Week 12 was written in bold text on the projector screen of my Why France Matters Seminar. Objectively thinking of the number 12, it doesn’t seem that large, but when I began to think about all the unforgettable memories and inspiring people I encountered within those 12 weeks my sense of time grew exponentially. To think back to the first day of my arrival in France, and considering all the time in-between then and now, 12 weeks feels like a life time.
I understand the dialogue surrounding the transformative nature of travel is overlooked as a cliché, however travel has the remarkable ability to inspire us, challenge us, and teach us about the world around us in ways no classroom ever could. Having the opportunity to immerse myself in this new, unfamiliar location has come with many experiences which were often jolting, rewarding and difficult.
One of the major difficult aspects of adapting to this new life style was figuring out the public transport system in Reims. What I have learned is that unlike like Paris or Shanghai, the transport system in Reims is not as reliable and runs far less frequently than one would hope. From getting to the train station or to an event on time there is a lot of time preparation that goes into figuring out which form of transportation one ought to take and at what time. Maybe this is just from a foreigner’s perspective; however, the number of conflicts I have run into regarding transportation has been plentiful. In Reims, there are three main forms of transportation: The tramline, the bus, and a local bike share company. The main problems surrounding the tram system that there are only two lines (red and blue) which run in the same direction (east to west) stopping at almost the same stops.
The one exception is that the blue line stops at one of the central train stations in the cities names Champagne-Ardennes TGV. Unfortunately for me each time I need to take the tram to the train station to catch a high-speed train into Paris, the tramline is under construction or is not in service. Learning from past mistakes I always make a point to check the tramline schedule and the bus schedule the day before I make the trip to the central train station. From the tram and bus stops near my host family’s home, the tram typically takes 25 minutes to get to the station while the bus takes 35 minutes. This is quite a long amount of time especially when considering what time the tram and the bus will be at the pick-up point.
My preferred mode of transportation in Reims is the bike share company named Gobee bike. It is the cheapest form of transport, for each ride is only 0.50 euros for 90 minutes. Gobee bike allows me to remain active, and get to different places faster than the other infrequent forms of transportation. Reims is also a small enough city for one to cycle around it and not feel overly exhausted, furthermore the only time I ever need to use public transportation is when I am traveling 2-3 kilometers. Reims is a very bike friendly city, accompanied with numerous biking paths all through out the city.
As I wrap up my final academic week in Reims one unexpected realization I have had regarding the transportation system in Reims is that it makes me miss the DC metro. The metro in DC was something I always took for granted, and is one of the main aspects of DC I am looking forward to when I return this spring.