{our class took a visit to the Grand Mosque in Paris while studying the Islam influence in Paris}
So I am studying abroad. Swear. In the classroom, I learned how France, which was once the "eldest daughter of the Catholic church," has transformed into the secularist nation it is today with their strict laicité policies in place.
{garden at the Paris Grand Mosque}
Outside the classroom, however, I gained a morsel of new knowledge probably by the minute. Here's a select few:
Fruit always looks fresher in an open air market.
There was one on my route home and never once was I not tempted to snag a grape or ripe avocado.
What fills our day should fill our hearts.
My book, A Jane Austen Education, was some of the best company on my train ride to and from Bordeaux through the French countryside. My mom gave it to me before I left, and I read it cover to cover. The author shares what he learned--much to his surprise--from six of Austen's novels. One of my favorites was something he learned to love about Austen from her book, Emma:
"She understood that what fills our days should fill out hearts."
Each day here is so precious as I know I'll be walking through the gate at Bush Intercontinental airport in no time. So, instead of filling my bag with trinkets or tassel necklaces (I only bought one!), I aim to fill each with meeting people, making memories and gaining new perspective. So kudos to you, Jane: what fills our days should fill our hearts. Not our suitcases.
Always take advantage of alfresco dining.
Unless I was towing around an umbrella, I'd request a table "sur la terrace."
I've spent fifteen years in classrooms and my future likely holds significant time in a cubicle. So I say when weather permits, soak up the great outdoors.
As a former magnet to shopping malls, this revelation is rather new for me thanks to someone from home. Being here, I've realized its truth even more so.
Buzzfeed is a reliable source of information.
They voted this café in Montmartre, La Maison Rose, one of the cutest cafés in the world "with a window seat just waiting for you."
The coffee wasn't bad, but the pink walls made it better. Sometimes, ambiance really is everything.
Tourists are crazy. And selfies are loved universally.
The must-see sight at the Louvre is, in fact, not the Mona Lisa, but the crowd swarming the DaVinci painting all taking selfies.
Us included.
Don't work yourself up with checking off a to-do list. Wander & stumble.
{The Broken Arm in the Marais}
That's when I found myself most happy.
{door at the Grand Mosque}
For instance, forget some of the indoor museums and craft your own do-it-yourself door tour. They come in different shapes, sizes, colors and patterns.
{graffiti artist near the Concorde canal in the 10th}
And odds are, you'll stumble upon something fantastic along the way.
There's lots of ways to immerse yourself into a new culture--language, food, dress.
I quickly learned it's the Parisians, not the New Yorkers, that only wear black. And the disease is contagious.
{La Faille, a restaurant I solo dined at for one of my last nights in Paris}
Most people I met in Paris asked me what I was going to do after school when I told them I was entering my senior year--a natural question since most of them were rising sophomores or juniors. It struck me after about the sixth time I was asked this that the formal education phase of my life is coming to a close very, very soon.
This leads me to my final lesson to share: learning never stops and I wouldn't be surprised to find if I get my very best education in the years to come when I step outside the classroom and into the world.
