"Wed's Wonderings & Wanderings": Paris and Thanksgiving

Its been a little over a week and a half since the attack on France and around the World on November 13th.

I couldn't really peg why the attack on Paris had me so heartbroken, it felt personal despite me being not even a lick of French and living miles away in L.A. The Charlie Hebro attack was just as malicious and daily attacks in Israel are just as heartbreaking to me. Then I figured it out, perhaps the attack on Paris felt too real for me, because I had walked the very streets mentioned on the news and had been to one too many concerts this past year that everything combined just felt slighted in a way that said "it could have been you". 

Paris had been on my mind all week prior to the attack on the 13th, because only 4 years ago I had been finalizing my plans to be in Paris after having a faux thanksgiving with my British friends and classmates in London. I had always wanted to go to Paris and knew that while studying abroad in London it was one of the places I HAD to see before returning home. Luckily I found friends at the university I was studying at who felt the same way and we began planning our trip.

The atmosphere of Paris was just like a regular city upon our arrival via the Chunnel, full of people and noise. But at night the stores and other places would close at dark, and only the restaurants and cafes would be open with the light of the Eiffel Tower shinning brightest in the sky. 

So upon hearing the tragedy on the news and seeing what was done to shatter the normally tranquil atmosphere of Paris, my heart broke. Innocent lives were lost for a hateful purpose, peace was destroyed to spread violence and fear. The fact that I remember my time there so vividly sitting in cafes drinking in the people and city only burned in the idea it could have been me or your friends that where hurt. 

The reality is no place on earth is completely safe from violence, hate or death, true fact is I've been in car accidents, one just outside my own house. But Life is Life and it's still worth living to it's fullest everywhere and anywhere. I still have places to go and people to see, but I'll never forget and will always be thankful for the places I've traveled to and the impact they've had on me as a person. 

So don't forget to give thanks this thanksgiving for those around you that your hold dear and cherish the memories, because life is uncertain but you can be certain to make the most of it.

"Wed's, Wonderings & Wanderings": Time Abroad and Traveling

 As the Fall semester commences for colleges and universities around the country, I begin to get nostalgic and restless. Four years ago this Fall I would have been on a plane heading to England, where I would begin my time studying abroad. It was a dream come true to travel to a place that I'd been dreaming of visiting since I could dream. The added bonus was my school was centrally located near London, so I was amidst the city life and had plenty of access to trains, tubes, buses, and planes.

My time abroad let me not only explore and live life like a true Londoner, but I took a couple trips out of country too. From London me and my friends traveled out to Paris via the Chunnel to see all its wonders from the Eiffel Tower to Notre Dame to the Louvre. We also took a flight over to Ireland where we saw practically all of the lower half via bus driving from York to Dublin then to the West Coast to view the Cliffs of Moher. Lastly, I made my friend run around Rome with me, so I could view all the places I'd read about in my history books and hop around from piazza to piazza. Oh and I also really loved our groups trip up to Scotland, the city of Edinburgh was fantastic, cold but fun.

Now to say my time abroad left an impact on my life is an understatement. If I was able to live in London I would in a heartbeat. The city has a contemporary vibe that's balanced with its old history and sense of dignity. Deciding to travel abroad was a huge decision, knowing I was going alone to a country I'd never been before for months with possibly no sunshine sounds scary to a SoCal girl who loves her family. My biggest fear had been landing and finding myself living alone not being able to make friends because the Brits wouldn't get my American sense of humor. Well turns out they freaking loved me, especially when drunk, and I ended up befriending girls in my flat from other American colleges who were in similar programs. We traveled together, made hilarious memories, and ran around London. In fact we still get together for reunion trips despite being from different states. 

So when I talk to college freshmen or sophomores, I always ask if they've thought about studying abroad. It's really something students should consider, because not only does it allow you travel but it makes you grow grow as a person. I went when I was 19 and turned 20 while in London, but when I came home I felt 25. Why? Because I had to budget, plan, and take care of myself not relying on my parents, because duh they were literally an ocean away. The other plus is looking into another world culture, being from L.A. I'm fairly cultured due to the vast amount of people, but still stepping into another country helps you become more rounded in how people live and think. 

Truth is my wanderlust is still unfilled from my time abroad, but the trip did help sate my travel bug for a time. I still have much of Asian and Europe I want to hit up. In fact I'm hopefully in the next year I will take a trip out to Europe *fingers crossed. However, until then the memories and some small trips here and there will keep my love of traveling fed.