Oh, The Places I've Been
Since I moved to the United States in 1994, I've returned to France almost every summer. Whenever we go there, my family and I go to several different places across the country.
Paris, 17th Arrondissement
My mom's parents have an apartment in Paris that is walking distance from the most beautiful sites in the city. I can see L'Arche de Triumphe from my window.
Normandie
My dad's family moved from Paris to the northern countryside of Normandie when he was just a child. Some of the property out there has been in the family for generations, like our hunting lodge called Le Brevedent. It is now a camping site so that we can keep the house.
My grandparents live in a little town called Fauguernon, where there used to be a medieval castle. My family owns the ruins along with a medieval farmhouse too. Whenever my family comes to the farmhouse, we always have the best of times together, including the best parties.
Les Orres
For our adventurous and outdoorsy side, my family goes south to the French Alps to go hiking in the summer. It has become a tradition to hike the tallest mountains in the Alps with my grandparents. In the summer of 2008, my mom and I hiked a glacier unequipped. It wasn't smart, but we survived.
Ornay, Cellettes
A lot of old French families have these old houses lying around. Ours is two hours south of Paris in the Loire Valley. This is a beautiful 16th century house. It has the most beautiful trees that are hundreds of years old. My grandma's sister's family also shares the house.
Other Travels
In 2008, my parents, two brothers and I did a road trip from Paris to Prague. We stopped in Munich and Nuremburg, Germany. It was honestly the time of my life. In the United States, I've gone to San Francisco, Georgia, South Carolina, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania.
Future travels
I plan on traveling a lot after college. The one country I really want to go to is India. I'm in love with the food, the clothes, the colors and the traditions. I would like to go there and report on the peoples' lives there. I'd also like to volunteer there with Catholic Relief Services. Other than India, I will go anywhere. I love traveling and learning about new cultures.