To be honest, I was pretty nervous signing up for this summer abroad program. Ever since I was a kid, It’s been hard for me to step outside my confront zone. Although every year, it’s been getting easier and easier for me to step into unfamiliar grounds, I still struggle to give myself that initial push into the unknown. Once I got accepted into the program, I knew there was no going back. Throughout the spring semester, I knew I was going to Paris in the summer, but it never felt real. I kind of tucked it away in the back of my mind. As June 4th got closer and closer, I had to mentally prepare to be in a foreign country for a month with a group I hadn’t met before. Once the day came, the plane was lifted off the runway. It didn’t feel how I thought it would, I wasn’t scared. I was facing my fears head first and I wasn’t scared. I couldn’t sleep on the flight and it was a struggle to stay awake after landing.
I barely remember my first day, but once I met everyone and had finally slept in my new bed, I finally felt energized. The morning after, I had woken up at 5 am and I remember I made a promise to myself the night before that I would go see the Eiffel Tower first thing in the morning, alone, and that’s just what I did. I noticed that there were lime bikes scattered across the city and I already had the app downloaded, so getting around was no problem. As I began riding around I noticed something strange. Not a person or vehicle was in sight. I rode and rode, and didn’t see anybody around. I thought this was so strange. It was about 7 am when I left my dorm and the whole city was sleeping. I began to see cleaning trucks and people getting their shops set up for the morning, and even people getting out of clubs after partying the night before. The city began to move. Once I got to the Eiffel Tower, it felt pretty special to be there without any other tourists, just an empty field and myself. I sat there for a moment, taking in the beauty of the city, then set off for my next adventure, breakfast. It was quite the learning experience going out alone. I had to learn through experience that breakfast is not common in France, and nothing opens till at least 9 am.
The whole month I was in Paris, I was learning. Learning about a new culture I wasn’t familiar with. But more importantly, I was learning a lot about myself. The more odd situations I put myself in, I learned ways to adapt. I wasn’t used to this kind of change. So being in a completely different country for an entire month with people I’ve never met before enabled me to step outside my confront zone. Being in a group of mostly girls, I had to match their energy throughout the trip, and at some points, I got a bit exhausting, but I tried my best not to come off as rude or negative in any way. I would just go off and do my own thing for a while. I found myself doing this often. Some of my favorite moments during my time in Paris, I was alone. I find myself getting lost in thought and just wandering around. I had no guide, no one to talk with, just myself. It almost seemed as if time moved a bit slower, as I didn’t have many distractions. I learned that once you learn to be alone and not feel lonely, you get one step closer to finding true peace.
t a mansion that he had been renting out since 1892. He quickly began developing a large garden. The garden felt like a mix of a Japanese zen garden and a traditional European garden. These two styles blended very well and I never really noticed a certain point where the styles changed. The Garden had nice long pathways to smaller one-room buildings that held more archives and information about Kahn, his project, and the garden. This added a feeling that you were still in the museum and kept the flow of information pretty steady. It’s a good way in reminding the visitor that the garden is also a part of Kahn’s work. The Albert Kahn museum had plenty to offer and even though I was feeling a bit ill due to allergies, I definitely appreciated every moment.
Calista Robledo is a College student at St. Edwards University studying Writing and Rhetoric, and Catholic Studies. Born in Weslaco, Texas, Calista found a passion for the arts at a young age. Beginning with dance and slowly shifting towards writing. This is Calista’s first time in Paris, and below we talk about what it means to be a creative in Paris, and her influences.