Parlez Vous Francais?

Oui, je parle francais.

Well, I used to. Back in 2005 I had the best opportunity of my life, a semester abroad. This was a dream I realized the first time I was handed a studies abroad flyer on campus 3 years prior. I didn’t know where or when I was going, but I knew I was going. Partly because I had taken some French in high school and because everyone was taking Spanish and going to Spain, I opted for France.
It took a year of applying to the program and cramming in three introductory French classes before it was finally time to go. We all cried as I said my goodbyes in LAX.
I lived in a small town a few hours from Paris and didn’t get to go to Paris until about a month after we were in France. Two of my girlfriends and myself packed up for a weekend trip to Paris. I will never forget stepping off that train. We were nowhere near the Eiffel Tower but just being near it meant just as much as finally seeing it. Shaking with excitement we finally made it out of the train station, and be still my heart, there it was, in the far distance, the Eiffel Tower. The symbol of every hope and dream I had ever conjured up in those first two years of college. I made it, I did it!
I sometimes remember that exact moment and it always brings a smile across my face. It is what helps me remember to always dream and that anything is possible.

J'adore Paris!