By: Meaghan McGoldrick
It was over two weeks ago. I stepped off of the plane and took my first few steps in Paris, France. All thirteen of us soon found ourselves face to face with an overwhelming sense of culture incomparable to those we have experienced before. The streets were loud, yet quiet; Modern, but beautifully detailed and full of history. It was moments after we checked into our dormitory at Saint John's on Rue de Sevres and we already knew we were in love.
On our first day alone we wandered up and down our street, seeing what "home," as we soon called it, had in store for us. In only a five-street walk we found several supermarkets, cafes, banks and a post office. What else could we possibly need? And on that same first day we had already found ourselves lost in the language as we struggled to order dinner in English. We spent that first night physically lost on the streets, only to find the Eiffel Tower after a 45-minute walk (that we later learned was a three-stop Metro ride). We were still smiling. Our first night at the Eiffel Tower was well worth the outrageous walk. The tower's 2,000 lights sparkle for ten minutes every hour on the hour after 9pm, making it one of Paris' best nighttime attractions.
It's hard to believe that we've been living in Paris for almost three weeks now, and this coming weekend is our last here. They say time flies when you're having fun, but this has been a short-lived blink of an eye. Nevertheless, we've seen more than we could have ever imagined, and more than most people ever get to see.
We've seen the Louvre (and learned that it's not actually pronounced like loove, there's really an -er at the end, like louv-er). We've sunbathed on the lawn of the Eiffel Tower during the day and we've dined under its sparkling lights at night, followed by a Crepe by the Siene. We've seen countless breathtaking churches and have taken in the history of Notre Dame. We've seen Napoleon's apartment and where Marie Antoinette was imprisoned. We've taken in the beauty of the Luxembourg Gardens and most recently, we visited the Basilique du Sacre Couer, the Sacred Heart of Paris. This Basilica, located at the top of one of Paris' highest points, truly lives up to its name as the heart and soul of where we're living.
In two short weeks we've riden almost every line on the Metro, from the Louvre to our hometown stop at Veneau. We've mastered the maps both under and above ground and are proud to say we now know where we are (80% of the time).
We've gone out to amazing dinners and day trips with our wonderful faculty facilitators, Professor Perricone and Dr. Mangiero alongside trips of our own. We saw the beauty of Chartes, France on a Friday with our favorite moderators followed by the sights and sounds of Disneyland Paris the following morning, planned entirely on our own. For me, it was my first experience at Disney ever. I was like a kid on Christmas.
We've bonded as a group of only thirteen, and knew more about each other in the first weekend than many of our friends and roommates knew in months. Being such a tight-knit group allows us to experience Paris together, from the early morning struggles to get out of bed to the afternoon trips that make waking up so worth it and to the nights spent laughing and making our own adventures (and, of course, to not getting taken).
At the end of the day, we've become a family. I've always considered myself lucky but that word has en entirely new meaning to me now. I don't want these last few days to end.
The Iona College London study abroad trip wasted no time once they landed! On day 1 they toured Buckingham Palace and Big Ben. 
