Christmas Break Recap: France

Paris has become of my favorite cities. We visited it in November, and I was excited for take 2. It's so classy, and the Eiffel Tower never gets old. We met up with Heather's and Emily's moms, with whom we rented a sweet little apartment with a view of the tower. We saw all the Parisian tourist spots (Notre Dame, the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, Sacre Coeur, etc.) and ate all the Parisian things (paninis, crepes, macaroons, etc.). We went to Notre Dame for Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. I heard the best singing I've ever heard in my life! We spent a sunny Christmas there, and the leftover snow on the ground made it my first white Christmas! We also enjoyed more Christmas markets, of course.

On the train leaving France, I felt a bit sad because I felt like I hadn't gotten to know the French people very well. Then we ended up meeting a French guy on the train with whom we had to share a sleeping cabin. God blessed us again in this instance, because not only was he not a creeper, but we had the most interesting discussion on culture and the European Union! It was an intercultural comm major's dream! We were saying how we thought the European culture was beautiful, and he expressed his wish for more of a true European culture. He talked about how he wished the Union could be more unified, as in America. Though we have many states, we're all proud to be American, and he wanted the same sort of feelings among Europeans. He also said that he's frustrated with his own country sometimes because the French are quite critical by nature, and thus are less likely to open up to strangers to avoid exposing themselves socially. He wished that they would be more open, like Americans. I said traveling Americans can be pretty embarrassing sometimes, but he said he appreciated the free attitude we have. There were so many profound things in the discussion that I could go on and on. I was in awe because God had sent someone to shed some more light on French culture, and European culture as a whole. It also made me feel very blessed to have grown up in America, with the freedom and opportunities that we have. My time in Europe has been amazing, but it has also made me love America even more.

Now on to Italy!