The Eiffel Tower: My Best Memory of France
I was lucky and fortunate enough to study abroad while attending college back in the Fall of 2015, my sophomore year. Saint John’s University in Jamaica, Queens has a great study abroad program, that I was able to take advantage of. In fact, 1 in 4 students end up utilizing the program and studying abroad during their tenure. Along with our strong study abroad program, we have universities throughout Europe. One of those universities is in Paris, France. My study abroad program was a DTW (Discover the World) rotation, which meant I spent five weeks in Paris, France, followed by five weeks in Rome, Italy, and finally five weeks in Sevilla, Spain to round out an entire semester.
France was the first country in my rotation, and I went there in August with an open mind and no assumptions, eager and ready to soak up as much information and culture as possible.
I have a lot of fond memories of France and great experiences. Especially since it was the first country on my rotation of an entire semester of exploring new places. France is where:
- I made some great and close friends that I still talk to today.
- I tried escargot (tastes like chicken!) and the different foods that the culture has to offer including bagettes, crepes, and more.
- Took a trip to Normady and experienced a lot of its history.
Before I get into my most fond memory of France, I do want to talk about what I was most excited about when arriving in France. That was yes, you guessed it, escargot! While others might shy away from eating snail, I love trying different foods and was very eager to do so. I certainly was not disappointed with eating the escargot, however, this is not my most fond memory.
The Eiffel Tower
My most fond memories of France all surround the Eiffel Tower. As an American, you always hear about the Eiffel Tower, and it is definitely a huge part of what makes Paris a bucket list destination for most people. I had absolutely no idea what to expect upon visiting it though! Luckily, the university where I dormed was only a 20-minute walk from the Eiffel Tower so I was able to visit it a handful of times during my stay there. Some very notable takeaways:
- The Eiffel Tower is a cool spot where a lot of locals will take a blanket and cheap bottle of wine, and just hang out with friends.
- The Eiffel Tower lights up at night! (video below). I had no idea this happened until I saw it, but it really is a pretty sight.
- You can actually go inside the Eiffel Tower. I did and it was one of the highlights of my time in Paris. I highly recommend doing so if you ever visit!
- There will be A LOT of people trying to sell you wine. I recommend buying your own beforehand. If you don’t, be wary, as some of them will realize you are not local (or even worse – American) and try to rip you off. It happened to my friends so be careful.
Overall, I am so blessed for my experience studying abroad, and especially in Paris, France, as it really helped my growth as a person and allowed me to get a better understanding of other cultures. If you ever have the opportunity to study abroad during your time in college I highly recommend doing so! Also, if you ever get the chance to travel and explore different cultures in general, please take that opportunity! You will not regret it!
Below are a few of the pictures I took back in 2015, around the Eiffel Tower:
Best,
Eric
This article takes part in the blogger event “what is your best memory of France/French people” organized by Sabrina, author of the blog Frenchness.
