I never thought I would make it to another country all by myself, despite my dreams to do so. I was in third grade when I learned about the seven wonders of the world, it was then that I told myself that in the future I would go around the world and see these wonders. At the time, it seemed like a wild dream to me, something that I may not be able to accomplish. Throughout high school, I continued to dream about the places I wanted to travel to. I was screenshotting, saving, and pinning places on my Pinterest. It only felt like a wild dream.
A year ago, I saw a replica of the Eiffel Tower in Gomez Palacio, Durango, Mexico. I told my dad to slow the car down so that I could take a picture of it, and without thinking, I told my parents “France. I’m going to go to France.” My mom looked at me like I was crazy, which is not far from how I felt in that moment. “When?”, is all that she could muster out. “I don’t know. I just know that I’m going to make it to France and see the real Eiffel Tower in Paris.” I answered. The following fall semester, I found out about The Art of Travel. Without a second thought I went to the study abroad office and asked about how to apply for the program.
Arriving in Paris felt like I was being spit out onto the shore by rough ocean waters. I felt so out of place, so scared, so little. Despite the weeks of preparation, the packing, and even the long flight, it never really hit me until I got off the plane. I was in a new country by myself.
I instantly began to overthink my decision. I felt insane. Why would I go to a country where I don’t speak the language? I remembered my mom telling me that I should just study abroad somewhere in Mexico and for the first time I thought, “maybe I should have done that instead. I speak the language fluently and I’ve been plenty of times.” I shook off the thought and told myself that there was a reason I chose Paris. I wanted to challenge myself. I wanted change. I wanted to experience something new.
I didn’t think so much change was possible in so little time. When I first arrived in Paris, I dreaded going anywhere because I didn’t speak French. I went from wanting to stay in my dorm to avoid interactions to trying to find new places or cafes to explore because I wasn’t ready to go back to my dorm yet. I was putting myself out of my comfort zone every day.
I finally felt independent. While I felt a sense of independence when first coming to college, it was nothing like what I finally felt in Paris. Truth is, the world always felt as small as Friona, TX growing up. I saw people go to college and then come back to Friona to work as teachers, coaches, or even just to go back to Cargill and work for the rest of their lives. I was never one to judge, but it’s also not the life that I wanted for myself, especially after working my summers in the factory. Although I didn’t want that life, I always felt that tie tugging me back. I felt tied to Friona because people always assume that I’ll pack my bags and come back as soon as I walk the stage.
All I needed to finally grab the scissors and cut the tie was a glimpse of the world. The world is not just Friona. I should not feel guilty for wanting to leave Friona and explore the world. The Art of Travel is the scissors that I needed and has helped me overcome my guilt.
My time in Paris has helped me realize that my dreams can become reality. I didn’t know what independence was until I was in Paris and had to do things for myself for once. I had to fill out forms for my luggage and had to ask for medicine at the pharmacy without having anyone to look at for help. I had to grab my stuff and go get food by myself if I was hungry. I had to commute to school by myself because I didn’t want to make any of my peers wait on me every morning.
I gained confidence. I initially felt so self-conscious, but I knew that I was doing things that I had only ever dreamed of doing. I was always afraid that my ship would sink as soon as I left Friona, but it has continued to sail even among the strongest waves. Being in Paris helped me realize that I could thrive and create my own reality in a new place.
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Kessly Salinas is a rising senior at St. Edward’s University. She is majoring in Global Studies and minoring in Journalism and Digital Media.
The shop didn’t look like much from the outside. There was a rack of denim long-sleeve tops, all looking identical, but somehow it made you want to look for something that was different. The shop owner (I assume, since he was the only person standing outside) stood out among all the dark denim outside. He was wearing khaki pants with green patches, a white graphic T-shirt layered with a light wash denim long sleeve, and a white sailor hat. Another man walked up to the shop but did not go in, he just casually started a conversation with the owner. The owner made big hand gestures and occasionally tipped his head back with laughter, showing that both men were exchanging funny stories.
Nico Sendra is a rising senior at St. Edward’s University majoring in Graphic Design. He is from Dallas, Texas, and grew up traveling with his family around the United States. He’s been around the West Coast, to Seattle, to California, to Florida, and to the Grand Canyon. Some of his favorite memories are from his trips to the Grand Canyon. He’s also traveled abroad to Saltillo, Mexico, where his grandma is from, to Ireland, to Spain, and now France. Nico is a self-described open book and, in this discussion, we dive into those pages by talking about his major and some of his favorite memories about growing up.