The Journey Begins: June 1

After so much anticipation, I arrived at Nashville International airport at about 12.15pm to begin the journey to the three great European capitals (Paris, France, Brussels, Belgium and Amsterdam, Netherlands). After all participants had gathered at the departure area, we proceeded to check in and pass through the necessary security checks, then to the waiting area ready for journey ahead with great expectation. This interesting and exciting trip started by first flying to Hartsfield-Jackson airport Atlanta to connect the flight that will take us to Paris, France. We landed at Atlanta at about 4pm and layover of about 6 hours boarding the flight to Paris. I had lunch/dinner at Hartsfield-Jackson airport Atlanta where we spent most time of the day and also got to mingle with other students while waiting for the main flight to Paris. We finally boarded the plane to Paris and the day ended on board as we en-route to Paris.

June 3 - First Full Day in Paris

Our sleep was interrupted at 2:00 am this morning when the fire alarm went off.  Going back to sleep was a challenge for everyone.  Not only were we sleep deprived and jet lagged, we also had to get acclimated staying in a new bed.  

Dr. V gave my class an assignment to go to the Christian Louboutin store near the Lourve Rivoli metro stop.  He wanted us to experience the high end fashion of Paris as well as get accustomed to riding the metro on our own.  After looking at shoes that were priced over 4400 Euros, we were then instructed by Dr. V to find the Latin Quarter of Paris for delicious and inexpensive eating, a rarity for this municipality.  We easily navigated to the St. Michele stop, where we located some good eats and shopped along the way. 

June 2 - Arrival to Paris

Our flight to Paris wasn't too bad since it was a late night flight. Upon entering the Paris airport, I was expecting a long wait for our luggage in addition to another long wait to go through customs.  Both processes were expeditious and refreshing considering we were 17 straight hours into traveling on limited sleep and were jet lagged.  We met up with Dr. V at the airport, who came into Paris on Friday.  

Dr. V guided us to the train from the airport. The most entertaining moment of the ride was when one student wasn't able to get off the metro in time during of the stops and was whisked away with a terrifying look on her face.  The group was also in shock with a few nervous laughters along the way.  Fortunately the student in notice did the smart thing and got off on the very next stop.  Dr. V got on the next train and went and got her.  

From there, the rest of the day was more relaxing and unwinding.  We got to the hostel in one peace, got our room assignments, and then was able to explore the neighborhood a bit during a quest for dinner.  Life in Paris has begun.  Time to make the most of it while meeting new people and learning new perspectives!

A walk through Paris, June 3(Day three)

Sleep was going good until the fire alarm decided to be rude and interrupt my sound sleep at 2:00 am, I woke up and it took me a few seconds to gather my thoughts and leave my room. On our way down we found out it was a false alarm. Couldn’t go back to sleep after that, sad, but well....... Breakfast at 8:00am was amazing, had some croissants, a bowl of fruits and chocolate cereal and a cup of hot chocolate, after breakfast I got a 1 hr sleep. At 10 am we had a group orientation where we got our free Paris pass for one week, house rules, and a few exciting tours we can go on, immediately after that we had a class orientation and was give a quick rundown of our 3 weeks. Our assignment was to navigate the metro without Dr V then locate the Christian Louboutin store, the layout, his clientele and how the shoes are priced (a £4,000 shoe won’t be bad if it would make me fly), but I must say his shoe’s are unique. Looked around a bit and took pictures of structures that fascinated us before going to the Latin Quarters at Saint Michel to get food and some souvenirs. The food cost 6 Euros and was really filling. Came back and finally had a 2 hour sleep. Got a pack of pasta that can be micro waved for dinner, let’s see how the rest of the night goes.

Light, Camera,............ wait, June 2(Day two)

The plane ride was smooth and the food wasn’t so bad, got in a four hour sleep before getting to Paris at 2:00 PM, Immigrations was light and easy to go through, got our luggage, met up with Dr V, he gave us a few instruction and we got on the train, the train ride was fun and face paced having to move from one train to the other in a group with luggage was fun if you traveled light (Like I did). Coming out of the subway, Paris wasn’t exactly lights, cameras and runway as I taught it would be, it looked more like a modern – ancient city, modern in the sense that people dressed upbeat and trendy, ancient because the architectural layout was more medieval. Got to our hostel and the rooms had bunks with a center table, two chairs and a sink, not bad I taught. After dropping my stuff it was time to look for food, we went around and eventually got food at a restaurant called Les Artisans. Came back to the hostel surfed the net for a minute and I was ready to call it a night.

Take off day, June 1(Day one)

The night before the trip was pretty relaxing, so I woke up feeling elated and ready for the ride, planning the whole day in my head and trying to work out what I was going to do during the 6 hr layover in Atlanta. Anyways, my mood was on the high knowing I was on my way to Paris. Got to the Airport at 12:15 and met a couple of pleasant people I would be stuck with for 3 weeks, weaving through airport security wasn’t as stressful as I imagined it to be in Nashville, I hope Atl security would be equally as pleasant. The layover wasn’t as bad as I imagined as we a couple of us just rolled together and passed time, before we could say Jack Rob..... it was time to board. The plane took of at 11:20 am. Paris, here I come.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Packing took a bit longer than expected. Having backpacked to Europe twice before, it was much more simpler to pack due to it being just for leisure.  This trip was a bit more cumbersome to prepare for because of it being an education-oriented trip and having more structure that required nicer apparel that included planned trips like the United States Embassy in Paris.

In addition, the temperature in Paris, Brussels, and Amsterdam varies greatly at this time of year, with the low in the 50s (fahrenheit) and the highs in the mid-70s. Due to that variance (along with packing electronics for the first time), I quickly learned that I would have to use more than the backpack that I have used in the past.

It was great re-introducing ourselves to one another in the group once everyone got to the airport.  The flight to Atlanta went very smooth.  Despite dreading the long wait for such an anticipated flight, the six hour layover ended up being a positive thing because I was able to network and establish relationships with my fellow colleagues.  We made the most of it and fortunately, both flights were on time. 

Second day in Paris, June 3, 2013

I was mistaken about the tour of Paris. The other classes got the tour, but my class did not. At least not today. Which is fine with me. I got to take a look into Christian Louboutin’s shoe shop and of course the rest of the shops around the area. It was interesting to see how exclusive Louboutin’s line of shoes were. They were exotic, unique, and thusly very expensive. The surrounding area was great as well. There was a ton of interesting architecture as well as little shops to go into. I went out on this excursion with several of my classmates, and we got to navigate the metro by ourselves, and by the end of it, we felt like we were pros at navigating the metro. When we were above ground, looking around, we decided to stop at a local bakery and I bought a crepe with nutella and coconut. There truly isn’t anything like an authentic, freshly made crepe from Paris. It was absolutely delicious.

Paris so far has been so much fun. I have a feeling it will only get better from here on out. 
 

Arrival to Paris, June 2, 2013

Turns out, it was really hard for me to sleep on the plane, but I tried to get as much sleep as I possibly could. I knew I would need all the energy I could get, considering the fact that I would be landing in Paris at about 2pm. Paris so far has been fun, and I cannot wait to see more of it. I rode my first tram/subway and it was a rough but fun experience. Packing light truly turned out to be a good choice, and the stairs and subways proved that to me. Watching other students get lost or left behind made me realize how important it is to pay attention to directions and stay close to the group. Once we got to the hostel, we all half-heartedly unpacked due to our exhaustion and took a look around the place that we would be staying for a week. It was small, as expected, but we managed to get comfortable and make it home. Finally arriving in Paris makes me very anxious to see more. So far I have only seen the subway/tram and the surroundings of my hostel. I truly can't wait until I get to tour the whole city!

Departure Day, June 1, 2013

            Preparing for this trip was stressful, considering the fact that it is my first time travelling out of the country. On top of that new experience, I have also never been on a plane before, so thusly, I was very nervous about being prepared for my trip. But it turned out that everything went smoothly, and I was on my way to Atlanta then Paris as planned. I was nervous about the plane ride itself, but it turned out that I really enjoyed it. I found it to be easy to relax and have fun with the turbulence rather than being scared of it. Another thing that relaxed my nerves about the trip was the fact that I made friends with my fellow peers. That made things go by a lot easier. I suggest to other travelers to go out of their comfort zone and try to be friendly, because in the end, it pays off.

I will land in Paris by tomorrow. Hopefully I wont get jet lag too bad.