"Like all great travelers...

...I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen."  ~Benjamin Disraeli

Mountains in Chamonix

John 14:21

I feel like that quote is going to describe my trip perfectly. In all honesty there is no way that I will be able to remember every detail about this trip – even with my outrageous number of photos or words in a blog. The truth is there are little things that this trip entails as well – the conversations with people on this trip, the professors, the lady at the patisserie down the street…There are so many aspects to this trip that I don’t even know where to begin really and for the most part if I ever try and explain all the little inside jokes I’d get weird looks. But I desperately want to try and remember these things, because I can already tell that this was one of the best decisions I’ve made in a long time. I’ve had to do a lot of things that I might think twice about in the states and I’m so glad that every morning I wake up I feel more confident in myself. 

I’m not sure what inspired that as my starting paragraph, but I guess it’s just what has been on my mind lately and there it was. So I think I’m going to split this blog up into two parts, the first part I want to try and go through some of the things I adore in this country, the second part is going to talk about the breathtaking views I got to experience in Chamonix this past Saturday while on Mount Blanc.

Chamonix, France

So let’s be real, there are certain things that the French have right. Pastries (especially the apricot croissants and the rhubarb tarts and almost anything else you snag out of the bakery honestly). Bread, any kind, and yeah people do actually walk around with baguettes. Wine, blanc…rouge…whatever your fancy they have it, and the ones that are only a few Euros are not half bad. Outdoor markets, fresh produce is amazing. Cheese! Funny little story the other day in class my professor was teaching us the different words for ‘to know’ and she was telling us that the way French people describe cheese is the same way that they describe people they know. Which is completely true, because she had actually used the word ‘gorgeous’ to describe Camembert, a cheese from the Normand coast. And to be quite honest I went out and bought some and it is really, really good.

Indescribable views

Another, slightly more profound thing I’ve noticed is that the French have a better sense of relaxation than we do in the States. They take their time during their meals, they spend time in cafes talking over coffees and wine, there is never a real sense of urgency here and it’s so great. Of course it took some getting used to – just like going to LR and getting used to the laid-back Southern style of life did. Sundays are amazing – none of the shops are open and come mid-afternoon the parks are filled with people just laying out and reading or playing an instrument or just enjoying their time together. It’s easy to make jokes about how the French like their holidays and will take time off whenever possible, but I’m starting to think that’s not entirely a bad thing. I guess what I’m saying is that in France I’ve found that slowing down and taking time to relax should definitely be a way of life, who doesn’t need less stress in their life?

Mount Blanc & Glacier

Yesterday we travelled to Chamonix, which is the town at the base of Mount Blanc, one of the highest mountains in Western Europe. It was so gorgeous; I can’t even begin to describe how pretty the mountains were. The town itself was very picturesque and it was easy to see where there was more of a Bavarian/Germanic influence to it – which was really neat to see. We took a cable car up to the summit of the mountain were the scenery became even more unreal. The mountains are just so massive and snow capped, it’s exactly what you would imagine the Alps to be like. We got to take gondolas (scariest part of my day since I’m not a big fan of anything that’s suspended above the Earth) down the mountain towards the glacier where we then got off and had to take a bunch of stairs down into the glacier cave. It was so amazing to be in a glacier in the Alps!

Ice, Ice, Baby!

Such a pretty town

 I cannot believe that we’re already over the halfway point – almost to the 2/3 mark. This trip has definitely been a great learning experience so far and while I do think I’ll be ready to head home in a few weeks I’m so glad that I did this. Coming up we have a few excursions that I’m really looking forward to! For instance on Tuesday I’m going paragliding, how insane, right? I know I must have lost my sanity somewhere in this country but I think it’ll be fun while slightly terrifying. Who wouldn’t want to jump off a mountain….

Miss and love you guys,
Until next time…