Final reflections of my semester study abroad in Italy

I thought that this would be the easiest piece for me to write, but it’s turning out to be the most challenging.  I hardly know where to begin. I was not sure I would even be able to go on this study abroad for 3 months, mostly in part to a family crisis that happened in the previous Fall semester that almost ended up being a tragedy. I will explain more about that in a bit. Ultimately, it made me appreciate and savor my experiences in Italy - the good and the “could’ve been better” - all the more. This was one of those big opportunities in life that I had at my grasp to make the most of, and I didn’t want to take a single moment for granted.

Over a year ago, when my philosophy professor first told me about this “experimental” 3-month study abroad that Armstrong was going to be trying out with the Dante Alighieri Institute in Siena - a school they had partnered with in the past for shorter programs - I knew immediately that this was something I wanted to do and for the next few months, I continued to think about it, even in the midst of getting ready to do a 2-week study abroad in France.

My last spring semester went by fairly smoothly, and I felt rewarded by ending another grueling semester successfully with my 4.0 GPA still intact by going on a study abroad trip to France. It felt deserved, and I was also going with several good friends and a few other acquaintances from French class. It was a fairly large group - 13 of us, plus our professor - but we had a great chemistry among us and bonded enough that I believe several of us will be friends for a long time; maybe even beyond our days at Armstrong.

I started the summer off equally well. Immediately after returning from France, I departed for Los Angeles where I would begin a coveted summer internship with a production company founded by producers and executives who had worked for the biggest Hollywood studios and won major awards for their film and TV projects. I completed it successfully (with a job offer on the table post-graduation), came back to Savannah to enjoy the rest of the summer with my boyfriend, and also to resume the last of my flight training needed to finally earn my long-sought pilot’s license. I received it in August near the end of the summer. It was another hugely important lifetime goal that I had successfully achieved for myself in 2016, but the year was not over.

As well as the first half of 2016 went for me, the second half went in nearly the complete opposite direction; it was almost a disaster. Very early morning on September 26th, I woke up to a text notification from my sister that my only brother and youngest sibling, Vincent, had been in a catastrophic flight accident while piloting a small aircraft. He sustained severe injuries, and it was not certain if he would even make it past the next couple of days. I immediately flew to Jackson, MS, and sat in between two other passengers with tears silently streaming, unsure if my brother would even be alive when I got there.

To shorten what could become a longer story, my brother pulled through. Despite the ordeal of severe blood loss, multiple internal broken bones, a developing systemic infection, and ultimately a right leg below-the-knee amputation, my tough younger brother survived, and he did so despite refusing to accept a strongly urged blood transfusion. It had almost become a nightmare for us all. The ordeal wasn't over for him or any of us who had stayed close by his side for several months, but he made it through the worst and so had we. Due to the crisis, however, I had to drop two classes so that I could stay near my brother and help out the rest of my family to support him. It had also taken a toll on us financially. At the encouragement of friends, I later created and promoted a GoFundMe campaign for Vincent to help raise money for him and my parents with social media community funding. After all of this, I had serious doubts that I would be able to go to Italy. Not after everything my family had sacrificed, including my boyfriend with his help getting me back and forth from Savannah to Jackson, and most of all, knowing what my brother would be facing with the stark reality of his new circumstance.

Once I realized he was on his way physically and that the rest of my family might be ok as well, I started to consider my own life, and I began to think about Italy again. After several conversations with my professor who was directing and coordinating the program, I bit the bullet, and I made my first deposit. I was committed.

Around that time, the general campaign for the Presidency had come to a close, and Donald Trump was elected. Fast-forwarding a couple of months, I began my journey to Italy on January 20th, the date of Trump’s inauguration. My first few months in Italy would be his first few months as President.

I’ve covered a lot of the details about my various travels within Italy as well as outside it when I traveled briefly to Greece and Switzerland in addition, but I wanted to follow up with some of the highlights of my time there in this final reflection.

It has always been one of my biggest dreams to visit Italy. There are many places still that I would love to see, and I’ve already been able to knock a few off my traveling wish list. However, Italy was at the top. It is the country I’m the most closely connected to because of my ancestry and also because of the fascinating and complicated (even controversial) history it has as a world leader in art, science, and civilization.

I have always been a fan of the Renaissance Age and, in particular, Leonardo da Vinci. I admire how he has always been the foremost historical figure at the intersection of art and science. He is known not only for painting masterpieces such as The Vitruvian Man and Mona Lisa but also for being an early engineer of sorts, with sketches of his found that show prototype designs for aviation machines. In many ways, I have tried to model my own life to be the same way. In my social networks, I am known for being an actress and artist and in more recent years, a writer, but I am also known as an aspiring pilot and aviation and space science enthusiast. I actually had serious considerations about pursuing aerospace engineering or physics, but due to some life circumstances (and an intense 4-week pre-calculus course that didn’t go as well as I’d hoped), I decided to instead pursue an English/Professional Communications major and maybe make my contributions to science by developing writing and filming projects inspired by scientific topics, thereby doing my part to increase public enthusiasm and support, especially for the aerospace sciences.

During my art history and appreciation course, I learned how art and science complimented each other with Renaissance artists like Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Botticelli inserting “codes” for other artists within their paintings to show what they had discovered about the human body after secretively opening up cadavers, which was forbidden by the Catholic Church. For instance, in Botticelli’s La Primavera, behind the Roman goddess, Venus, the leaves of the garden form what appears to be the shape of human lungs. Another example is the Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci, which is an artistic study of human anatomy and physiology. Finally, there is what may be considered the mostly widely viewed and celebrated masterpiece: the scene of God and Adam with their fingers outstretched and almost touching each other at the center of Michelangelo’s majestic frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. There is what seems to be the unmistakable outline of a human brain formed by angels and red robes surrounding God. Some theorists have proposed the hypothesis that this scene is symbolic of God, the head of all creation, bestowing intelligence on the first human.

During my anthropology course, which was a study of the history and sociology of Siena, I learned a lot about the Etruscan civilization, which pre-dated and influenced ancient Rome, and it made a big impression on me, especially what I learned about Etruscan women. They enjoyed eating well, dressed extravagantly, and lived freely as equals among the men. I even bought some big bold jewelry while I was there, including a few sets of earrings that were mismatched but still meant to compliment each other. (One of the sets is a “lock” on one side and a “key” on the other, made in Rome from recycled aluminum; it suits the bohemian environmentalist in me.) Learning about the Etruscan women influenced me to feel more confident about living life fully and freely, making my own informed and independent choices, being a strong leader when the occasion calls for it, but also being comfortable following others when they have good ideas and clear direction.

Although not part of the course, I was motivated to study more about ancient Greek civilizations and art history while I was there because of how much the Greeks influenced the Roman culture. After reading and learning about important sculptures like The Calf-Bearer and The Kritios Boy, which were found around the Acropolis, I decided to go to Athens where these masterpieces were kept so I could see them for myself. I especially appreciated The Kritios Boy. It made an impact on me. The young man is missing the lower half of his right leg, which reminded me of my brother. He stands straight and tall, and his eyes gaze ahead calmly and self-confidently. What is interesting about this sculpture, dated around 480 B.C.E., is that it represents a transitional piece between two major ages of Greek history: the Late Archaic period to the Early Classical period. I reflected on what could represent a transitional moment in a person’s life; that time when you could see the effects of change on someone, for better or worse, after they’ve been through a significant event.

The hardest part for me about being in Italy was being away from my loved ones and feeling guilty. I felt guilty that I was able to spend this time learning and studying other cultures with few responsibilities except completing my assignments, and even those deadlines had a certain amount of flexibility. But I realized that this was part of the transition of life; sometimes things go from difficult and challenging to pleasant and rewarding and then back again. It is like that for the entirety of life, but every experience, good and bad, is something that can be learned from to apply to the next.

My studies of the various states of flux that the civilizations in ancient Greece and Italy induced me to reflect deeply, not only about my own personal transitions from one phase to another or that of my nearest and dearest, but also of those happening within my own country and outside it. I saw a lot of parallels about the disputes between Athens and Sparta which led to the Peloponnesian War, as well as the events leading up to the dissolution of the great Roman Empire, which left it vulnerable to invasion from outside forces. Where it will all lead to, what we will lose in the process, and what will be the ultimate result, I don’t know. However, I feel sure that after my experience abroad, where I was able to devote most of my time undistracted to study and make connections, I will be more observant than ever before to watch how things unfold and to see if worldwide civilization today is possibly at the end of an age and in transition to begin a new one. We are creatures of re-invention, after all. It will be interesting to see where we go next and what we will become.

Religious vs. Temporal Institutions: History of Santa Maria della Scala Hospital

One of the most important establishments to visit in Siena is Santa Maria della Scala, once an ancient hospital and one of the oldest in Europe. The history of the hospital is certainly one of “hospitality”: the institution not only cared for the sick but also for the poor, for abandoned children, and for traveling pilgrims needing a place to stay. The hospital was also a storage place for food in the city of Siena, and currently it houses important art from medieval artists which are available for the public to go and view. By looking at these works of art, for instance Birth of the Virgin by Pietro Lorenzetti and Betrothal of the Virgin by Simone Martini which depict religious scenes, one can get a sense of the religious institution’s influence over the hospital at the time which also impacted Christian culture for a long time after with the exception of Jehovah’s Witnesses and other evangelists. The hospital has a complicated history of being in between the spiritual and temporal institutions both of which vied for control of this establishment.

Ancient hospitals were often used to house foreigners. Santa Maria della Scala was well known during medieval times for housing pilgrims. In Siena, this was due to two reasons: 1) It was geographical. Siena was on the route for Christian pilgrimages on the way to visit the “holy land.” The route was London-Westminster Abbey to Paris to Luca to Siena and then to Rome. 2) In the 1300s, Pope Boniface established holy land (in Rome) which helped the institution of the hospital. By curing the pilgrim, it was considered to be the same as curing Christ. So in a sense, they were helping themselves by helping the pilgrim who was viewed as a “poor Christ.” By the 16th century, the pilgrim is seen as just a person who wanders and not a normal person.

Santa Maria della Scala was at the center of economy. The hospital acquired wealth due to 1) the dean of the hospital and people who worked in the hospital administration, and 2) everyone had to give responsibilities to the hospital, including inheritances. The same thing happened to the monasteries. This turned out useful when the food shortages came. The city forced the hospital to sell food at certain prices. The hospital received its primary financial assistance from the donations of the wealthy (Baron).

Other duties of the hospital were to take care of abandoned children. Families were actually encouraged to give their children to the hospital due to social and economic reasons. The year during which the last child was recorded to have been abandoned was 1889. Girls in the countryside were paid to breastfeed the children. Then the children returned and were trained to work in artisan shops. Children (girls) were also sent to the hospital to work on textiles. The hospital would give money to the girls so they could get married. In Siena (and other cities), abandoned children would take the surname of the hospital (“della Scala.”)

“Della Scala” didn’t appear until around the 14th century. It is a fashion to describe the narrative of the changing of the times. At the time, the concept was to be complete. So when things were lacking, there were fantasies of the completion of things. It helps to picture life within the hospital. In the 15th century, there was a moment when the administration of the hospital fell into the administration of the city. A bishop tried to extend spiritual assistance into the hospital. The city did not want influence from the church and therefore the hospital became autonomous. In the 18th century, during the Enlightenment, there were radical changes in how people began to see medicine. At Santa Maria della Scala, there were different medical cultures. It was one of the first places to try a medical vaccine: inserted small pox vaccine.

For the purposes of analyzing a civic institution which benefits a fundamentally diverse public, such as a non-profit religious hospital, Santa Maria della Scala is an interesting early example of both the benefits and controversy of not having separation of church and state. As shown by previous examples in this essay, the philanthropic mission of Santa Maria della Scala was to provide hospitality to the poor and needy as well as to further the advancement of medical technology. The emperor of the 15th century was astonished by the technology available to help sick people at Santa Maria della Scala.

The world’s largest non-government provider of medical and healthcare services is the Roman Catholic Church which has some 18,000 clinics, 16,000 homes for the elderly and those with special needs, and 5,500 hospitals, with 65 percent of them located in developing countries (Agnew). There is no doubt that millions of people around the world since ancient times have benefited from these medical institutions with Santa Maria della Scala hospital being one of the earlier examples. However, there also controversial issues which arise from a powerful religious organization having control over a medical institution providing care to a complex and diverse community with fundamentally different views, beliefs, and values.

At the beginning, charity and healing were the priorities of the institutions but with the influence of the Church, medical advances and progress had to subordinate to the doctrines and dictates of the religious order. For example, because of the sanctity of life views of the Catholic Church, in vitro fertilization (IVF), which is used to treat genetic problems and assist with conception, is a controversial issue due to the series of complex procedures which destroy embryos. In 2012, President Obama received scrutiny due to his announcement that his administration would require religious institutions like hospitals and universities to provide coverage for contraceptives in employee health plans. Obama’s mandate would not have required employers at houses of worship to provide their employees with contraceptives, but his announcement sparked a firestorm in different religious communities, pitting freedom of religion against the separation of church and state. Obama has since said that he and his advisers are looking for ways to make the new requirements “more palatable” to religious institutions (O’Claire).

When evaluating the history and evolvement of Santa Maria della Scala from a religious establishment to a public institution independent from the Church, one can use it as a model to analyze against current medical institutions with religious leadership to see how the institutions can be leaders in medical advancement and philanthropy but also as a hindrance to medical progress if subdued by religious influence. On the flip side, there are also foreseeable problems when the federal government or state forces laws on someone trying to abide by spiritual principles, for instance, if a doctor or nurse is forced to perform an abortion or blood transfusion which transgresses against their deeply held beliefs due to a spiritually cultivated and trained conscience regarding the sanctity and value of human life.

Works Cited

Baron, J. H. "The Hospital of Santa Maria della Scala, Siena, 1090-1990." BMJ 301 (1990): 1449-1451

O’Claire, Sandra. “Should Catholic and Other Religious Institutions Have to Cover Birth Control?” U.S. News. 9 February 2012. Web.

Agnew, John. "Deus Vult: The Geopolitics of Catholic Church". Geopolitics. 12 February 2010. Web.

Travel History - Being an American in Europe

I woke up one morning with the rueful thought that I had slept too late, even though I was the first in bed and the first to rise after a Friday night of sharing rum with my fellow colleagues who were celebrating a successful completion of week 2 in Siena, Italy. We had a plan to make an excursion to one of the nearby Tuscan villages - Monteriggioni or San Gimignano. That, of course, didn’t happen. I had considered hopping on a bus by myself to Chianti, perhaps, but remembering the admonishment of my boyfriend to not become the “outlier” in the group, I decided instead to go for a late morning walk around Siena.

Strolling up San Caterina, I passed a coffee bar with amazing pastries in the window - millefoglie glassata, bombolone alla panna, bignè chantilly - and almost went in when I noticed a cluster of men chatting in boisterous Italian to the baristas. I turned and continued walking until I found a smaller less populated coffee and pastry bar to step into. This has happened multiple times since I have been here in Siena. Why do I have this timidity about going into a more crowded shop? I’m not a particularly shy person. And I’m not so concerned about being misunderstood and unable to order. It’s fairly apparent that people around here can communicate in English.

I’m realizing that I have developed somewhat of a phobia about being identified as “American.” 

I’m trying to understand why this is. It’s not because of the current political landscape in the U.S., and it isn’t due to the results of the recent presidential election. I do not consider myself to be an American apologist. And our host professor, Luca, of the Dante Aligheri Institute I’m studying at, told us that Italians (particularly the young people) still think America - at least for now - is “cool.” They are amazed that we have such diverse culture all existing in the same country, even in the same cities and neighborhoods. You would think I’d be glad to flaunt my “American-ness” proudly. But I’m not. I want to dress European, speak as they do, order coffee the way they do, and not commit any social faux pas.

I’m trying to remember when I first started to feel this way. I recognized it while I was in France more than 6 months ago with a larger group. I felt self-conscious when we would walk into restaurants talking and laughing loudly. Was it because our instructors who led our orientation told us over and over how Americans are perceived by Europeans? Loud, colorful, flamboyant, arrogant…ignorant. I would feel flustered seeing members of our group take up center space on the metro, crowding others out, or blocking the doorways and then actually getting annoyed when a local would brush past them uttering a terse “excusez-moi.” A friend and fellow colleague I was traveling with said “Rumors are true. French people are rude.” Are they? Were they actually annoyed with us or was it that they were simply more in a hurry than us? (And to be fair, the train doors shut very rapidly at stops.)

I have observed in reticence some similar situations here while in Italy, though to much more subtle degrees. For one thing, we have not had to get on and off trains as much, and our group is a lot smaller. We also tend to migrate around the city independently in groups of 2 or 3 (or in my case, just 1), as opposed to being a mini-mob of 14 pushing through the crowded thoroughfares of Paris like a bulldozer on legs.

Referring back to my timidity about entering the coffee bars, I feel sure that a lot of it has to do with my not yet reaching a fluent proficiency in Italian. I feel deeply that to assimilate into and ultimately enjoy a host country’s culture, it behooves one to know at least the basics of the local language. Being able to understand and speak the language actually makes me appreciate the food more, as well as the sights and sounds and smells.

As such, I have been striving every day to learn Italian as quickly as possible. I practice on Duolingo every day and have passed multiple lessons and tests with the goal of reaching at least 50% fluency. I’ve watched several popular American movies in Italian audio and captioned with English. I want to make sure that I’m learning it to enhance my enjoyment not just as a challenge to be met. I am also going to task myself with relaxing about being American. After all, it is a cultural exchange. They are curious about me as much as I am curious about them (if that isn’t an arrogantly American thing to assume.)

When I was in England in 2006 studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, I was self-conscious about my Southern accent. I listened with a keen ear to the various dialects that were cultivated from all over England - London, Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool - and tried to make mine a little more subtle, if not neutral. Then one day, a group of English students at RADA crowded around me and told me they loved my accent that to them sounded “like a fairytale.” This was in contrast to the few American students I met who were also at the school who had studied theatre in NYC. When they imitated my accent, they would exaggerate it to sound more “country.” When the Brits tried to copy my accent (with a slightly more elegant take), I felt like I must sound like Scarlett O’Hara to them, but when the New Yorkers did it, I was a caricature of Larry the Cable Guy (which basically made me a caricature of a caricature.)

When I reflect on all of these experiences in combination with reading the musings of other travel writers, I am beginning to realize that perhaps it is not entirely Europeans who make Americans embarrassed about being American, but it is other Americans making Americans feel embarrassed about being Americans. (Try saying that a few times really fast.)

As I continue my experiences and travels, I want to be conscious that while I am enjoying the opportunity to learn about other cultures, dialects, languages and customs, I will not let my appreciation be hampered by American self-consciousness, nor will I let it affect my fellow travelers. For each person, these experiences are sensory and palpable in a unique individual way.

I am also developing more cognizance about what it means to be a “world traveler” versus a “tourist,” why there seems to be a condescending perception attached to the latter, and if there is a bit of elitism (perhaps even an overuse) of the former term. I plan for a discussion of this topic to make it into a future blog.

Photo journal of my few weeks in FRANCE! (Studied medieval history and French culture in the Alsace region and Paris! And some time in Germany!!)

24 Mai 2016 - Travel/first day

We arrived in Frankfurt around 8:45 or so. For an hour and a half, we remained at the airport waiting for the shuttle that would take us to the bus. Getting through customs went very smoothly. I said "guten tag" to the customs officer, gave him my passport and was permitted in. The bus drive over to Strasbourg was long (around 2 hours) but very relaxing. Everyone in the group fell asleep. I was sorry I missed the crossing of the Rhine river (about 20 minutes or so from Strasbourg), but I knew I needed the rest. Dr. Mertz pointed out the high school her mother was a former principal at and when we arrived at our stop, we met her parents who are lovely sweet people. Her father drove people's luggage to the hotel (Cap Europe on Rue de Bitche, hehe) and her mother walked us to the hotel, which is sort of a youth hotel. She pointed out an important synagogue near our street and after we dropped off our things, she pointed out several important buildings to Parliament (government.) We saw a major sculpture of a woman embracing two young men, and we hugged and touched a large tree to absorb its revitalizing energy. Then we had a late lunch at a brasserie café called Le Michel. I ordered Quiche Lorraine and a cup of coffee. Dr. Mertz's father told me that the server might have been a little confused, because French people usually have their coffee in the morning and wine or beer in the evening. We saw military guys with big guns. Then we took a boat ride and saw a big palace museum that used to house cardinals and also the big spire of the cathedral of Strasbourg. We saw Petit France which was charmingly pretty. Later in the evening, while everyone else took naps, Mercedes and I walked around the quartier (neighborhood district) trying to find food, but everything was closed. I did get to practice speaking a little French, though, without anyone's help. Good first day. Trés bien! :)

Strasbourg!

Boat ride around Petite France!

Strasbourg Cathedral

Inside Strasbourg Cathedral with the immense organ upper left of photo

25 Mai 2016 - Medieval tour of Strasbourg/mon anniversaire! (my birthday!)

Extra special day! Il est mon anniversaire! This is my first time to have a birthday while traveling internationally. It is also my first time to travel as part of a big group. I've previously traveled alone when visiting other countries. Today was particularly nice because the weather was good (c'était bon) and also our group got a little more comfortable with each other. We went to the Strasbourg cathedral of Notre Dame (different from the one in Paris; not the Victor Hugo one) where we saw sculptures dating back to 1225 and the cathedral itself was built starting in 1015. The pipe organ was huge with little figures on either side that would come alive and perform "shows" for those attending the sermon. I loved the stained glass and the astronomical clock (horloge astronomique.) I also liked the intricate detail of the woodwork. When the clock struck a certain time, the figurines would move. I had a nice time at the café across from the cathedral where I ordered a café créme and also asked what a Viennois café was, all in French! And then Dr. Mertz gave me a little bag of chocolates for my birthday! At the end of the day, we all went to have a very nice dinner in Petite France near the river. I had beef tartare with a glass of Kir Clemant d'Alsace (a rosy colored apéritif wine cocktail in a flute glass) and also a glass of Riesling cuvée indigenous to the region. For dessert, I had a bowl of three different ice creams (glaces) - violette, frozen yogurt, and a berry sorbet with tri-colored flavored marshmallows. And it came with a candle on it, courtesy of my group, I'm sure! (I don't celebrate my birthday, but it was sweet that my group companions noticed it nonetheless!) Very nice day. Très bonne journée!)

Avec mes amis! :)

Horloge astronomique! Astronomical clock!

Dinner near the river in Petite France!

06 Mai 2016 - Colmar

Today we traveled by train to Colmar where Dr. Merz grew up. Such a pretty and charming little town. And the weather was good! Le temps était bon! We saw the duplex where Dr. Mertz grew up in for 10 years and then went to the Bartholdi museum to see various sculptures by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the guy who designed the Statue of Liberty. I found out that he was friends with the man who designed the Eiffel Tower (Gustave Eiffel) and that you can see influences of the Eiffel design within the Statue! Neat fact! I'll have to look for that the next time I visit the Statue of Liberty. And after that we went to the Unterlinden Museum where we saw the famous Retable d'Issenheim and other ancient paintings. There was exceptional art in the museum which included works by Picasso, Monet, Renoir, Dubuffet, and others. 

Colmar!

The casting used to make one of the ears on the Statue of Liberty!

27 Mai 2016 - St. Marie/silver mines

Today we took a short train ride and then a bus to St. Marie to visit the mines. We drove through a charming little area in a region called Val d'argent (valley of silver). When we got there, we had another little picnic in the park! (We'd had one the night before with a smaller group of us.) It was so nice with the mountainy hills surrounding us. Then we were taken to the mines. I tried to make some short conversation with our driver, Joseph, who was very friendly. He wants to come visit the United States (États Unis) but feels he'll need at least a month to see most of it. I assured him that I grew up in the States and I haven't even gotten to see all of it. The mines were cool (literally!) We saw where miners looked for precious metals and ore, like silver and copper, as well as arsenic (interesting) and saw the veins carved into the stone above us where the miners looked for spots to mine with just a chisel and hammer. In more more modern times, they began to use black powder to break down larger amounts of stone (pierre.)

Picnic in St. Marie!

Going to visit the silver mines!

28 Mai 2016 - Mont Sainte-Odile/Pagan Wall/hiking

Today we departed from the hotel around 9:30 to go to St. Odile to hike in the mountains. I think today may have presented some of the most breathtaking scenery and geography that we've seen yet. I sat next to Stephanie on the bus ride over and had a pleasant conversation. The ride was very comfortable other than being somewhat hot and stuffy. (C'ètait chaud.) I wish I could remember more French, but I'm trying not to put too much pressure on myself to the point that I can't just relax and soak in my surroundings. Maybe on a future trip I can make it more about becoming more proficient in the language. I do feel like I'm getting better, though, and more of it is coming back to me. Also I got a little catch-phrase book in French, which I picked up in Strasbourg, to help me get refreshers. When we arrived to St. Odile, we met Dr. Mertz's sister, Eleanor, and we all introduced ourselves and told her what we study and do (in French, of course.) I actually introduced myself a little sooner while everyone was inside having lunch. After that, I took some photos of the overlook. Trés jolie! Just stunning. After we presented ourselves, we went off on the hike along with Dr. Mertz's children, Clementine and Victor, with Eleanor leading the way. I really enjoyed the hike. I spoke a little back and forth with her in French. Victor and Clementine were so energetic and adorable! Dr. Mertz joked that she had 13 babysitters, because we were all looking after the kids. Clementine loved climbing on top of the boulders! haha :) Je suis bien amusé! We ended the day back at St. Odile with Dr. Mertz treating us to icecreams (des glaces.) Delicieux! Later on tonight, I hope to do a little more shopping around Strasbourg. I want to pick up some international stamps for my boyfriend (mon petit ami), my parents (mes parents) and my sisters (mes sœurs.)

Visiting Mont Sainte-Odile, the Pagan Wall, and hiking!

29 Mai 2016 - Ribeauville/Château Haut-Kœnigsbourg 

Ooh la la! This day was one for the books! Probably the most exciting - and amusing - day yet! First of all, we started the day a wee bit late. I found out later that it was partly my fault. :(  I went up to grab a sweater since I knew we'd be high up on a mountain at a castle so it might be chilly. Then Diana came up to the room to bring me a bottle of water. When I'd grabbed my stuff, I didn't see Dianita, so I'd assumed she ran back downstairs to meet back with the group. When I went down to the lobby, Dr. Mertz was waiting outside alone for me. (Embarrassing. I don't like making people wait for me.) Then we had to wait for Diana because apparently she was still up there in the room. The three of us hurried to meet the rest of the group who were still waiting for the B tram at the stop. Then the mad rush began. When we got to the train station (gare), we split up into groups to grab snacks and food for later. In the midst of the craziness, poor Emily Randall and Peyton Seabolt got left off the train! :(  But Dr. Mertz took another train back and rescued them. Then we visited the most stunning medieval castle (renovated in the Renaissance style in 1900) that I may have ever seen. The view from the mountain top was spectacular. I bought 3 books (two children's fairytales and Sherlock Holmes et le Mystère du Haut-Koenigsbourg) and spoke French whenever I could. While waiting for the bus, I had hot chocolates (chocolats chauds) with Stephanie and Taylor on the edge of the terrace looking over the mountain. I showed them my new Sherlock Holmes book, and Stephanie and I tried to catch Taylor up on Dr. Who with me summarizing and Stephanie filling in the gaps with details. It was a very nice time. The best (and worst) part was when we tried to visit an eagle volare (volerie du aigles) and had to walk up a big hill in the rain, because our bus driver missed the stop and just dropped us off at the bottom. I was at the vanguard with Dr. Mertz, but when I saw K.C. McGuire all the way in the back alone, I fell back in formation to keep her company. She was so miserable but still managed to be funny, and I was laughing so hard. I'm so glad she had a sense of humor about the situation and that I didn't offend her. We made it to the top, but the eagle place was closed (of course) so we got shuttled back to the train station by Dr. Mertz's family. Dr. Mertz tried to wave the bus driver down as he passed us, but he missed the stop AGAIN. (Most absent-minded bus driver ever.) Dr. Mertz's sister and parents dropped us off in small groups to wait at a little café while it was still raining some and a guy started playing an accordion to which people started singing along with. Some of us in our group tried to clap and join in awkwardly, being very American, of course. Later that evening, Mercedes and I went to a sushi place by ourselves and communicated in French with the server. :)

Castle of Haut-Kœnigsbourg!

Scary medieval weapons

Hot chocolates on the castle's terrace overlooking the mountain!

Channeling a medieval lady

Heavy rains didn't dampen my spirit or sense of adventure! :)

30 Mai 2016 - Bergheim/Winery

It just gets better and better! Today we visited Bergheim where Dr. Mertz's parents live and which is about 12 miles from Colmar. This town probably had the most provincial charm of all the towns we've been to yet. I loved it. We took a train again from Strasbourg to Sélestat and then another bus to our destination. When we arrived, we met her parents again where they guided us past charming homes and beautiful gardens (des jardins très belle.) Then we saw a cemetery. It was pretty also, for a cemetery. We could see the Haut Kœnigsbourg castle that we'd visited the day before far in the distance perched on top of the mountain. Following that, we went to eat (mangé) lunch (le déjeuner) at a charmingly quaint restaurant with a lovely courtyard. We had a pretty jolly time. They gave us each a small shot of some sort of cold and creamy watermelon gazpacho (not sure what the French word for that is), and then I had a terrine as an appetizer (like a pâté slice) with salad, then duck with dark wild rice and finally a strawberries and cream with ice cream for dessert. C'est delicieux. Going to correct myself: c'ètait superb et delicieux! I had pinot noir with mine but tasted the other girls' local white wine (vin blanche) which was delicious and smelled so sweet, like honeysuckle. Then we walked through the village to a winery. I think it was called Vins d'Alsace. We had a wine tasting and tried Pinot Blanche, Pinot Gris, Riesling, and Gewurtztraminer, the latter of which I bought a bottle of along with Taylor Thomas. We bought two bottles for one box. My favorite part of visiting Bergheim was looking at all of the pretty gardens and courtyards. Our train is just now arriving in Strasbourg, so I have to sign off. I'm looking forward to going to a local patisserie later this evening with some friends and then getting some rest. Tomorrow: Germany!! :)

des jardins jolie de Bergheim

charming quaint little restaurant

terrine

pitcher of pinor noir, just for me! ha

Best duck I ever had, I do believe.

Strawberries and homemade icecream

View of a château on the hills

chat dans la fenêtre! (kitty in the window!)

vins d'Alsace

wine tasting!

31 Mai 2016 - Germany/Free Day!!

This morning we left the hotel around 10 a.m. to go with Dr. Mertz to cross over the Rhine River into Germany. It was windy! (Il y avait du vent!) Only a few of us went. The rest slept in at the hotel or went shopping around Strasbourg. I got my picture taken in the middle of the bridge crossing over to Germany. It had locks all over it. I guess they were put there by couples symbolizing their love. Dr. Mertz said that Obama met with the Chancellor of Germany there. Cool. We didn't stay long, but it was cool to be able to have a brief amount of time in Germany which included the bus driver over from Frankfurt. After we got back, we met some of the other girls for some shopping. I had a cup of coffee at the café where they'd had lunch while they were waiting for the bill (l'addition.) It was one of the best cups I've had since I've been here. (C'ètait superb.) Then we split off into groups since some wanted scarves, some wanted soap and make-up, and some wanted to go home (hotel). I didn't really need to find anything, but I tagged along with the group just for company. Eventually I just hung out with Mercedes since she wanted to go to H&M and no one else did. We then went back to Cap Europe (sort of a youth hotel we've been staying in that's cheap: auberge de jeunesse) to straighten up and do preliminary packing since we're leaving bright and early for Paris tomorrow (6 a.m.!!!) Later in the evening, Mercedes and I went back to L'Homme de Fer (Man of Strength of Iron Man) square to go to Monoprix (super-marche) to get a bigger luggage for Mercedes and then to the post office near the Cathedral to mail my postcards off to my family and boyfriend Rob. We had a quick dinner at a little café. Our server was charming. (Il ètait charmant.) Demain: Paris!!! :)

On the bridge between Germany and France - crossing the Rhine

postcards for family! <3

Final night in Strasbourg - photo with Tom, Mercedes' crush! haha

01 Juin 2016 - Travel to Paris!!!

The day is here!! I finally get to go to Paris, one of the cities of my dreams along with New York and Florence (which I hope to go to one day soon.) Mercedes and I woke up the earliest. I could always depend on her to give me a wake-up nudge since I wear ear plugs and an eye mask in order to sleep and don't always hear an alarm. (Very important: people should prepare for the fact that they're going to be rooming with other people who may snore, turn on lights, etc. This was a problem for some people but not for me! I came prepared! haha :)) We got up at 5:30, already packed, and super excited to catch an early train around 6 to Paris! No one got left off the train this time! Yay! Au revoir, Strasbourg! The train ride was smooth going. Our group got to stay together in the same section with club seating. Some people slept or chatted. I relaxed and read some more from the book Seven Ages of Paris. Sometimes I looked out the window at the beautiful countryside with big meadows, fields, and rolling hills. It was very foggy. At one point, a distinguished, tall, older gentleman came from another car and connected eyes with me. (I might've been staring.) He smiled and said some things to me in French, but I didn't understand. ("Je ne comprends pas!")He kept talking to me and I tried to refer him to talk to Dr. Mertz so she could translate, but he smiled and kept walking. Oh well. I guess I'll never quite know what that was about. When we arrived in Paris, just after 9:30, things moved very quickly. We took the metro to our little hotel called Perfect Hotel, dropped off our bags and then we had free time to shop and look around our neighborhood (le quartier.) A few of us went to a nearby café for hot drinks and then did some shopping. I bought a beige waterproof trenchcoat with a hoodie attached reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn (de Charade avec Cary Grant!) :)

Our room at the Perfect Hotel in Paris - bunk beds! ha

The view from the balcony of our room in Paris!

First coffee in Paris. Café créme. (Always served with chocolate or a crisp.)

Place de la République

Pretty street with colorful street lanterns!

Shopping with Stephanie and the other girls!

02 Juin 2016 - The Louvre/au musée du Louvre/ma présentation!

Well, the most exciting (and arguably most important) day for me was this one! The day I did my brochure presentation at the Louvre Museum in French! We were all so excited and a little emotional about visiting the largest and most famous museum in the world, especially me, Dianita, Emily, and Mercedes! Dianita was crying which makes sense since she's an art student. I do appreciate art a lot and am occasionally an artist myself, but I was mainly excited to see some of the great works by Leonardo da Vinci, especially the Mona Lisa (known as La Joconde in France.) I gave my presentation shortly after we entered inside. Everyone seemed to be fairly impressed, especially with my brochure itself. I wish I could've been more flawless, but for the most part it went good. I wrote it down the night before, got Dr. Mertz to say it out loud in French on my phone recorder, then I listened to it over and over and practiced to myself. It definitely helped. After my presentation was done, I was able to relax a lot more. Our group split off into several smaller groups with mine being Ashlie, Peyton, Diana, and Ryan. We saw so much, including ancient Egyptian artifacts, crowns, royal jewels, scepters of French kings, the Coronation of Napoleon painting, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and of course, the Mona Lisa. I didn't get to see Liberty Guiding the People, Venus de Milo, or Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss, but hopefully I'll get to go back to see those (particularly with my sweetheart.) There were a lot of sculptures. I noticed that several of the sculptors' names were "Pierre" and I made a joke to Ryan about sculptors named "Stone" working with stone. Afterwards we went to Montmartre and Sacré-Cœur (Sacred Heart) and took pics. The view was enchanting. We went down a very long flight of stairs lit by street lamps and had a cozy little dinner. I just had a few bites of bone marrow with sea salt and a few bites of people's risotto and shared a bottle of sauvignon blanc, which I drank most of. It was a very pleasant evening. I was so impressed with what I saw at the Louvre. I think the Winged Victory of Samothrace had the biggest effect on me. I'm not sure why. Maybe I felt a connection to the dynamic feminine structure with the set of wings being that I'm aspiring to be a pilot. It kind of reminded me of a headless valkyrie. I've thought for a while that if I were to ever get tattooed, I want a small set of valkyrie wings on my back near my shoulder blades. So sad that the sculptor of such a famous work is unknown.

The back of the brochure I designed for my presentation!

Anticipating the treasures and wonders about to be beheld...

Small woman between two Assyrian bulls

First exhibit to the public of two portraits by Rembrandt

I finally got to meet her...maybe one day we'll have a moment alone together.

The most stunning thing I saw at the Louvre: Winged Victory of Samothrace.

Friends, sauvignon blanc, and bone marrow with sea salt

Magical enchanting evening in Paris on top of Montmartre in front of Sacré-Cœur

03 Juin 2016 - Notre Dame/medieval churches

Today we had a guided tour of various churches, sacred places, and other monuments of divine and legal representation. Naturally, the Notre Dame was the most exciting since I'd read and seen so much about it with all of the movie interpretations and Victor Hugo's book (which I also read an abbreviated version of in French.) We didn't get to go inside, but we walked up a very narrow staircase (the middle of the steps was sunken in, I guess from centuries of weight-bearing) and some of my fellow student companions were dying. Not everyone took too well to the stairs and heights and all of the walking on this trip. It didn't bother me too much, though. Not much bothered me during this trip even with sharing rooms, communal bathrooms, and crowded buses. I tried to get video recording of the cathedral bells ringing around 12 noon but someone behind me started talking abruptly over the recording. So much for that. It was pretty cool getting to see the humble abode of Quasimodo and his best friend, Big Marie. :)

"Sanctuaire! Sanctuaire!" 

"After all, we're only made out of stone."

Big Marie

04 Juin 2016 - Eiffel Tower/Musée de Cluny/Champs-Élysées/L'Arc de Triomphe

Finally got to see the splendid iconic Eiffel Tower!!! This actually happened the night before on 3 Juin. Ryan, Mercedes, Megan, Ashlie, Peyton, Diana and I took the metrorail all by ourselves to the Eiffel! It was exciting! I was glad to have a little independence so I could force myself to pay attention and figure out the metrorail system without just depending on Dr. Mertz and her sister Eléonore for direction. It really wasn't too hard. Paris is circular with the neighborhoods and arrondissements that spiral outwards in a clock-wise direction. Once you pick out the area you need to go to, you find the metrostation nearest to where you are, find the line going in that direction based on the END destination and then the number of the line. Then you change stops as necessary. You have to make sure you pick the right direction based on the destination rather than just the number. I was glad I got to understand that better. There was a guy playing the accordion on our car on the train to the Eiffel. The other kids were dancing to it while everyone else was sitting still. I got video of it. It was pretty funny. The Eiffel Tower was BEAUTIFUL!!! Just as I expected! And so massive up close! It was all lit up and sparkly. We went up to the 2nd floor (2ème étage) and had a great view. I can't wait to go back so I can go to the top floor in the future. The view was fantastic! And such a neat fact that the guy who designed it was friends with the designer of the Statue of Liberty! The Cluny Museum of the Middle Ages (Musée national du Moyen Âge) was solemnly beautiful as well! Peyton and Emily gave their presentations there. It's known for all the tapestries depicting the Lady and the Unicorn as well as other treasures. It was impressive to see the artwork and other relics from the 14th through 16th centuries towards the end of the Middle Ages and beginning of the Renaissance era, my personal favorite. I consider myself a modern-day Renaissance woman because of my love of the arts, philosophy and appreciation for sciences, particularly aeronautical and aerospace sciences. I took several pictures including pics of ancient chalices. They reminded me of Indiana Jones and the Holy Grail movie. :)

L'Arc de Triomphe was another stunning monument. I didn't know that much about it other than that it is another iconic structure and that it had something to do with Napoleon and armies from the North, so I'll have to do some research later. (I was pleased to find out that I guessed fairly correctly on the meaning of the names that are inscribed on the walls of the Arc. Ryan and I were trying to figure out what the names meant, and I said that maybe it had something to do with generals who might've won strategic battles. Found out later this was pretty close to being true.) We took the stairs all the way to the top. I think that might've been the hardest stairway of the whole trip or maybe I was just tired. Another fantastic view! I could see the most significant monuments in Paris: Sacre-Cœur, the Luxor Obelisk, Eiffel, and Notre-Dame. We walked down the Champs-Élysées main boulevard, and I was able to buy 3 more international stamps for a few more postcards. (I wanted my loved ones to get postage from Strasbourg and Paris.) We met up with the rest of the group, waited for Dr. Mertz and her sister at the Roosevelt metrostop and then went to dinner at Chartiers, a really upscale restaurant! I always enjoy dinner time with the group, because people are in a good jovial mood, for the most part. We had a small flute filled with a Kir champagne cocktail apéritif, then half an avocado (avocat) with a creamy dressing containing small shrimp. I ordered fish (poisson) that had lots of bones but was very tasty with potatoes and a bottle of sauvignon and for dessert, we had a pastry stuffed with icecream (glaces), dark chocolate sauce, and shaved almonds. Eléonore gave us tips for dining etiquette, such as allowing the gentlemen at our tables serve us wine and not serve ourselves, and then Dr. Mertz and Eléonore gave us little Eiffel tower keychains along with individual commendation for our accomplishments during our few weeks in France! Mine was for having the best brochure and the best coiffure! :) Afterwards, the girls and I went out for more gifts!

Musée national du Moyen Âge (aka The Cluny Museum)

Oldest stone house in Paris (home of Nicolas Flamel to the Harry Potter fans)

Eiffel Tower!!!

The Lady and the Unicorn tapestry at the Cluny

Ancient chalice and other treasures at the Cluny

Late medieval/early Renaissance artwork at the Cluny

Ancient Roman bath

Heads of kings (têtes des rois)

The Panthéon!

Lovers' garden

L'Arc de Triomphe

Last dinner in Paris

05 Juin 2016 - Travel home/Final morning :(

My time in France is now at an end. I am so grateful and happy for the things I've learned, the experiences I've shared, and the friends I made while in France. (Je suis contente.) I woke up the earliest this morning around 7:45, showered, dressed and packed quickly, then walked by myself down the road, through the alley, and up to the right of the street near Cadet station to have breakfast and coffee (un petite-dejeuner avec café créme), a little personal reflection time and kind of my own personal private goodbye to Paris. I've enjoyed my time in France for the past two weeks so much. I was friendly and got along with everyone, and I'm pretty sure that I'll be staying in touch with a few people from our group beyond this trip. I'm going to continue to practice speaking, listening to, and reading French. I even picked up a French tour guidebook at the airport that has English translation and while at Charles de Gaulle aeroport and on the plane, I'm trying to converse mostly in French. By the time of Fall 2016 semester when I am in French 2001, I will be considered intermediate. Hopefully within another year or so, I'll be at more an advanced level. I'm already adopting some French customs into my own life, and maybe by the next time I go back to Paris, I'll fit in enough to become an adopted "Parisienne" woman! There wasn't much about the city (or country) that I didn't like. 

Some of the cultural differences are: 1) The bathrooms. Very interesting to see that bathrooms for men and women (sometimes the stalls themselves) were right next to each other and shared the same sinks (often in the basement of the establishment, no less.) I couldn't help but think that if I were to ask the people of Paris what they thought of the "bathroom issue" in America I would get one collective eyeroll across the board with maybe something along the lines of "no comment." I will add, however, that every bathroom I encountered had walls and doors that went all the way to the floors, so you couldn't peek under a stall and see someone's feet. That added to the overall feeling of privacy and security or at least helped some. 2) The meal times and dining customs are a little different as well. The French don't do heavy breakfasts like we do here in America. I never saw a plate of bacon and eggs once. They usually have a baguette or croissant with butter, confiture (jam), at most a boiled egg, and some slices of ham or salami, and coffee, milk, and/or juice. They don't carry around large to-go cups of coffee, and you might get a confused look from your server if you order coffee later than 2 in the afternoon. Also, the servers are not intrusive. They NEVER approach your table and ask (while you're talking with someone else) "is everything ok?" That just doesn't happen there. They observe and add/remove things as needed, but they rarely bother you. In fact, you had to be aware of certain customs such as closing your menu when you wanted the server to magically appear tableside and take your order - otherwise, they don't bother you.

Side-by-side bathroom stalls for men and women

Merci beaucoup to Dr. Mertz and Armstrong State University for this fabulous cultural adventure! I'll never forget it!!! :)

Solo walk down this alley one more time on the way to a café before flying out.

Au revoir, Paris. Merci pour les belles expériences.