What to Expect… Perhaps the Unexpected?

"Be fanatically positive and militantly optimistic. If something is not to your liking, change your liking." — Rick Steves

For as long as I can remember, I have been watching Rick Steves travel through Europe on TV. When I learned that I would be studying abroad in Europe, I began to read everything I could get my hands on about France, and Europe in general. Historical novels, travel books, maps, planners.....I was obsessed! One of the most informative days was attending a 2-hour talk on travel through France at the Rick Steves Travel Store in Edmonds, WA. This free lecture was so helpful in answering questions, and got me thinking about what my goals and expectations for my semester abroad would be.

I am expecting to feel out of place at first, until I get into a routine. I hope to polish my French, but I realize that I probably won't become completely fluent. I'm looking forward to making memories with new friends. I'll need to adjust to the differences of the French University system. One of my goals is to travel to many places and to take thousands of pictures! I'm looking forward to adventures with stinky cheeses and French wines. I expect to feel disappointed at some point, and to make a fool of myself many times. Overall, I hope that not only will I learn a lot about France from the French people, but that they will also learn something about America from me.

In Rick Steves' book, Travel as a Political Act, he talks about how travel connects people with people. He explains how to "travel more thoughtfully," and how travel helps to shape your world view. America is a nation of immigrants, a country based on the power of diversity, so it should come naturally to us to celebrate new ideas we discover when we travel. Rick constantly reminds us that it is possible to be proud to be an American, but realize that other nations have some pretty good ideas too. Okay Paris....ready, set, here I come.