Issue date: 3/31/06 Section: News

Media Credit: Dr. Jon Arms Hendrix-in-London group in front of a portrait of a young Charles Dickens in the Dickens House. From left to right, Robert Alexander, Dan Nicodemo, Claire Cook, Brock Carpenter (rear), Dr. Susie Thomas (instructor, partially hidden), Melissa Kunz, Basit Qureshi, Kathryn Farley, Robin Bischof, Mackenzie Lloyd, Whit Cox, and Samantha Magnuson.

Traveling is all about sacrifices: back pain, weird food, and the death and defilement of your presupposed notions. But for all the pills one has to take to calm those stomach aches, the personal realizations that come from the experience of roving in far-away places is well worth any emotional and physical anxiety.

Remember six hours of wandering around Paris can be exhausting, but it's a great way to experience the full Parisian atmosphere. We had decided to take one of our four-day weekends to leave England and see what life was like in good, ole France. After a few months of adjusting to life in London, we thought we had a good idea of what we would see in Paris. It was nothing like what we had expected.

Honestly, our first impressions of Paris were very negative. We constantly compared Paris to London by commenting on how dirty and tiny the streets were, the sheer volume of dog excrement on the sidewalks, how arrogant the French people acted towards us, while London was the ideal with wider and easier-to-navigate streets, and friendly, humorous Brits.

But once one actually takes the time to look beyond first appearances, one realizes that there is more there than what first meets the eye. Paris has an eclectic air that draws one in and captivates the individual. The streets are tiny and filled with so many interesting, quaint little shops. We found ourselves discovering new worlds at every turn of the corner.

At every alley, we found happy dog owners leading their pampered canines on their leashes from park to park. And the arrogance that turned us away initially, melted when we took the initiative to start the conversation. We soon found ourselves buying baguettes from the local Patisserie, wearing berets to keep our heads warm, and feeling much more confident in navigating the winding roads.

We had gone to Paris looking forward to seeing the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame, and the Arc de Triumphe. But upon leaving we realized not only had we seen the famous sights, but we had also received a lesson in our cultural education.

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