1st Travel

This past weekend I was fortunate enough to travel outside of London for the first time this semester, and took a trip to Paris! I was in Paris once, the summer before college started, with family and it was one of the best experiences of my life. Paris is such a beautiful city with so much to offer. It’s history, unique culture, and amazing food, made it a destination I knew I needed to revisit during my time abroad. Knowing I was going to be able to go back felt surreal but I was beyond excited to return.
Throughout the trip the group I went with did multiple things. We shopped a lot at many different stores, tried out a lot of different foods, and of course had to visit all the tourist spots like the Eiffel Tower. While reliving this experience with a new group of people, I began to realize something very special. That was, how precious and beautiful life truly is. I realized this on a deeper level the moment I took a bite into a chocolate filled croissant for breakfast. It began to hit me how lucky I was to be experiencing everything I was encountering. From studying in London, to going through a semester long internship, and being able to visit other countries. There are millions of people around the world who may not have this same opportunity and that makes me much more appreciative of all these experiences. I think coming to this realization has helped me continue to grow and appreciate the beauty of life and the sacrifices my family has made for me.
In addition to going through this realization, Paris, in a more concrete sense, was an amazing trip. Something else that’s made this trip more memorable is that I was able to have these experiences with a great new group of friends I made. Reliving the same moments and visiting the same spots from when I went to Paris family, gave me the same goosebumps and feels the second time around. Both times I was able to be with amazing groups of people which made the experience even more worthwhile. Not knowing half of the group of people I would be staying with was a gamble but fortunately everything worked out and I can say I’ve made friends for the rest of the program and, hopefully even longer.
Being the first of the few trips I will be able to take this semester I am very excited to see what lays ahead of me. This experience feels like a dream and I am extremely grateful for every moment. I am looking forward to the next adventure, the people I’ll meet, and the memories I’ll make!