France Culinary

This trip was one of the best study abroad programs I have ever done. There were so many great things about it's hard to even put into words. I think for me the most valuable thing was the incredible friends I made. I still talk to them now daily months after the trip was over. Going through an experience like that was so incredible and amazing and doing it together made it so much better. I really miss all my friends from France and I plan to reunite with them soon. I also loved living with a host family with someone who was my age. We became really good friends and I still talk to her daily too. I felt like I was able to live like a real french teenager, we went and hung out with her friends, watched movies, did karaoke, and gossiped about boys. She made me feel right at home like a second sister and made sure I knew that any time I went to France I was welcome back.
In terms of the things we did I just can't even explain how wonderful the cooking experience was. It was hard work but we were able to make wonderful and beautiful creations. And we got to taste the best food I've ever tasted in my life. It's not everyday you get to eat food cooked by a world famous chef at a michelin star restaurant. Because the chef/teacher cooked everything we cooked and let is taste his I got to eat dishes that would normally cost $300 multiple times a day everyday for a week. It was heaven for a food addict like me.
My favorite memory is the last night when we all went to the eiffel tower. I've seen pictures of the eiffel tower before and I was convinced I would not be impressed by a tall hunk of metal. I was wrong. When you see the tower lit up for the first time, it knocks the breath out of you. It's so magical and whimsical, it's hard to explain unless you go. It was such a happy memory I was in the best place, with the best people, and we were all so happy.