STUDY ABROAD
Intro:
Back when I was in high school, I would look at globes or maps of the world and fantasize about where I wanted to go and what I wanted to see. I took German in high school, so Germany and Europe were always my first choice. Although Australia and Mexico would end up being the first places I ventured outside of America, I still had a yearning to go to Europe and experience the "old country".
Flash forward 8 years to 2009: the school I was attending at the time, Santa Monica College, was offering a summer study abroad program to Paris and London. So I jumped at the chance and signed up in late spring of that year. 2009 was a roller coaster of a ride for me. Deciding to take classes in London and Paris seemed to be a great idea for my first venture to Europe. My grandpa's death in January had solidified the idea that "life is too short" in my head, and the student loan I took out to pay for the trip (that I am still paying off) seemed to be worth it!
Frankly, we could have been studying underwater basket-weaving or ancient Italian meatball rolling: I didn't give a flying F&^% what the classes were: I was hell bent on getting my ass to Europa!
Luckily for me, the two classes that were offered were English Literature and Music History. As a vocal major with enough English classes under my belt to make Chaucer blush, I felt ready and at ease when I signed up.
In the music class, we were offered the opportunity to do virtually an independent study course versus the full music history course, and I opted for the former. This allowed myself and the two other students who chose this option not only the opportunity to miss attending the physical class all the time, but also the opportunity to have even more free time to get into trouble and tear up the town. We did exactly that: while the rest of the entire group would be in class, we were out in London and Paris independently studying the locals and their libations!
My english teacher on the other hand, who looked like a cross between Bob Dillan and the Grinch who stole Christmas, was more challenging. We DID have to attend his class. He constantly lectured about stupid stuff that didn't pertain to the reading at all. (No, we don't really care that Jane Austin practically never left the house, was a lifelong virgin and probably had lesbian relations with her sister…JUST GIVE US PRIDE AND PREJUDICE CLIFF NOTES, GODDAMNIT!)
The one thing our English teacher DID do was make us keep a daily journal about our Londonesque and Parisian exploits and adventures. And write in it, I did! I was so candid in my descriptions of our ongoing antics that he ended up giving me an over all grade of "B" in the class. (douche.) Maybe he just couldn't handle the truth or maybe he expected more from one of the oldest students on the trip….
Either way, the following are excerpts that were taken from my journal. Just to preface: I was one of the oldest 6 people on the trip. I was freshly 27 with a bunch of 19 and 20 year olds aboard. During our preliminary classes here in Los Angeles, we all started to bond before the trip and form friendships- many of which last still to this day.
We all had visions of grandeur of what we wanted our trip to be like:
We all said we would be good and take in as much as we could. I said I was prepared to get as little sleep as possible: you only live once, right?
Many of us said we'd quit smoking and drinking whilst there….Many of us said we'd change. One thing is certain: none of us stopped smoking OR drinking. In fact, more smoking and drinking was done on that trip than in an entire Parisian nightclub on a Saturday night. But another thing has become clear:
Paris and London DID change us.
And we're better people for it.
