I’ve been home for almost two weeks now so I’ve had some time to think about my trip and everything it has meant to me. Paris opened up the world for me. I learned and saw so much in just four weeks. I went to major landmarks like Versailles and the Eiffel Tower but I also saw places that I had never heard of before my trip. My favorite places were the ones that made me the most calm. It was easy to find a special quiet contentedness that simply doesn’t exist in America. I found this feeling the most in the Musée de Montmartre, Luxembourg Gardens, and Monet’s house in Giverny.

On the academic side of things, I was exposed to a lot of different readings on my trip. Hemingway, more Hemingway, Molière, Georges Simenon, Rétif, and Edith Wharton among others. Through these readings, I learned quite a bit of historical information about the periods these works were written. I was taught about everything from Paris’ 17th-century bourgeoise to its influx of Americans post-WWI.

My biggest takeaway from this program is that the world is full of so many beautiful and fantastic things and places. I’ll admit that’s not a very coherent takeaway but maybe with time, I’ll gain some clarity in my feelings about Paris. For now, I’m insanely grateful and happy that I went on this trip. I flew internationally alone for the first time. I learned how to use the Métro and navigate a city where I didn’t speak the language. I had to figure out how to receive medical care in a foreign country (I got a bit sick towards the end, all good now). These experiences have given me new confidence in myself and my capabilities. I had similar growth experiences when I moved from Massachusetts to Pitt but traveling on an international scale has shown me that I am capable of going wherever I want to in this world. That’s a really freeing feeling.