The Best Vacation I Ever Had

By: Audrey
Posted on: July 21, 2008
4 comments so far (is that a lot?)

Studying abroad should be called by its proper name – “Semester Long Vacation.” I think if it were advertised as such, WAAAAY more students would do it.

My friend spent a semester in Australia. You wanna know what she learned? How to surf. I spent a semester in Paris. You wanna know what i learned? What wine goes best with fondue. These are life skills, folks!

Sure I learned about the culture, sure I practiced my French, sure I saw some great operas and ballets (I was taking a music course). But what i really learned (aside from the aforementioned wine pairings) was that I can hack it in another country. Yeah its not like i went to the jungle or anything – but it was a nice little boost to know that I could survive on my own in a foreign land.

4 Responses to “The Best Vacation I Ever Had”

  1. Matt Says:
    July 21st, 2008 at 3:44 pm

    Audrey – your post made me think of this:
    http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.com/2008/02/22/72-study-abroad/

  2. Riss Says:
    July 23rd, 2008 at 12:04 am

    I have to agree with Audrey that in between conjugating le subjonctif and dealing with the daily struggles of living in a foreign land, I got a lot out of my study abroad experience in Paris. C’etait le moment de ma vie! (Translation: It was the time of my life!)

    Not to mention, I certainly got an education on French wine (which according to them is the only kind of wine to drink) and learned a thing or two about fashion (throw a scarf around your neck and you’re instantly Parisian).

  3. David Says:
    July 23rd, 2008 at 12:06 pm

    To me, the best thing about studying abroad has always been being able to say silly things like “I’ve studied a broad… or two.”

  4. Lara Says:
    July 24th, 2008 at 3:24 pm

    David – that’s not funny.

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