Article by Hannah Storey
“Salutations” from Dijon, France! At 4,000 miles from Mother So Dear and 200 miles from Paris, the 12 of us (11 Wake students, 1 DePaul student) are preparing for our fourth and final group excursion to the Loire Valley and Paris.
All 12 of us (and Samuel, our favorite bus driver) at our hotel in Autun, in Burgundy
The world “whirlwind” doesn’t even begin to cover the nature of our travels this past month – seven different hotels in three regions of France, countless guided visits and museum tours (all in French, bien sûr!) and, of course, extensive tests after each excursion (it really wouldn’t be a Wake Forest program without them).
Don’t get me wrong – I’m not complaining. The wine and champagne tastings, luxurious rooms and five course meals in fancy hotels (thanks Wake!) and beautiful cathedrals, art and views of the French countryside make a few hours of sporadic studying totally worth it. This program has taken us all over the country to national memorials, intriguing museums and centuries-old cathedrals and ruins. In France, universities don’t start until October, giving our group a month to drive up and down the country seeing (and tasting) the best of what France has to offer.
Holding American flags at Omaha Beach after an emotional day in Caen, in Normandy
As a sophomore, my decision to go abroad a year early still sometimes mystifies me. As HC blogger Kelsey Willock so accurately stated in her last post, FOMO (fear of missing out) is real and, perhaps for me, slightly intensified due to the fact that I am literally the only one of my (sophomore) friends not attending tailgates, mixers and the like. In large doses, the Instagrams, Facebook albums and yes, even sorority socials, can really make a girl miss her English-speaking friends and yearn for the days of dartying and Wake Wednesdays.
Day drinking (France style) at Vignoble de Mercier
To avoid getting too bummed out about missing out, I stay positive and think about our next two months in Europe. Although it may be a culture shock, so far I love the changes and challenges living in France has provided me with. As for missing American culture…I can’t pretend that I’m not excited to go to Starbucks in Paris (the only French city where I can get my annual PSL fix) and maybe even to Chipotle (Patron margaritas, anyone?), while I’m at it.
Stay tuned for updates about life in Dijon and our group travels. The 12 of us have already experienced our fair share of surprises (good and bad) that come with living abroad. The phrase “it’s all an adventure” can be universally applied if kept in mind. A bientôt (talk soon)!