit for thanksgiving and this weekend I had one of my best friends come down from Estonia, she is also studying abroad. Of course these visits were both wonderful but something happened to me that I am quite thankful for. I really like Strasbourg again. There was a couple of weeks were I was very over Strasbourg and I think I just had some kind of homesickness that made me ready to leave. However, showing both of these people around I saw the city from a fresh prospective again and it made me remember who I felt when I first saw these fairy tale looking places of downtown. Of course the Christmas Markets helped me love Strasbourg again. Everyone is so merry, there are fresh smells everywhere and you hear Christmas songs being played or sung everywhere.
While I am very excited about returning home I am also very sad. I live in a pretty large city, which is something I had always wanted to experience. I am in a pretty short traveling distance to so many countries and many new things. I have made many friends with who I have had so many laughs with and I will never forget. Time passes by so fast. Will I be out of the loop with everything in America or with my friends? Will I get that reverse culture shock (probably)? I know I will feel like Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit when he finally goes home and doesn't see it as the same home he left and thus he travels more.
I want to make a list of things I have to do before I leave Strasbourg.
I have such mixed feeling right now. However I can look forward to a wonderful mexican meal, delicious Grandmother food, hugs and kisses when I return home.
Anyway enough of what I will miss and what I look forward to. I am still in Strasbourg and I am going to have a great time left. Christmas markets with some of the best food in the world, Speculoos Crepe, here I come!
The past two weeks have been great! I had my boyfriend visit for thanksgiving and this weekend I had one of my best friends come down from Estonia, she is also studying abroad. Of course these visits were both wonderful but something happened to me that I am quite thankful for. I really like Strasbourg again. There was a couple of weeks were I was very over Strasbourg and I think I just had some kind of homesickness that made me ready to leave. However, showing both of these people around I saw the city from a fresh prospective again and it made me remember who I felt when I first saw these fairy tale looking places of downtown. Of course the Christmas Markets helped me love Strasbourg again. Everyone is so merry, there are fresh smells everywhere and you hear Christmas songs being played or sung everywhere.
While I am very excited about returning home I am also very sad. I live in a pretty large city, which is something I had always wanted to experience. I am in a pretty short traveling distance to so many countries and many new things. I have made many friends with who I have had so many laughs with and I will never forget. Time passes by so fast. Will I be out of the loop with everything in America or with my friends? Will I get that reverse culture shock (probably)? I know I will feel like Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit when he finally goes home and doesn't see it as the same home he left and thus he travels more.
I want to make a list of things I have to do before I leave Strasbourg.
I have such mixed feeling right now. However I can look forward to a wonderful mexican meal, delicious Grandmother food, hugs and kisses when I return home.
Anyway enough of what I will miss and what I look forward to. I am still in Strasbourg and I am going to have a great time left. Christmas markets with some of the best food in the world, Speculoos Crepe, here I come!
12/04/2011
The End of the Semester
The semester is coming to an end which means that it is almost time for finals to begin. I am nervous because the French system bases 50% of the total grade on the final exam and the other 50% on participation and other miscellaneous grades. If I were in the United States at this time I would be freaking out about finals and drinking large amounts of coffee but I am somehow keeping it together here. Maybe it is because most of my teachers have been laid back when it comes to the previous assignments I have done. With this being said, they expect students to do each assignment thoroughly and correctly so we have to be self-motivated to do well in these courses.
One of the best parts of my French classes is being able to do group projects with other students from around the world. Most of my previous grades have been through group assignments and everyone assigns themselves parts so you are never stuck with doing something that is overwhelming or boring. Going to an international school has been one of the best experiences because I have made friends with students from France, Germany, Ireland, Switzerland, and others. This is one thing that I wish the US did more of.
- Rachel Cooper
Drugs in France
As each passing week goes by, I find it more and more difficult to find a topic for my blog entry. It doesn't help that I'm pretty now done traveling (and the most exciting place I've recently traveled to was within Alsace, and just for a Christmas Market). However, I finally realized that there is an observation I can make due to my experiences in the past week: being sick in America vs. being sick in France.
Having spent most of the last week sounding and feeling like I was on my deathbed, I can easily say that I prefer to be sick in America. In America, we prescribe antibiotics like candy. And if you don't want to go that route, you can have a friend drive over to the closest supermarket or CVS and buy you whatever drug goodies you desire--ibuprofen, tylenol, mucinex, etc.
France is not exactly like this. Even before the trip, we were told to load up on any possible medications we might need while we were here. But nearing our last couple of weeks, most of medication I originally brought with me is gone. Instead, I'm left coveting the small mixture of what I have left, what people have given me, and maybe a couple of my roommate's ibuprofen (sorry Maria! There's still plenty left, I promise).
France (and Europe to a greater extent) in general seems to be much more suspicious of drugs to cure illnesses than we are. In order to get any medication, instead of popping by a grocery store, you have to go to a pharmacy (which, in my experience, is not as strong as American medication.) And even there, they might not give you what you need unless you have a prescription from a doctor. This is fine until you feel too terrible to get out of bed. From what I've heard, natural remedies are what they seem to prefer, and are much more careful with their dose when they do buy from a pharmacy.
Their view on medication versus ours seems to mimic our cultures in many ways. While the French are clearly not opposed to the globalized society (just look at their larger than life shopping malls), they still like their small village, hand-made, family owned culture. Wine from the local winery will always beat out wine you can buy at a store. Us, on the other hand, are much less opposed to embracing something produced in a factory in China, which might be why swallowing plenty of ibuprofen in one day isn't that big of a deal to us. So I do see why the French make their medications a little less accessible.
While I've come to prefer French culture over American culture in several areas, I'm afraid this is not one of them. When I'm sick, I want my drugs easily accessible. Sorry, France. America won this round.
Having spent most of the last week sounding and feeling like I was on my deathbed, I can easily say that I prefer to be sick in America. In America, we prescribe antibiotics like candy. And if you don't want to go that route, you can have a friend drive over to the closest supermarket or CVS and buy you whatever drug goodies you desire--ibuprofen, tylenol, mucinex, etc.
France is not exactly like this. Even before the trip, we were told to load up on any possible medications we might need while we were here. But nearing our last couple of weeks, most of medication I originally brought with me is gone. Instead, I'm left coveting the small mixture of what I have left, what people have given me, and maybe a couple of my roommate's ibuprofen (sorry Maria! There's still plenty left, I promise).
France (and Europe to a greater extent) in general seems to be much more suspicious of drugs to cure illnesses than we are. In order to get any medication, instead of popping by a grocery store, you have to go to a pharmacy (which, in my experience, is not as strong as American medication.) And even there, they might not give you what you need unless you have a prescription from a doctor. This is fine until you feel too terrible to get out of bed. From what I've heard, natural remedies are what they seem to prefer, and are much more careful with their dose when they do buy from a pharmacy.
Their view on medication versus ours seems to mimic our cultures in many ways. While the French are clearly not opposed to the globalized society (just look at their larger than life shopping malls), they still like their small village, hand-made, family owned culture. Wine from the local winery will always beat out wine you can buy at a store. Us, on the other hand, are much less opposed to embracing something produced in a factory in China, which might be why swallowing plenty of ibuprofen in one day isn't that big of a deal to us. So I do see why the French make their medications a little less accessible.
While I've come to prefer French culture over American culture in several areas, I'm afraid this is not one of them. When I'm sick, I want my drugs easily accessible. Sorry, France. America won this round.
Everyday the choices you make, say what you are and who your heart beats for.…It’s an open door. It is your life!
I used to listen to this song by Francesca Battistelli called It’s your life for motivation. I first heard it on Jon and Kate Plus 8 but never really realized what I was singing until months later. Now that I am here in France, I find this song popping back up in my head again. Back at home, I would listen to this song when I would get stressed, sad, or even wanted inspiration. After realizing what it is talking about it, it has good truth to it and I’m glad I can apply to my life. I’m not sure what she is referring to but it’s a good song for my life. I’m happy to say it is one of my theme songs.
When I was presented with the option to come to college or even come to France, I had to make a decision. I had to decide if this is what I wanted to do, would I completely benefit, and most importantly would I prosper. These questions ran through my head for months on end but I think I soon realized that, yes going to WVU and studying abroad was the best way to go. She says “ This is the moment, it’s on the line. What way are you gonna fall?” Of course, I could have backed out. I could have stayed at home with my parents and chose something else to do other than continue my education but I made a choice to better myself. I made this choice not only for me but for the people who look up to me so that I could make that difference.
I go back to the song when it says “It’s your life whatcha gonna do? The world is watching you. Everyday the choices you make say what you are and who your heart beats for”. This is in parallel to my life. I think about my family and friends everyday, since I have so much time on my hands in France and I think that they are what is important to me. I have goals in life, which are some people’s fairytales. I live for the day that I can say, yes this where I came from but look at me now. I never had it hard growing up. I like to say that I don’t qualify in some of the stereotypes but this does not mean that my day doesn’t get rough sometimes. I plan to make my friends, family, and associates proud. I still have a few more days left and I plan to see, breathe, hear, and feel all I can.
The trip is coming to an end and its almost time to go back to America. I don’t know how I quite feel about it but I’ll cross that bridge when it is time. Less than two weeks left, I might as well make the most of it. After all it, it is “my life and an open door”.
When I was presented with the option to come to college or even come to France, I had to make a decision. I had to decide if this is what I wanted to do, would I completely benefit, and most importantly would I prosper. These questions ran through my head for months on end but I think I soon realized that, yes going to WVU and studying abroad was the best way to go. She says “ This is the moment, it’s on the line. What way are you gonna fall?” Of course, I could have backed out. I could have stayed at home with my parents and chose something else to do other than continue my education but I made a choice to better myself. I made this choice not only for me but for the people who look up to me so that I could make that difference.
I go back to the song when it says “It’s your life whatcha gonna do? The world is watching you. Everyday the choices you make say what you are and who your heart beats for”. This is in parallel to my life. I think about my family and friends everyday, since I have so much time on my hands in France and I think that they are what is important to me. I have goals in life, which are some people’s fairytales. I live for the day that I can say, yes this where I came from but look at me now. I never had it hard growing up. I like to say that I don’t qualify in some of the stereotypes but this does not mean that my day doesn’t get rough sometimes. I plan to make my friends, family, and associates proud. I still have a few more days left and I plan to see, breathe, hear, and feel all I can.
The trip is coming to an end and its almost time to go back to America. I don’t know how I quite feel about it but I’ll cross that bridge when it is time. Less than two weeks left, I might as well make the most of it. After all it, it is “my life and an open door”.
Close to the Finishing Line
Two weeks to end of our program in France, wow, time flies fast, especially when you are having fun, enjoying new places and thinking of the experience brought about by this program.
It was just like yesterday, when I was stuck at the airport in Atlanta for five days, finally I made to Strasbourg, never thought I would overcome the jet lug, finally I did, never thought I would get used to walking from the Chateau to the bus-stop, I did, never thought I would get used to going to Ecole de Management, I did, so what is left? To pack and go home, start a new semester and move on! To surprise myself, I started packing two weeks ago, in preparation to finally saying goodbye to my temporary home here at the Chateau, I thought it would be the most difficult thing to do, but alas, I am ready to go home. One never knows how they love their home until they leave, I have been missing even those things I took for granted, I have enjoyed my stay here at the Chateau, but I am not sorry it is all coming to an end.
The experience was worth every penny I paid towards the program, the friends I made are worth my meeting them and hopefully I shall continue to communicate with those who made my experience of France worth living for. Notably I will go with fond memories of the "busy like a bee" Gaby at the Reception, Colleta, the kindest kitchen stuff in the world, Stephanie, will live in my memories forever, she was so good to me, and of course Jim and Jan, I will miss you, and hope to stay in touch, for all others, it was nice meeting y'll!
As for Prof. Gregory, you remind me so much of a character I read in one of my novels and you shall for ever live in my mind as that character and of course I enjoyed your teachings and the humor you put in the subject.
Tyler Collins, always remember, you have a friend in me and when I move to the D.C. area, I shall call upon you to show me around. - Caroline
C'est la Vie the world goes on!
Since when, is it "okay"?
A couple of weeks ago, Liz, Sharrell, and I traveled to Barcelona for a 4 day weekend on the beach. This was our last overnight trip in France and we were going to make the best of it. Liz was lucky enough to be meeting her boyfriend, who flew over from WVU to spend Thanksgiving with her, and we planned to have a good time. When we purchased the train tickets, I averaged the total transportation cost to be around 100 dollars roundtrip (with our rail passes of course) but somehow the total came to be 24 euros roundtrip. (This is a little less than 50 dollars.) After walking out of the train station, overjoyed that we were going to another beach I thought to myself that this was going to be a great weekend. Boy was it stressful.
Here was our schedule for a 15 hour train ride from Strasbourg to Barcelona:
1. Leave Strasbourg, France at noon on Thursday and arrive in Paris, France by 2 pm.
2. Leave Paris, France at 9 pm and arrive to the boarder of France and Spain by 7 am
3. Switch trains and arrive in Barcelona by 11 am Friday morning.
4. Take the Barcelona metro bus to our hotel on the outskirts of the city center to check in
5. Have a gosh darn good time.
Although it looks simple, I think everything that could go wrong went wrong, at least on the way down there.
So first of all, we had a make up class on Thursday for a Monday class that was supposed to be over during the first weekend in November and only met 5 times during the semester. But of course, the French education system is a little strange and the teacher scheduled a class for Thursday.
First problem,
Anyhow, like the good do-bee I am, I went to that 8 am class and left early because I was not missing our Barcelona trip. And if you think, I’m bad let me just say that some people actually most people didn’t even go so don’t go pointing fingers at me. We boarded the TGV train to Paris and arrived their safely. Because we already have been to Paris and we were just there because that is the departure station for Barcelona trains, we decided to go to the movies. We saw Twilight, the movie. I liked the movie and yes it was in English with French subtitles.
The evening came fast and our train to Barcelona was here. We boarded the train and made ourselves comfortable. By 11 pm, our train had stopped. Long story short, we stopped for 6 hours. (This time at least.) I remember being waken up by the train ticket collector because he yelled something in French to everyone in my car. Of course, I had no idea what he said so I went back to bed. Hours passed by and I started to get impatient. Sharrell asked a random lady what happened and of course she apparently did not speak English. (Lies if you ask me) But, another guy sitting behind Sharrell answered for her and said “train over body” with hand motions. I started to scream. I closed my eyes and just said no, this isn’t true. From that moment on for at least a few hours, I cried uncontrollably. You would have thought I had known the person but I didn’t. I couldn’t get the picture out of my mind. I understood why the TGV person yelled and the lady in front of me looked around with eyes full of shock. Liz being Liz, had to hear it from someone else, which she did and it came out to be that a person committed suicide. We learned later on that suicides happen often with trains. It is apparently a European thing.
Second problem
The train began moving again and hours later we stopped again. I’m not sure why because I didn’t understand the intercom people. By this time, we had been on this train for over 15 hours. I got frustrated and went on a hunt for a person who worked on the train. My hunt was unsuccessful because of course they were all no where to be found. Strange I know.
Third problem,
A lady came to me later on and wanted to know where we were headed. She worked for the train company and was supposedly going to help us. We learned that because we 6 hours late this train was no longer heading to the boarder between France and Spain. Perfect right? Tell me about it. Oh and to make matters worst, I never saw that lady again. Minutes later, we moved and stopped again, for a long time. Sharrell went on a hunt to find someone to find out what the intercom man was saying, where people were going, and what were we supposed to do. Her hunt was successful and she even convinced the train worker to get another person who spoke English to translate everything in English and Spanish because most people didn’t understand what was being said on the speakers. We learned that we were stopping again because a train in front of us derailed. So in the midst of waiting, they fed us. It was legit survival food, the kind of stuff they feed you out in the woods. Everyone on the train got off and walked around what looked like to be an abandoned station. We sat in large circles and bonded like it was family time but in reality we were all complete strangers.
Finally, after getting help and just sticking with people who were going to cities near Barcelona. We made it to the Barcelona train station. We ended up stopping for a total of 3 times for unforeseen reasons, which caused this 15 hour ride to turn into a 24 hour train ride. However, our nightmare was not over! The metro bus we were supposed to take stopped running because it was so late in the day. What was supposed to be a 40 minute bus ride turned into over 2 hour bus ride. Gratefully, I knew some Spanish was able to communicate and when I would forget words Liz would take over. This worked out. We ended up taking 3 different buses, getting off buses in strange environments, circling our hotel, not being able to get off where we wanted to, walking through the bushes of a major interstate, having grass and leaves throughout our clothing, singing gospel songs hoping that God could hear us and lead the way, pre-paid phones expiring, hotel receptionist not knowing where we were, running down taxis, and paying way too much for a literally 3 minute taxi ride. After wasting a full day on public transportation, we arrived at our hotel. Honestly, I didn’t think we were going to make it there but we did and had a wonderful weekend in Barcelona.
Getting back to Strasbourg wasn’t that much of a challenge and we made it back safely. I still do not like Paris that much. I’ll also never understand why everyone thinks they are the next top musician or the poorest of the poor and expect people to give them money, but that’s another bog’s discussion on a different day. I suppose I’ll never understand the things I question. So as Sharrell told me 1000 times that weekend, I might as well stop talking about it. since when is it okay to have everything in one language. Okay, I take full blame for still not knowing much French. But, for everything to be in French and there being 21 official languages in the EU something doesn’t seem right. The people need to learn how to use multiple languages on these modes of transportation since there are so many official languages and we are going into different countries., since when is it okay for this to be the thing to do in Europe. I don’t understand. This is more than selfish. It is just rude! We have places to go and things to do, which is why we are taking the trains so do not be the one to interrupt this process. If you need help, take yourself to the hospital. People get paid (Hopefully, I’m one of these people.) lots of money, just helping depressed people. Stop thinking about yourself and get help! Okay I’m sorry. That got personal but it hurt me that it was another life gone and interrupted so many others life. Believe it or not, I care so much about people and I’m extra sensitive. So please for everyone who is reading this, if you ever feeling down call on me. I’m always willing to just listen because I really do care.since when is it okay to just schedule a make up class when you please? Of course it was nice to not have class that Monday earlier in the semester but the world doesn’t evolve around this one class and we didn‘t ask for it to be cancelled. We have lives and by lives I mean planned trips, jobs, and other commitments. We can’t just show up on a non scheduled day because you cancelled it for no reason.
Here was our schedule for a 15 hour train ride from Strasbourg to Barcelona:
1. Leave Strasbourg, France at noon on Thursday and arrive in Paris, France by 2 pm.
2. Leave Paris, France at 9 pm and arrive to the boarder of France and Spain by 7 am
3. Switch trains and arrive in Barcelona by 11 am Friday morning.
4. Take the Barcelona metro bus to our hotel on the outskirts of the city center to check in
5. Have a gosh darn good time.
Although it looks simple, I think everything that could go wrong went wrong, at least on the way down there.
So first of all, we had a make up class on Thursday for a Monday class that was supposed to be over during the first weekend in November and only met 5 times during the semester. But of course, the French education system is a little strange and the teacher scheduled a class for Thursday.
First problem,
Anyhow, like the good do-bee I am, I went to that 8 am class and left early because I was not missing our Barcelona trip. And if you think, I’m bad let me just say that some people actually most people didn’t even go so don’t go pointing fingers at me. We boarded the TGV train to Paris and arrived their safely. Because we already have been to Paris and we were just there because that is the departure station for Barcelona trains, we decided to go to the movies. We saw Twilight, the movie. I liked the movie and yes it was in English with French subtitles.
The evening came fast and our train to Barcelona was here. We boarded the train and made ourselves comfortable. By 11 pm, our train had stopped. Long story short, we stopped for 6 hours. (This time at least.) I remember being waken up by the train ticket collector because he yelled something in French to everyone in my car. Of course, I had no idea what he said so I went back to bed. Hours passed by and I started to get impatient. Sharrell asked a random lady what happened and of course she apparently did not speak English. (Lies if you ask me) But, another guy sitting behind Sharrell answered for her and said “train over body” with hand motions. I started to scream. I closed my eyes and just said no, this isn’t true. From that moment on for at least a few hours, I cried uncontrollably. You would have thought I had known the person but I didn’t. I couldn’t get the picture out of my mind. I understood why the TGV person yelled and the lady in front of me looked around with eyes full of shock. Liz being Liz, had to hear it from someone else, which she did and it came out to be that a person committed suicide. We learned later on that suicides happen often with trains. It is apparently a European thing.
Second problem
The train began moving again and hours later we stopped again. I’m not sure why because I didn’t understand the intercom people. By this time, we had been on this train for over 15 hours. I got frustrated and went on a hunt for a person who worked on the train. My hunt was unsuccessful because of course they were all no where to be found. Strange I know.
Third problem,
A lady came to me later on and wanted to know where we were headed. She worked for the train company and was supposedly going to help us. We learned that because we 6 hours late this train was no longer heading to the boarder between France and Spain. Perfect right? Tell me about it. Oh and to make matters worst, I never saw that lady again. Minutes later, we moved and stopped again, for a long time. Sharrell went on a hunt to find someone to find out what the intercom man was saying, where people were going, and what were we supposed to do. Her hunt was successful and she even convinced the train worker to get another person who spoke English to translate everything in English and Spanish because most people didn’t understand what was being said on the speakers. We learned that we were stopping again because a train in front of us derailed. So in the midst of waiting, they fed us. It was legit survival food, the kind of stuff they feed you out in the woods. Everyone on the train got off and walked around what looked like to be an abandoned station. We sat in large circles and bonded like it was family time but in reality we were all complete strangers.
Finally, after getting help and just sticking with people who were going to cities near Barcelona. We made it to the Barcelona train station. We ended up stopping for a total of 3 times for unforeseen reasons, which caused this 15 hour ride to turn into a 24 hour train ride. However, our nightmare was not over! The metro bus we were supposed to take stopped running because it was so late in the day. What was supposed to be a 40 minute bus ride turned into over 2 hour bus ride. Gratefully, I knew some Spanish was able to communicate and when I would forget words Liz would take over. This worked out. We ended up taking 3 different buses, getting off buses in strange environments, circling our hotel, not being able to get off where we wanted to, walking through the bushes of a major interstate, having grass and leaves throughout our clothing, singing gospel songs hoping that God could hear us and lead the way, pre-paid phones expiring, hotel receptionist not knowing where we were, running down taxis, and paying way too much for a literally 3 minute taxi ride. After wasting a full day on public transportation, we arrived at our hotel. Honestly, I didn’t think we were going to make it there but we did and had a wonderful weekend in Barcelona.
Getting back to Strasbourg wasn’t that much of a challenge and we made it back safely. I still do not like Paris that much. I’ll also never understand why everyone thinks they are the next top musician or the poorest of the poor and expect people to give them money, but that’s another bog’s discussion on a different day. I suppose I’ll never understand the things I question. So as Sharrell told me 1000 times that weekend, I might as well stop talking about it. since when is it okay to have everything in one language. Okay, I take full blame for still not knowing much French. But, for everything to be in French and there being 21 official languages in the EU something doesn’t seem right. The people need to learn how to use multiple languages on these modes of transportation since there are so many official languages and we are going into different countries., since when is it okay for this to be the thing to do in Europe. I don’t understand. This is more than selfish. It is just rude! We have places to go and things to do, which is why we are taking the trains so do not be the one to interrupt this process. If you need help, take yourself to the hospital. People get paid (Hopefully, I’m one of these people.) lots of money, just helping depressed people. Stop thinking about yourself and get help! Okay I’m sorry. That got personal but it hurt me that it was another life gone and interrupted so many others life. Believe it or not, I care so much about people and I’m extra sensitive. So please for everyone who is reading this, if you ever feeling down call on me. I’m always willing to just listen because I really do care.since when is it okay to just schedule a make up class when you please? Of course it was nice to not have class that Monday earlier in the semester but the world doesn’t evolve around this one class and we didn‘t ask for it to be cancelled. We have lives and by lives I mean planned trips, jobs, and other commitments. We can’t just show up on a non scheduled day because you cancelled it for no reason.
Antithesis
So this is it. It is time for this adventure to end and another to begin. I feel distanced and almost jaded with the entire experience, at this point. I'm not at all sure what to expect when I return home, nor what exactly I will take with me from my time in Europe. I had a wonderful time, learned many things about myself, others, and the world around me. I just wish I had more time to let the fact that I'm leaving in less than two weeks to sink in.
At the moment, I'm sick and facing a looming amount of classwork that one shouldn't have to deal with in their final weeks in a foreign country. I have a powerpoint presentation for Dr. Valhas (have no idea if I spelled that correctly) to complete, a video presentation for an independent study french class, and three finals to worry about. I'm not going to complain, and I have had course loads that have surpassed this in the past, but for some reason, I don't feel nearly as up to it as I usually do. I think all of it comes down to the fact that I will soon be dropped back into reality. I won't be living in a castle, having a free buffet breakfast every morning, nor will I only have class two or three times a week. I will have to get a job again. I will disembark on the arduous process of law school applications, as well as getting surgery during the same time period. I'm up to it. I just need to prepare myself, so that I may land on my feet rather than my face when I return home.
I still need to figure out how I'm getting to the airport for my flight next Saturday. Hopefully, someone from the chateau will be able to drive me, but if not, I'll probably have to spend 60 euro on a taxi. I don't even want to think about these extra costs I'll incur simply for leaving this country. I'll also have to spend upwards to 300 dollars on checked bags at the airport, something that I'm looking ecstatically looking forward to. I just wish I had more time to sit and contemplate this experience, to completely soak it in before I leave. Perhaps I'll have more time to do this next week.
I guess that's it. This is where I say goodbye. I will never forget those with whom I've spent time during my stay in France, even though I might never see several of these people again. However, whether they know it or not, every single person here has left some sort of positive impression on me; I will most certainly carry their influence for the rest of my life, shaping my existence for the better. Goodbye all.
At the moment, I'm sick and facing a looming amount of classwork that one shouldn't have to deal with in their final weeks in a foreign country. I have a powerpoint presentation for Dr. Valhas (have no idea if I spelled that correctly) to complete, a video presentation for an independent study french class, and three finals to worry about. I'm not going to complain, and I have had course loads that have surpassed this in the past, but for some reason, I don't feel nearly as up to it as I usually do. I think all of it comes down to the fact that I will soon be dropped back into reality. I won't be living in a castle, having a free buffet breakfast every morning, nor will I only have class two or three times a week. I will have to get a job again. I will disembark on the arduous process of law school applications, as well as getting surgery during the same time period. I'm up to it. I just need to prepare myself, so that I may land on my feet rather than my face when I return home.
I still need to figure out how I'm getting to the airport for my flight next Saturday. Hopefully, someone from the chateau will be able to drive me, but if not, I'll probably have to spend 60 euro on a taxi. I don't even want to think about these extra costs I'll incur simply for leaving this country. I'll also have to spend upwards to 300 dollars on checked bags at the airport, something that I'm looking ecstatically looking forward to. I just wish I had more time to sit and contemplate this experience, to completely soak it in before I leave. Perhaps I'll have more time to do this next week.
I guess that's it. This is where I say goodbye. I will never forget those with whom I've spent time during my stay in France, even though I might never see several of these people again. However, whether they know it or not, every single person here has left some sort of positive impression on me; I will most certainly carry their influence for the rest of my life, shaping my existence for the better. Goodbye all.
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