Last spring I decided to finally summon the courage to take
my first big adventure. I have never
traveled before, certainly not on my own.
I have always dreamed of traveling abroad, but I have kept that hope at arm’s
length. I never made plans; I just
assumed that it would happen in that mystical illusion of someday. But, that kind of
adventure doesn’t happen if you don’t take steps to make it happen, and I found
myself in my 30s having never really fulfilled that dream to myself.
Currently, I am a returning adult student. This means that in addition to working 40+
hours a week I am also trying to complete course work towards a bachelor’s
degree. The technical school I am
attending has a study abroad program which includes a 10-day trip to France at
the end of the spring semester in odd years.
I have wanted to do this since I graduated from there the first time
around in 2007. Now that I was back in
school, I decided I was going to make plans to make this happen including taking 2
semesters of French (which I needed for my general studies anyway). I applied for the 2013 trip, and then I wished
and dreamed and tried not to get my hopes up.
It didn’t work so well, and I was crushed when I found out the trip was
canceled due to lack of applications.
I didn’t know how else I was going to make my dream of
France a reality, so I did what any heroine would do in my situation…I moped
for a bit. Okay, most heroines wouldn’t
just mope. But…after I got over myself,
I just couldn’t shake the idea of going.
I was so close this time.
For my French class, one of our assignments was to listen to
French music to help us explore the culture and language more. There was a song that kept playing on NRJ (sort of a Pandora-esque music streaming station) that stuck with me. In researching it, I discovered it was the
first single released relating to a production of Robin des Bois. I am a HUGE Robin Hood fan. A book or movie or TV show (or you name it)
with some sort of Robin Hood theme, and I want to get my hands on it. Anyway turns out Robin des Bois was a musical
set to open in Paris in September of 2013.
I started following the news updates and video releases desperate to get
my hands on anything I could in the hopes that one day I would find some nugget
of a story that told me the musical was going to come to the states after it
finished its tour of France. No such
luck. And that is when I started looking
at travel packages…you know…just to look.
I certainly wasn’t going to purchase a plane ticket just for a silly
musical. Besides, it didn’t hurt to
look. There was no commitment involved.
But, by then it was too late. I was going.
My husband was supportive. He had
big adventures in his youth, and he knew
I never had traveled or had a chance to do anything like this before. One of my dear friends at the time was
planning a long tour of several countries abroad, and I had been listening
longingly to her stories and plans. So
in March of 2013, I signed the papers and purchased a ticket and a tour package
for Paris. I was going the first part of
October. I was going to have an
adventure!
Of course this is my story which means there is a healthy
dose of neurosis layered over my enthusiasm, and I was afraid to tell anyone. I was afraid it would be canceled again, so I
didn’t plan as well as I should or get the right kind of advice.
I did get to go to Paris and I had an
adventure. There were so many things
about that experience that I am unbelievably grateful for. However, there were also a lot of disappointments and
frustrations that I had not planned for.
I have waited several months to reflect on my time there before I
decided to write this travelogue. I
wanted time to absorb the experiences, sift through the good and the bad. Now when I find myself thinking back wistfully,
I know it is time to share that adventure.
There were ups and downs and not everything I share will be
rose colored. But it was a beautiful experience and I can’t wait to share my
story of Paris in the fall.
