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Junior Rachel Abbatiello of Midland
- What was your favorite experience on this trip?
“The most meaningful experience I had was in Strasburg, France. A few of my fellow singers and myself had the privilege to get to know of the staff members of the Ibis hotel named Robert. It was great to get the perspective of a local on how American tourists are viewed and how America is perceived in general. It was refreshing to meet someone who enjoys their job and loves the people they work with. He was also able to give us insight and explanations of French traditions and customs that were foreign to us.”
- How has your perspective changed on this trip?
“Europe is more beautiful as a whole than most parts of America in my opinion. As for the people, it was surprising to see how similar they are to people who live in our country. Everyone was kind and welcoming for the most part, but just like anywhere I have ever been, there are always going to be people who are not kind and who do not have your best interests at heart. Another thing that I noticed is that almost everyone I met could speak English to some degree, and we did not speak any of their languages as well as they spoke ours.’
- What have you learned through your experiences?
“Going to France after finishing French IV this semester was incredible. I got to see all of the things that we had learned about in our culture units. The Latin Quarter was so much more lively than I imagined. The streets were set up so oddly though, and it was easy for me to get turned around. I didn’t know that the museums closed on Tuesdays, so that was new information, but I do wish I could have gone to see all of the exhibits at the Louvre. I also did not know that at nighttime the Eiffel Tower glittered every hour on the hour. I would have to say that my favorite things overall would have to be singing our songs in authentic settings and that is something you can’t get in a classroom.”
