There's many famous quotes when it comes to travel. For instance, "To travel is to live," -Christian Andersen or "The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page," -St. Agustine. They are quotes that can be recognized as cliché, but they are also ones that I can now say are more than true.
Along with that, there is the old saying that traveling leads to finding oneself. And when I studied abroad this summer, that is precisely what I did.
Paris, France was the first destination I traveled to, and it was breathtaking. Arriving into the heart of Paris I can almost recall everything from my surroundings to a T. On every street corner there were an array of cafés and beside them were families, couples, and friends, walking along the cobble stone streets. They walked almost swiftly, but yet at the same time it also seemed like it was in slow motion, as they just seemed happy to be in each other's company. It was beautiful, and this was the first aspect of Paris that I noticed. Life is not a rush to the Parisians, it is something to enjoy and to embrace each moment of.
Following this, I noticed the history that Paris had to offer. As I took the opportunity to view all the tourist sites Paris holds (as of course you can't go to Paris and not see the Eiffel Tower), I also took to discovering the reasoning behind these attractions, the history behind them, how they got to be where they are today. This is also the beauty I see when visiting this country, or any country in fact.
I next spent time in Caen, France, as I also explored much of Normandy. This also gave me to chance to indulge in the history of France itself. Caen was an alluring town, it showed another side to France then the one Paris portrayed. It was filled with many medieval aspects and it really shed light on the old France, even though it was still modernized in some ways. It was a town I could picture myself living in one day, the kind of town that has quaint homes covered in ivy green leaves and vibrant red roses. The kind of home that resembles one you'd see in the fairytales, and it was perfect.
In the town of Caen I also met many Parisians, college students more specifically, around my own age. This was an experience in itself, to talk to them about their way of living, what they like to do, about who they are as a person. It truly made the experience that much more meaningful.
Everything I discovered though while exploring this beautiful country led up to one thing, it led to me finding a new meaning within myself in fact.
Because I had this experience, I returned home further knowing what I wanted to do with my life, further knowing the person I am and who I want to become, further knowing the other experiences I desire to have and the places I want to travel to.
Due to me visiting another country, immersing myself in a culture different than my own, aiming to speak the French language (which is truly beautiful), stepping outside of my comfort zone by trying new things (escargot is actually delicious), and forming new and unexpected friendships, this experience led me to not only learn about the country I had traveled to, but to learn about myself.
Everyone should have the chance to this opportunity, to finding themselves through travel. And while some maybe more than others crave this wanderlust more, I can almost guarantee that someone who travels can view the world with fresh eyes, along with themselves.
It is an amazing experience to open yourself up to a new part of the world, but what no one expects is that the world will in fact open you up as well.
//I took the liberty of documenting much of my journey, and here are just some more photographs I'd like to share with everyone. If you ever do get the chance to travel, take it. I promise you, you won't regret it.//
