While I have traveled extensively across the United States, I am not widely well-traveled internationally. I have been to the Cayman Islands twice with my family, a resort near Playa del Carmen, and Germany; I have also been on cruises to Mexico and the Bahamas. And of course, I spent nearly three incredible weeks in Colombia this summer. But, that exhausts the list. Next week, however, I will be adding another stamp in my passport; I am heading to Paris! In July 2019, Jesus and I are chaperoning a trip to Peru through EF Tours, a leader in educational travel. Because I am the tour leader and have not yet led international travel through EF (or at all), the company is sending me on an all-expenses-paid, five-day "practice" tour to Paris. The itinerary is jam-packed -- to give us an idea of how it'll actually be when traveling with our group: Day One: overnight flight Day Two: visit the Louvre, take a walking tour of Paris (Conciergerie, St. Chapelle, Pont Neuf, Latin Quarter, Sorbonne, Panthéon), go to Notre Dame, have dinner Day Three: have a classroom session, take a guided sightseeing tour (Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde, Champs-Élysées, École Militaire, Eiffel Tower), go to Versailles, have a free evening to explore on our own Day Four: have a classroom session, enjoy a farewell dinner Day Five: eat breakfast, head to the airport I am super excited, but I also have to be completely honest: I am a little nervous. This is really strange, as I don't get nervous for much of anything, and I had absolutely zero anxiety about my epic trip to Colombia. As I prepare for Paris, though, my nerves are all sorts of haywire. I think this is likely due to a couple of reasons: First, I don't know anyone on this trip. I guess I didn't technically know anyone super well when I went to Colombia, but we had met once in February at the symposium and had been communicating extensively via Facebook and WhatsApp, so we didn't feel like strangers; in fact, despite only meeting once in real life prior to embarking on our voyage, it truly felt like we had been lifelong friends. But, I don't know anyone on the Paris trip; I don't even know how many people will be traveling with us. I know nothing. Second, I don't know the language -- at all. Granted, I did not speak much Spanish when I went to Colombia (and still do not speak much Spanish), but I was exposed to Spanish much more frequently, both with personal relationships and with the students and families with whom I work. Additionally, I took a few beginning Spanish courses through community education several years ago, and I continued studying the language through Duolingo. So despite not knowing much Spanish, I was able to get by with the minimal exposure I did have. But, I have very, very little awareness of the French language; I don't even know the basics, like please and thank you. This terrifies me. I have been learning a teeny bit on Duolingo, and I have been listening to a podcast French Pod 101 so that my brain at least knows what French sounds like. Additionally, I researched some of the most important French phrases and have them printed out and ready to go. I'm also planning on reflecting back on my time in Colombia -- recalling which phrases I used most often, which were most important -- and creating a little "cheat sheet" for myself. As silly as it sounds, I know one phrase I'll need for sure is "How much does that cost?" Third -- and I don't even want to write about this but also want to be wholly honest and transparent -- I am worried about safety. I know that the big terrorist attacks were three years ago, and I know that (sadly and unfortunately) attacks happen on U.S. soil all the time, like this past weekend, for instance. I think my nerves are heightened a little bit, too, because my childhood friend (who lives in Paris) was recently attacked -- in broad daylight and in her neighborhood. I had zero fears about my safety before traveling to Colombia, and I certainly wasn't scared while I was there. I know other people were scared for me on that trip, simply due to the dominating (and false) narrative about Colombia, but those thoughts didn't cross my mind. Even after the intense security briefings we had pre-travel and then again at the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, I was not nervous. And, I was traveling -- for all intents and purposes -- on my own (aside from my amazing buddy, Caitlin). This is an irrational worry, I know, and my parents are probably pretty happy to hear I have a "healthy dose of nerves," but dang, it's a new feeling for me. I depart in exactly nine days, so I have some time yet to get my ducks in a row and calm my nerves. That will start -- as those who know me well might imagine -- with a heck of a lot of list-making: phrases to learn, items to pack, things to get done. So, expect a couple more posts before I take off.
Au revoir!
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