Just like Lea, my first moments in Amsterdam have been confused stumblings of French in a non-French speaking country. Good job Rob, let's just heighten the tourist factor. (Although, speaking French to beggars and solicitors definitely helps keep them away. "Pas De Fleurs!")

Yet, for all of Amsterdam's not-so-cheap thrills, I really miss Paris. It is much more real, a place where you can feel the culture all around you. This was probably a site of our group's disconnect, that fact that we weren't part of that culture, yet I can assure you, we appreciated it and longed for it.

The things I learned in Paris were this; how to travel, how to be uncomfortable, and how to appreciate another culture. In regards to travelling, it is about packing light, and never going home. Although I took a few personal days, and several naps, I was proud of our group for how proactive we were about experiencing. Traveling can be very uncomfortable, but that is the charm of it. You need to adapt, and just jump right in to your surroundings. With the first two steps, the culmination is appreciating the culture. Here, I learned a lot about how people operate, foreign and not foreign. Human nature still acts as the same and it was fun to apply to different cultures. There were the nice people and the more abrasive folks. Despite personality differences, I was able to keep from overreacting to the harsher people and begin to pick out why they weren't having the best of days.

Overall, I have broadened my scope of the world. I have a lot more to learn, so much that I will probably never grasp it all, but this was probably the best way to dip my toes in to the water of travelling. Thanks to Frances and the group for such a wonderful experience!