Through My Eyes, In My Words:

Paris: An Introduction to the French Exception

Taught by Rose Marie L. Bukics, Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Professor of Economics and Business, and Christian Reyns-Chikuma, assistant professor of foreign languages and literatures

Elizabeth Lilley of Westwood, N.J., is a Marquis Scholar who plans to major in psychology. She is involved with International Students Association and Asian Students Association and is a student host for the Office of Admissions.

This winter I went to France for a three week interim class; two weeks in Paris, and one week split between Cannes and Dijon. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to do what I did, see what I saw, and meet whom I met.

I enjoyed learning about the quirks of French culture in our classes, but the real lessons of culture were the ones we experienced by being surrounded by the history and liveliness that is the City of Light. Our group visited all of the major attractions and monuments, including Notre Dame, Sainte Chappelle, and L'Hôtel des Invalides. Exploring the Louvre was an experience I will remember my whole life. The beauty captured by artists that resides within the palace walls will take your breath away.

The day trip to Normandy was disturbing and touching. Walking on the beaches and seeing the rows of American soldiers' graves had a strong impact on all of us.

Cannes is without a doubt my favorite city in the world! Not even the chilly weather could ruin our time there! The beaches were beautiful, the water was blue, and the people were friendly—what more could one wish for? It was a great place to relax and have fun while our trip wound down toward the end.

One of the best parts about this trip was that we were given a good amount of free time to explore on our own and see things that interested us. We had plenty of time to shop, relax, be tourists, and go out.

I feel very lucky that I was able to take this trip. I know that I will cherish the memories for the rest of my life.