Howdy!!
Oh my word how are we already more than three weeks into this life changing trip?! I have done and seen more than I could have fathomed. Although I have no experienced some challenges that have caused me to reform my previous beliefs, there have been some examples where I had to take a step back and relax.
This past weekend I had the absolute pleasure of traveling to Paris with some of my friends. Prior to my arrival to Paris, France, I had mentioned to friends and family about my future excursion. Every single person I had shared my travel plans, followed with an extreme caution of the danger I will experience in Paris. They had told me to watch where I am at all times and expressed how Paris is actually very dirty and unsafe for a young woman in her twenties. Initially I had brushed this off as normal family weariness. Initially class the next day I had also shared with our professors about my plan to visit Paris. Each professor had their own warnings of Paris. Then when I had gone back to my host family and told my house mom of me traveling to Paris, she displayed concern of the rude people I would encounter as well as the overall trashy look Paris conveyed. With all these warnings I was entering Paris very very anxious. I had already mentally prepared myself to be safe as well as carrying multiple hand sanitizers.
When I had arrived at Paris and went to the Metro I was on guard and overstimulated. After a couple minutes not only was it a lot cleaner than I had anticipated but it was also nicer. The streets and the train station were very clean. I was pleasantly surprised. The entire way to our hotel was seamless. Our hotel was also nice and in a good area with a cute local bar under it. Later that night we decided to go down to the bar where we met the NICEST people. The bar owners were very kind and welcoming. They even asked not take pictures with us and showed us places that we can travel to and get our best experience. Our entire experience was filled with kind people who aided us with the language barrier and clean environments.
My reaction towards all of this was revealing in the way I hope to carry myself in the future. Obviously in a foreign country I want to exhibit caution as I am a young girl but remaining open to new ideas. I hope to carry myself in a graceful manner and face every situation with a kind heart. I do plan on taking in people’s experiences as they must stem from somewhere but do not want to let it taint my idea of a certain place or people.
Thanks & gig’em,
Victoria Gomez
Wow, I loved reading this Victoria! It’s so interesting how your expectations of Paris were shaped by the people around you—and how the actual experience was completely different. I totally relate to the feeling of entering a new city with anxiety, especially when you’ve been warned over and over. But I think it’s amazing how you remained open and let the experience speak for itself. It’s such a great reminder not to let other people’s fears cloud our perspective. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHowdy, Victoria! I feel like I definitely had a similar experience. Going to Paris I realized that the stereotype of the rude Parisian that hates tourists and anyone that cannot speak their language has been unfairly blown out of proportion. I feel like this trip helped me be more wary of the things I hear and willing to not subconsciously make assumptions before getting a sense for the bigger picture. This trip was truly unforgettable!
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