Skip to content

Tag: Paris

Published on

By bevvy2212

The Angst. The Angst.

I’m supposed to be flying to Paris in two days. I still have yet to receive my visa. Hence, the angst.

Traveling angst probably is common for a lot of people, but it is a pretty new feeling to me. I first went abroad by myself when I was ten. My parents found me a home stay family in New Zealand during winter break and popped me on a plane down to the southern hemisphere. It might look terrifying now, but back then, I was happy as a bird. Things like the language barrier and how on earth would I be able to manage the bus system in Auckland did not even cross my mind. Indeed, I was a fearless, brainless, ten-year-old. I did not over think things, like I do now.

I realized that as I grew older, the feeling of traveling angst becomes more pronounce each time. I think I’m loosing my sense of “winging-it” as I am growing up. I need to have everything planned, but as we all know, traveling rarely goes according to plan, at least in my case. There are only so many things that are under human control, the rest is left to fate, as my mom would proclaim. Like that plane that got shot down flying over Ukraine? Can’t really plan around that.

I have heard mixed reviews on the safety of Paris. My friend just told me yesterday how a friend of his got robbed in the metro under broad daylight.

--My god, I thought to myself, do I need pepper spray?

--I’m really loosing my marbles, how is pepper spray going to help me in the case of robbery? “Stop! Or I’ll blind you?!”

--Should I take up karate lessons then?

--Really Bev, you’re gonna kung-fu fight someone in the Paris metro?

I have to admit that after I have thought it through, it seems quite silly. Paris is just going to be like any big city in the world. It has its problems, and we will just have to deal with it. I mean, we get emails from GW warning about robberies  all the time. Why would Paris be any different? (Who knows, Parisian robbers might be classier because they are French. “Mademoiselle, please let me grab your bag or I will jab this knife into your appendix.”) Traveling angst, it happens. As sad as I would like to admit, my life isn’t nearly as exciting as the movies and I will probably have to save my kung-fu fighting skills for some talent shows instead of fighting criminals in the metro.

Hopefully by this time next week, I’ll be in Paris already, safe and sound. (Visa, please hurry along.)

Published on

By mcbitter

As I prepare for my upcoming semester abroad in Paris (fourteen days and counting!), the number one thing on my mind is simple: fit in, fit in, fit in.

Why do I want to blend in with the Parisians, you might ask? Surely such a task is impossible - after all, they are widely regarded as the most chic creatures under the sun. (I’m not sure how they pull off wearing leather so well, but I’m not going to push it. Or try it for that matter.) Ultimately, I am pursuing this goal in an attempt to avoid those awkward stares from the locals (mon dieu, another American tourist). Indeed, there exist certain attitudes that Americans seem to associate with Parisians - that they are not always welcoming, or that they accept us begrudgingly, when we visit the famed City of Lights. While I have not experienced this treatment myself (in fact, all of the Parisians I have encountered in the past were nothing but gracious!), I am still anxious to avoid attracting it. If such an attitude is true, anyway, I would imagine that the Parisians are not entirely at fault - similarly prevalent are stereotypes of tourists ignoring foreign customs and the very culture that draws us to them in the first place.

In an effort to understand and embrace these customs, especially those that are regarded as common courtesy, I have taken to several books, one of which I especially recommend. “The Sweet Life of Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World’s Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City,” is written by David Lebovitz, and it provides an insider’s look into an American’s Paris - what to do (greet shopkeepers with a Bonjour Monsieur/Madame), what not to do (don’t leave the house in comfy clothes and flip flops, for one!), and what to eat (all of the mousse au chocolat, in my case).

By the end of my time in Paris, I hope that I will be able to say that I have had an authentically Parisian experience - and maybe, just maybe, I’ll have tricked some of the locals into thinking I was one of them!

Published on

By bevvy2212

You know how there are places that you don’t expect yourself to re-visit in the near future? Well, Paris is the exception. I first visited Paris when I was 15, too young to really appreciate its beauty, now looking back. I was like any eager tourist, snapping selfies with the Eiffel tower. (Were selfies even a thing back then?) My second visit to Paris was during my junior year of high school. I did not expect my return to Paris to be so soon but I wasn’t complaining. It gave me a really odd feeling of “coming home”, like when I was visiting Versailles with my friends, I knew the rooms and the stories to them. But still, it didn’t feel like I got the gist of Paris.

Part of the reason why I love traveling so much is because cities are like people too. I have to spend quality time wandering around their meandering streets in order to form deeper bonds with them. The touristy places, feel almost insincere at times. Here is a brief digression. I have just returned from a six-week-volunteering program from Peru. One of the main reasons why I wanted to go in the first place was because of Machu Picchu. I mean, who cares about educating the future generation of a country that has a 35% poverty rate? (Jokes, for those who couldn’t tell.) I was stationed in Trujillo, the third largest city in Peru, totally Peruvian. It was nothing like Lima or Machu Picchu where foreigners swarmed the streets and almost gave me the illusion that I was still in America, except the bathrooms were without toilet paper (A phenomenon that’s pretty much everywhere except in the US). In Trujillo, I taught English to kids from kindergarten up to sixth grade and they had touched my heart in a way that I never expected it to be touched. It was a very sad day for me to leave, and Peru forever holds a special place in my heart.

That’s the kind of relationship I want to form with a country, let people into my life and leave my tracks behind as well. I don’t expect my 6-week-English-lessons to change my kids’ lives, but to know that I have made impact on their lives is one of the greatest feelings I have ever experienced. So I hope that by spending a semester in Paris, I’d be able to get to know it personally. Who knows, the future is bright, maybe third time’s the charm!


Side note: for future references, those who wish to apply for a French visa should try to get it done in the United States. I did mine in China and it was the most painful experience ever. I couldn’t even get on the CampusFrance website without a proper proxy. (Thanks communism.)

Published on

By anishag22

Friday marked the end of my trip to Paris, and it was also my last visit to the City of Lights for this semester. I feel so lucky to have been able to spend a weekend plus a whole other week in Paris thus far. Leaving Paris, I felt like I had gained a good grasp of what the city is about. I can find my way on the Paris metro, know the best and most picturesque times to visit the Eiffel, and I now know a bit about the French lifestyle. Paris has truly captured my heart, so I've decided to list a few reasons why.

 

1. Picnicking on the Seine. It's free, it's fabulous and during spring it is absolutely gorgeous. There is nothing better than taking your crepe or sandwich down to the river's edge and letting your feet dangle over the ledge as you take in the stunning views of Paris.

2. Paris's museums are to die for. The city is home to some of the best and most famous artwork in the world. On my most recent visit, I went to the Van Gogh special exhibit at the Orsay, and it was truly awe-inspiring to see so many of Van Gogh's pieces together in one room. My favorite thing to do is stand close to the painting from the side, because you can actually see how thick the paint has been applied. You would never know that just by seeing the painting in a textbook!

3. The history. From Saint Chapelle to Notre Dame, Paris is home to some of the oldest and most beautiful architecture in the world. The almost 1,000-year-old Saint Chapelle is a testament to ornate Gothic architecture, with stained glass windows that tell the story of the Bible from creation onwards. As I gazed up at these windows, I was struck by how much time and effort must have gone into preparing every single individual stained glass scene by hand.

4. The shopping! And I don't mean just Champs Elysse. The shopping that I enjoy the most in Paris is on little side streets and neighborhoods off the beaten path, like Montmarte (The stunning views from Sacre Coure don't hurt either!).

Up next for me is Venice, Florence, Rome, Prague and finally Vienna, so stay tuned for more from my travels!

 

Until next time -

Xx, Anisha

Published on

By billienkatz

I just returned back to Barcelona from a weekend trip to Paris and I have never felt more at home as I do at this very moment. Maybe it had something to do with having to navigate Charles de Gaulle airport and the bus/metro system alone with no working knowledge of French, aside from croissant and crepe. On the other hand, maybe it was being scrutinized by Easy Jet as I stuffed my carry-on bag into a too small metal been to make sure it was within the correct dimensions and restrictions - isn't flying budget airlines a ton of fun?

While I had yet another incredible and moment worthy trip exploring a major European city, I found myself ready to return to the comfort of Barcelona and Spanish speakers and my metro system. The comfort in the Spanish language factor is ultimately what has lead to the reflection of this post. When I first arrived to Barcelona on January 7th I was terrified to have to speak in Spanish because while i knew my colors really well, my not so extensive vocabulary stopped there.
This is one of the most obvious ways I have grown over the last three,intend that I have been here. Not only am I fumbling through countries where I don't speak the native language, but I find myself being so ready and excited to seal and hear Spanish again once I know its time to head home to Barcelona. This makes me realize that despite the fact that this experience has gone by way too fast (I have exactly one month left), I'm proud of myself for not only
making Barcelona, the people, and their language feel like home, but for recognizing how far I have come in the last three months.
Here's to one final month that can maybe top the last three,
Billie

Published on

By msotomayor12

I wrote this article in Terminal 3 of Charles de Gaulle with a feeling of nostalgia and relief to be leaving Paris. It’s the first time I've felt this way leaving the City of Lights and I think I know why. For starters my high-school level French is almost non-existent, making it more difficult than ever to communicate with the already reserved Parisians. While awkward conversations build thicker skin, knowing that you can’t express your sentiments makes me quite hesitant, which isn’t my personality at all.

Another first was traveling alone with my brother. Man, does that make any situation fun and lively. Even though he is 17, I still act like the protective older sister; a feeling I’ve come to realize will never cease. For this reason, I was constantly on alert looking out for him more than I was for myself. I naturally went along with what he wanted to do since he always finds cool places to visit. At this point it’s in my instinct to do so. Thankfully his interests didn’t take us to the touristy parts of the city, which made me see Paris in a different light.

And although we walked around a majority of the city meeting up with friends along the way, I felt as if something was missing. I think the best way to explain this is by sharing artist David Douard’s way of understanding the world. His exposition in the Palais de Tokyo, Mo’Swallow, shows random pieces of everyday tools and resources (water, plaster, cages, lights, etc.) and mixes them together to produce “art” (I put this in quotes because many people would think his art looks more like garbage pieced together). The whole point of the exhibition was to prove that everyone’s understanding of the sculptures would be completely unique because we all live in our own “pseudo-environments.” While languages connect people, each individual can interpret the meaning of a word differently based on the experiences they associate with it. By communicate our interpretations of things we, in turn, define the use of it until it is accepted by all. In other words, things could have a different purpose if we defined it another way.

Philosophical right?

This could explain why I feel so different about Paris this time around. To clarify, the way I see Paris is how I see New York. They are two cities that are aesthetically beautiful because the buildings are almost exactly the same. That creates a perfect order, but the people in it make it quite chaotic. The people define it, which takes away from the beauty and calm that is constantly present if you look away from the streets. I think this is why I’m nostalgic and intrigued by both cities—there’s something more to it, but I haven’t found it yet. That is why I prefer to leave and stay nostalgic about Paris because if I were to stay, my romanticized vision and intrigue of the city would definitely disappear.

Published on

By maxikaplan

Around this time four months ago I began writing my first blog post for GW, and this semester I’m lucky enough to get to do it again. For those who didn’t read my previous postings, I’m studying at the London School of Economics for my junior year, which means I get the pleasure of staying in this great city for approximately nine months. My previous blog, embarrassingly enough, read as more of a diary than a list of new experiences or places I’ve visited, and I do hope to make this one slightly more contextual. With that in mind, I thought it would be best to kick off my first post by talking a bit about the traveling I did throughout my 4 weeks winter break.

Since I wouldn’t be starting my traveling until the second week of my vacation, I spent the first mostly catching up on work I needed to do. At LSE, the incentives for getting work done during the year are close to none: your only grade throughout the entire year comes down to one final exam. After getting done what needed to be done, I took off for Paris with two of my good friends at school, both of whom find great pleasure in ridiculing me for the contents of this blog. This was, by far, my favorite vacation I had ever taken, because our plan was to have no plan, and it couldn’t have worked out better. When you don’t plan things like this, anything can happen, and our adventure included five cities: Paris, Brussels, Brugge, Berlin, and Dublin.

Although Paris was by far my favorite city, we got locked inside of a government building in Brussels, nearly hit by fireworks on New Years in Berlin, and ate some of the best chocolate of our lives in Brugge. This vacation did, unfortunately, hit pretty steeply into my wallet, but I don’t think I will ever in my life regret enjoying those three weeks to the fullest, because it is truly a once in a lifetime experience. Without going into every detail of the trip, it was, in short, a fantastic time. But what I look forward to even more is the next trip I’ll be taking in March through LSE: hitchhiking from London to Croatia. Totaling one week, with three days to get there and another three in Zagreb, this “vacation” is actually a charity event, where teams of three raise money and compete to see who can arrive in Zagreb first.

This semester is going to be a great one, especially since many of my close friends from GW will be joining me to study in London for their study abroad. This week, however, is shaping up to be one of a lot of reading and finance problem sets. Once I finish all of those, and bungee jump on Saturday, I will get back to you this time next week.

Published on

By maxikaplan

I cannot complain: Friday was the last week of class for my first term (what LSE calls Michaelmas term) and, as luck would have it, I have four weeks of vacation.  I should say that this isn’t a complete vacation since LSE does expect students to study and review throughout the break, but it is as much of a vacation as I could ask for.  If going to Paris, Berlin, Brussels and Dublin isn’t a vacation, I don’t know what is.

Within the last week or two I have seen a few friends I made in London actually leave to go home because their study abroad was for only one semester.  This made me realize two things.  First was that I have only been in London for two and a half months, which means I have much more to experience here than what I have seen thus far.  Second, I could not believe how fast time had gone by, and how lucky I am to have the opportunity to stay in London all the way until June.  In just a few months this city does feel somewhat like a new home to me, and leaving here will be just as hard as it was to leave GW and my family in New Jersey.  But I have been reminded lately that senior year is closer than it seems as I start to find places for my friends and I to live when I am back.  With all this talk of the future, let’s talk about what’s going on now.

I will not be leaving for Paris—the first leg of my trip—until a week from today, which means that I have a week to myself in London to read up on class material while exploring parts of London I have yet to see.  Thankfully, this came on Saturday in the form of what is called Santacon, a worldwide event where thousands of people in different cities dress as Santa Claus and essentially have one big party in the city center.  Unfortunately, this week will actually be a bit quieter since some of my friends have headed home for their vacation, but nonetheless I will take some time to go to museums I haven’t been to and finally see Les Miserables, which my uncle bought me a ticket to.  I’ve taken this weekend to digest my school work—that is, not do any at all—and reflect on my time here in London so far, and I’ve really come to see how much I have to stop and appreciate what is going on since it is all happening so fast.  Everybody I speak to always tells me to enjoy my time abroad because it will not be here forever, and there is no truer a statement.

My next blog post will be written for the first time ever outside of London!  It will be my last post and I think that is a great way to end what has been a great experience in writing down my time here.

Unless otherwise indicated, the content and opinions expressed on this web site are those of the author(s). They are not endorsed by and do not necessarily reflect the views of the George Washington University.
Privacy Notice
Viewing Message: 1 of 1.
 Notice

This site uses cookies to offer you a better browsing experience. Visit GW’s Website Privacy Notice to learn more about how GW uses cookies.