“A nomad I will remain for life, in love with distant and uncharted places” –Isabella Eberhardt

Although I wasn’t particularly ready to leave Paris when the time finally came, as soon as Maria and I stepped onto the train I got that familiar excited, apprehensive, giddy feeling I get every time I leave for a new destination. Packing the past five months away in my suitcases was a rollercoaster of emotions, and an ordeal to say the least. Sorting through all my things brought back floods of memories, which brought back some tears, but mostly smiles. As I had been mentally preparing for my departure for weeks, when the time finally arrived I felt surprisingly ready to face it. The train for Florence left at 6:50pm from the Bercy station in Paris, so after taking my last final and collecting my bags, Maria and I met with Gabi, Carolin, and Emily at Bercy for one last lunch. True to form, we spent more than 2 and half hours eating, chatting, reminiscing, and reflecting. After eating every last morsel of food, and recalling every last memory, we knew that it was time to really say good-bye. The parting of ways was a mix of melancholy for what we were leaving behind and happiness for what we’d experienced together. The combination made for long, drawn out hugs with tears, laughter, and final words of encouragement and love. Finally I was able to walk away, ready for the next chapter, the next adventure.

Then next adventure began shortly thereafter upon boarding our overnight train to Italy. After inspection of our tickets, the conductor found it fitting to take our passports with him as he walked away without any explanation. Never, during any of my travels has anyone insisted that they keep my passport. Having heard horror stories about European trains and their sometimes crooked employees, I was extremely skeptical. I leapt out of my top bunk and speaking frantic French, chased after the conductor. Despite the fact that we were technically still in Paris, the man spoke no French and seemingly no English either. He instead scolded me in Italian saying we would get out passports back in the morning. I nervously called Christelle and Gabriel to ask if this was something I should worry about. Finally Christelle called me back and assured me that this was in fact normal and was because we would be traveling through Switzerland during the night. The ride was off to a great start. The 4 American girls sharing our cabin did not do much to make the journey more enjoyable as they sang and complained loudly throughout most of the evening. At 7:15 in the morning both Maria and I were very ready to get off that train. As it rolled into the station, we experienced the Italian countryside for the first time. Rumor had it that Italy is one of the most beautiful places on Earth, and I have to say from what we saw, Rumor was right.

Upon arriving in Florence, we promptly got lost in the maze of tangled streets that made up the city center. We finally stumbled across a couple speaking English in front of a café with a map who were able to point us in the right direction. We had walked about 20 minutes in the exact opposite direction of our hostel, so we had to retrace our steps and walk another 15 minutes from where we started in order to reach the hostel. After setting down our bags, already exhausted, we tried to check in only to find that we had in fact walked to the sister hostel and that our hostel was 10 minutes away on foot. So once again we picked up our backpacks and headed out into the city. Finally, more than 2 hours after leaving the train station, we were all checked in and ready to explore the city without our excessively heavy backpacks weighing us down.
The city of Florence was everything I imagined an Italian city to be—an endless web of winding streets and alleyways filled with covered markets, spectacular architecture, quaint restaurants, and hidden treasures galore. The Mercato Centrale was a blast to explore. It was a large indoor market filled with Italian delicacies, dried fruit, cured meats, cheese, olive oils, Tuscan wines, balsamic vinegars, and enough bustling activity to keep us people watching for hours. The neighboring outdoor covered market sold jewelry, leather purses, jackets, bound books, and shoes. It spilled out at the façade of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, the impressive cathedral in Florence, with evident North African influences. That’s one thing I love about traveling around, I absolutely love to see how very unique different places are, but seeing how much they have influenced one another. For instance, after visiting Morocco, it’s so much easier to recognize the Arab influences on cuisine, culture, and architecture in southern European countries…it makes the world seem a whole lot smaller.

We continued to meander through the lovely Italian passageways chatting away and soaking it all in. We sampled the wines of Tuscany, ate endless amounts of bruschetta, walked up and down the river, explored the gelato festival, and mostly just reveled in each other’s company. One the things I loved most about my trip with Maria was realizing how well we travel together. Our adventure was the perfect blend of exploration and relaxation and I couldn’t have enjoyed it more. We decided to rent bikes in order to experience more of the city and to ride across town to watch the sunset. Riding bikes throughout Florence was probably one of my favorite parts of our European tour--it was absolutely delightful. The sunset was beautiful, and the atmosphere of the streets at night was completely different than the feeling during the day but both were equally as enjoyable. Florence at night reminded me of Spain, the city was alive.

For me discovering new places is intoxicating and addictive. This trip has made me sure that travel will always be an integral part of my life. These new places spark a curiosity about the rest of the world and spur my imagination. Although I am very much looking forward to coming home and staying in one place for a while, I know I’ll always dream of far off places and wonder. I know some day I’ll have to travel less, or differently, but I hope I never, ever lose my hunger for new things and new experiences. There will always be something mysterious and inexplicably alluring about the undiscovered.

For Good

“Later that day I got to thinking about relationships. There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back. But the most exciting, challenging, and significant relationship of all is the one you have with yourself. And if you can find someone to love the you that you love, well, that’s just fabulous.”

Since I’ve arrived in Paris, I have to say I feel as though I’ve learned quite a lot. I’ve learned the ins and outs of French grammar, crucial travel survival skills, how to live in another country, and how to be happy on my own. I’ve learned a lot about myself. I’ve learned a lot about people. If I had to choose one thing, if I had to choose the most important thing that I’ve taken away from all of this, I would say I’ve come to appreciate just how big of a role relationships play in life. The people that I’ve come into contact with here have shaped my life in ways that I never anticipated. In saying good-bye I realized how deeply attached to these people I am. With Carolin, Emily, and Gabi this realization came as no surprise. I did not, however, expect to feel so torn about parting with Mme Dugan, or the ISA staff, or my classmates, or even casual friends that I may never see again. These people are just as crucial to my experience as my closest friends are.

Nearing the end, I can’t help but think about the conversations I had with friends back in the States upon my arrival in Paris. During my first bouts of homesickness I was so doubtful that Paris would ever feel like a real home. I was so doubtful that I would never become close to all the new people I was meeting. I remember being told to wait it out, to calm down, being told that eventually these friends would feel like home. I was reminded of my initial panic upon moving away to college, and look at how wonderfully that turned out. Ultimately everything my friends and family told me ended up being true. Ma vie parisienne is everything I hoped it would be, filled with great experiences, beautiful memories, and meaningful friendships that have given me enough happiness to last a lifetime.

Buckling down to study during finals week here, was no easy feat. The weather was finally warm and all the four of us wanted to do was soak up every last minute we had together. We resorted to studying in parks and cafes with one another trying to bring together all the French we’d learned in the last 4 months. We took lots of walks attempting to imprint the memory of our magical city in our minds. Gabi and I took our last walks to Bastille and to Parc de la Villette. I wandered aimlessly throughout the Latin Quarter. We explored Buttes Chaumont, the exposition outside Les Jardins de Luxembourg, and Palais Tokyo. We got a little too acquainted with the inside of one tiniest elevators I’ve ever seen in Europe (the four of us exceeded the weight limit, got stuck, and had to be rescued by the French Pompiers—a process that took well over an hour). We had our last Crous lunch together. All of it was impossibly bittersweet.

On Tuesday I picked Maria up from Charles de Gaulle airport bright and early in the morning. I proudly bought my metro and RER tickets, arrived at the airport, took the shuttle bus to the proper terminal, and waited at the gate that I was sure she was coming out of. It was such a stark contrast to three years ago when I had attempted to make the same journey to meet Aunt Mary at that same gate in that same damn airport. The girl waiting for Aunt Mary was pathetically lost, not at all confident in her abilities to speak French, and was at the verge of bursting into hysterics at any given moment. I’m happy to say the girl waiting for Maria had no resemblance to that girl from three years ago at all.




Seeing Maria again was everything I’d hoped it would be. Within 30 seconds after the initial giddiness of seeing one another again had subsided, we picked up right where we left of 4 months ago, talking eagerly about all that we had been doing since we last saw each other. I was so excited to show someone from home my life in Paris. And if anyone could understand by desire for a nomadic life, and my love of travel and of other countries, it’s Maria. Ours is one of those “old and familiar” relationships that never fails in bringing us “far from where we started.” The adventures we’ve had together, and will have together are innumerable.

In a way having Maria in Paris is a symbolic merging of my two lives. When I finally return home, I’m going to have to find a way to live my old life while still keeping Paris and all its lessons with me. It’s a new chapter I’m looking forward to starting. Maria is my bridge, she makes leaving Paris more bearable because she reminds me of home and what’s waiting for me there. Plus I’ll always be in touch with my friends here; their presence and our memories will stay with me wherever I go. We’ve been with each other through such an intense, concentrated period of growth, and it’s impossible not to influence each other. Emily has taught me to, no matter what, unabashedly be who you are, and to be honest with yourself and with others at all times. Carolin has taught me to appreciate people, to be more loving, to always try to give a little more, and to constantly remind the people that matter just how important they are. Alex has taught me that humor can get you through pretty much any situation, and to never take life to seriously. Mme Dugan, in her absolute pessimism, has reminded me to always remain optimistic. And Gabi. Gabi has taught me to go in the direction of your dreams confidently no matter what it costs you, and that there is no end to the adventures you can have in any setting that you find yourself. We’re all leaving each other a little bit different than when we met, and I couldn’t be happier for it.

“Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better? I do believe I have been changed for the better—but, because I knew you, I have been changed for good.” …A la prochaine mes amours