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| The Eiffel Tower as it rains outside. |
It has been an interesting school year for me. Since the start of Spring 2014 I have been doing a lot with starting a school organization, doing extracurricular activities, hanging out with friends, and trying to maintain good grades.
Therefore I was excited to hear that I was going to study abroad to Paris and London for a month this summer! I couldn't believe I was going on this trip, in fact I didn't tell anyone I was going ( except my family and those going with me) until I think the day I got to Paris. It wasn't because I felt like I was dreaming, but an unnerving feeling in my gut came about when I thought about it sometimes.
However, I, along with over a hundred students, boarded on a one way flight to Paris. It was surreal. The day I got there my roommate and I went to go and eat a nearby sandwich place. While siting outside eating croque. (delicious French version of grilled cheese!) I couldn't believe I was there, relaxing in the cool wind, glancing at the esoteric architecture, watching the Parisians walk by.It was surreal.
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| Infamous croque! So yummy! |
Each day was filled with whirlwind adventures. I enjoyed eating at a crepes restaurant by myself late at night, trying escargot for the first time with my friend, hour-long museum tours with my classmates, and hanging out at the beautiful Luxembourg and Parais-Royal Gardens. It was bitter-sweet, because as I was enjoying my time I was bummed we were only staying for two weeks. Besides I had already been to London when I was twelve.
Unfortunately, something happened. I wrote a post about this before, but previously I was hospitalized for almost two months and one of the reasons was from having avascular necrosis. It all started trickling down when our class went on the Louvre Museum tour.The Louvre was one of the attractions of my "Things to do in Paris list" I had to check off. Before the day of the tour, I had done a lot walking and had a tour of my own with my friends and a couple of my schoolmates. The day of the Louvre tour,I was having sickle cell crisis (not too bad), I took some pain medicine and tried to carry on with the Louvre tour.
However, during the tour it became increasingly difficult to move on. I wanted to desperately capture and appreciate years of artwork, but I started feeling ill and wanted to pass out. I thought maybe I hadn't eaten enough while taking my medicine, but when the effects of the medicine wore off the crisis came again and much stronger. It was impossible to walk any further and I had to sit down multiple times.
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| What up, Mona? |
At the end of the Louvre tour I was in tears from so much pain. Thankfully I was approached by a few girls from my class who saw me in pain and stayed and helped me. After eating a sandwich and taking my medicine I felt a lot better and was able to go out and eat at "the best French restaurant"(details on that soon).
Unfortunately, days later I would be in pain every day. It became harder to take long walking tours with my friends. Mostly the pain was in my hip, and one day after looking for a subject to shoot for my class project it got so bad I had to get the doctor called immediately. I spent a few days in my room not being able to walk.
It was getting to the point where it was questioned whether or not I could continue on with the trip. Yet, those who know me, know that I don't back down easy. It wasn't until the last day of Paris, I had already began walking incredibly slow and I didn't want anyone to be bothered with my difficulties. Therefore, after eating a croque sandwich I was to spend the day alone and take the Metro to the Shakespeare's company.
I couldn't make it down the steps of the Metro. I sat on the steps just having the physical feeling of defeat. Two security guards came rushing in to help me, despite the fact that they didn't speak English and I don't speak French. Moments later I was rushed to the Emergency Room in an ambulance. I thought I was only going to stay in the hospital for a night, but I stayed for six days leaving behind my friends, London, and the past and future experiences.
It wasn't my ideal situation to end up in the hospital in Paris. Since this experience is still new to me ( I just got back to America), I am not sure what lessons are to be learned here. All I know is, things happen unexplained, unplanned. I just have to move on from it. I can still say I've been to Paris, which not many people can say. Additionally, I took a lot of pictures and some videos of my Parisian trip that I will gladly share to everyone. Just remember to be positive, if not for you, for someone else.
