All Good Things Must Come to an End

           There is no better way to end this trip then to celebrate my 20^th birthday. To celebrate, we went to a karaoke night at a local bar restaurant, and it was absolutely fantastic. Some of the most memorable songs that were sung were ‘It’s My Life’ by Bon Jovi, and ‘Candy Shop’ by 50 Cent. I had the time of my life, and could not have asked for a better birthday. 

 

            I was so ready to go home and return to a familiar culture and style of living, but at the same time, I knew we would all miss Luxembourg. However, one thing I knew I would not miss was the hostel, which everyone was ecstatic to leave.  Walking up that massive hill for the last time made me slightly sentimental, but at the same time it was a relief to know that I would never have to struggle to climb it again.

            Looking back now, I miss Luxembourg immensely. Almost immediately after getting home, I wanted to see my friends and it felt strange to not have them around me. Every day was a new adventure which we all got to experience together as a group and create unimaginable bonds. I began the trip knowing only two people, but I can honestly say I left Luxembourg with so many new friends that I became so close to. The friends I made and the memories I created make me very thankful I got to experience a study abroad trip. No matter what miserable incident happened during the trip, I got through it because of the amazing group of people I was with. I really want to thank all my friends, my professors, and Stanislas for making this trip as wonderful as it was. It was truly an amazing experience and I would absolutely do it over again if presented the opportunity.

Learning in Luxembourg

             Coming to Luxembourg, I was not sure what to expect in regards to how the classes would work. I had heard from other students about the structure of the courses we’d take, but I was still nervous. My biggest concern was whether or not our professors would assign a lot of work outside of the classroom that would cut into our time in Luxembourg.

            Digital marketing was a great class and Professor Micu helped make Luxembourg a great experience. I love that our class project is a blog, since it allows us to relate the subject matter of the class to our time abroad. Not only did we learn the basics of digital marketing, but also the class was pleasant to sit through. However, I accidentally fell asleep during our second class when I was still very jet lagged... At one time or another, everyone fell asleep in either class or corporate visits because we were so exhausted. To this day, I feel so bad for falling asleep in class though (Sorry Professor Micu!). 

            On the other hand, the religion class offered was absolutely awful. Our professor was not ideal for the class, and he managed to make our trips to different religious places boring. The class had great potential to be interesting, but I was sadly disappointed.

            The places we visited for these classes were amazing though. From Bofferding to Skype to the Cathedral in Metz, France, each place was interesting and informative in its own way. These trips were so much fun and so fascinating. It was great to get out of the classroom and go on trips to related companies and religious sites.

            Ultimately, I loved the study abroad experience and the classes I took. They were unconventional classes in a sense but that made me love them even more, and I wouldn’t change a thing about the experience I had.                 

“Those Obnoxious Americans”

It’s no secret that when a group of Americans go to a European country with a lower legal drinking age, they’ll take advantage of it. Obviously some people loved the fact that Europe had a certain type of alcohol available that was not sold in the United States- Absinth. Although I did not get around to trying it, I preferred not to. There is one type of alcohol that the group can definitely agree on- Bofferding is by far our group’s favorite.

  

Some of the best times I have had on this trip were our nights out. No matter where we went though, it was sure to be accompanied by dirty looks from local people as loud group of Americans walked in. Our favorite place to go, Verso, always was the most friendly. The bartenders and staff loved to have us there, and even encouraged certain people to get up on the bar to dance. However, other places were not so accommodating. One of the most rude experiences I encountered was trying to enter a bar restaurant, and having the bouncer deny our group stating that only French speaking people were allowed in.

The nightlife and drinking styles of Europeans are so different compared to the United States’. It is much more laid back, and people expect you to be very in control and responsible. In my opinion, the way they teach the youth about drinking here is much more effective. At home in the US, pre-gaming is very common since most underage kids need to drink before going out because they cannot be served alcohol once at their destination. Here in Europe, it is much less common and I feel that it is much better that way because pre-gaming is basically binge drinking in a short period of time, and it usually does not end well. While talking to some local teenage girls, they told us that the drinking age here is 16 years old, and the age where you get your drivers license is 18. It’s honestly mind-blowing that kids can drink 2 years before they can drive, while it is the opposite back in the States.

Oh la la!

"What an immense impression Paris made upon me. It is the most extraordinary place in the world!" -Charles Dickens

    

       The moment we all were waiting for- our overnight trip to Paris! For the first 2 weeks of the trip, that’s all anyone could talk about. Visiting Paris, France is a once in a lifetime opportunity for some. Everyone was beyond excited to see the Eiffel Tower, to try escargot, and experience the nightlife of Paris. Waking up at 5am to get on the bus was no problem for me because I could barely sleep due to my eagerness. I went to bed as early as I could because I knew the next 2 days would be absolutely amazing and I would need all the energy I could possibly get.

            After getting on the bus and getting a good laugh at about half the group still being drunk from the night before, I took my seat and prepared for the nap I planned to take. What happened next I was not expecting- someone to throw up as we pulled away from the hostel. Due to that we were delayed an hour. When we finally arrived in Paris, we were in for another surprise… the hostel we were set to stay in was in a not so nice neighborhood. We were told not to go out after dark and we even found a gun a couple blocks away from the hostel!

            Even though the day didn’t get off to a great start, we made the best of it. We got to go on a boat tour of Paris along the Seine River, saw the Eiffel Tower, and got dinner at an amazing little French café.

            The one thing I wish we got an opportunity to do was see the light show on the Eiffel Tower, and go up to the top to see the amazing views of Paris.

            The next day, we saw the Arc de Triumph, Notre Dame, the Cathedral of Sacred Heart, and the Moulin Rouge. I even got myself some French macaroons and I tried the strawberry, vanilla, café and pistachio flavors (I fell in love with pistachio and made sure to get more before leaving Luxembourg!).

            No matter what happens, there is absolutely no way I could ever hate Paris or not enjoy my time there. It is such an extraordinary place that I will always be amazed by its beauty and culture. I know this will not be my last time visiting France, and I look forward to my next experience.

Nourriture et le Shopping

        Two of the biggest clichés associated with tourists is that all they want to do is eat and shop. Thankfully, due to the amount of corporate visits, trips and classes we’ve had, our group has successfully diversified our vacation. However, I have to admit that although we have done all these cool things, the amount of shopping and eating we’ve done cannot be overlooked.

            Prior to the trip, I was determined to find a Longchamp store because I knew the prices in Europe are much less then United States prices. I was going to wait until we went to Paris, but we were lucky enough to find a Longchamp store right in the Luxembourg City Centre! The other girls and I were all able to purchase new tote bags for only €75, while it retails for $145 back in the states, so we were ecstatic. Surprisingly though, we have not done any souvenir shopping just yet. The one time we tried to buy some souvenirs, the rude owner kicked us out of the store because one member of our group touched a bag of gummy bears. Stanislas also took us to Auchan, a giant mall with some nice stores and places to get lunch. Although I did not buy anything, it was just nice to walk around and enjoy the mall. I’m so happy to see so many stores that I recognize from back home, especially H&M because it is one of my favorites.

The food in Luxembourg has been manageable; it hasn’t been completely awful although some meals we were served were very unappetizing. The food at the hostel consists of bread for every meal, and whatever the mystery meat of the day is. Unfortunately, I have yet to have a normal or satisfying meal there. However, we have also had some amazing food around the city. From quiches to croque monsieurs to macaroons, I have loved the French style food that they serve in cafes around Luxembourg. Even simple dishes that we have back in the United States are different here, such as pizza and pastas. One thing from home that I miss most is the water, bottled and tap water tastes very different in Luxembourg. At one point our group craved food more familiar to them, so we had dinner at the Spanish chain restaurant, Chi Chi’s.

        

One thing we have yet to try is genuine local Luxembourgish cuisine. Many people have told us that Mousel’s Canteen is the best place to get traditional foods, and we keep saying we will go but never do. I am determined to have dinner there before we leave, especially since I really want schnitzel. 

Une Nouvelle Aventure

My previous experiences with traveling abroad have resulted in some of the best memories I possess. The cultures, architecture, food and people in each country I have visited have been equally remarkable and are so unique they cannot be compared. From the green fields of Ireland, to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, to the crystal blue ocean water of the Grecian islands, I have loved every minute of my travels. My first few times abroad with my parents were to Greece when I was a child, and I did not appreciate the experience, especially since my only companions were my mother and father. 

Years later, I had the chance to travel through my high school for spring break trips abroad. Through them, I got to travel to back to Greece, as well as visit Vienna and Salzburg, Austria; Vienna, Florence, and Rome, Italy; Paris France; London, England and Wales; and Dublin, Ireland. These trips were some of the most amazing times of my life, where I got to enjoy foreign countries with a group of my friends. However, I never stayed in any of those countries long enough to really absorb the culture and explore the area.

When I was offered the opportunity to live and study in a foreign country, I knew this would be an experience of a lifetime. Deciding between Luxembourg and Dingle, Ireland was tough, but I ultimately decided on Luxembourg because I had previously traveled to Ireland and thought I would try something new. Since arriving in Luxembourg, the experience has been amazing. On our first day, after class, we got a tour of the city and although it was cold and raining, we still got to see its old world beauty. Following that was dinner at an Italian restaurant, Portia Nova, which was much needed since the food served in the hostel was unappetizing.

Today is only our 4^th day here, and we have already had several corporate visits. My personal favorite was to Bofferding brewery, where we got an information session relating back to our marketing class, as well as a brewery tour and beer tasting. Our other visits were to the European Court of Auditors, and the US Embassy, where we got to meet Mr. David Fetter, who is the Deputy Chief of Mission. For a man of his position, he was very down to earth and gave a great presentation.

The next two and a half weeks have a lot more exciting events planned, and I cannot wait to experience them all.