When I signed up for this program I didn’t know what to expect, as I’d never been out of the country. Needless to say with each passing day I was astounded and impressed by the beauties, culture, and differences between France and the United States. The first thing I noticed when we got to Pairs was how vastly different the architecture was of the city. All the buildings towered over you with almost every style of architecture being found throughout the city, from massive Gothic cathedrals to elegant Renaissance palaces. It was crazy seeing places that I saw images of in my world history class, but being there in person!

The next thing I noticed was how lovely the food was. On almost every street there was a small bakery or “Boulangerie” with home-baked, fresh, delicious pastries. All the baguettes and croissants were flakey and delicious, and paired well with the creamy higher quality butter in France. It taught me how much more fresh food and local businesses are valued in France, unlike America where fast-food chains run rampant in every suburban and urban area.
The next few things that I noticed was that when crossing from city to city there were many nuclear power plants, it’s estimated that around 70% of their energy comes from nuclear sources.

Additionally, all of the grocery stores we visited did not have any plastic bags, and all the restaurants used either cardboard or bamboo for straws. All leading me to conclude that France is a lot more ecologically friendly and sustainable in terms of cleaner energy.
Finally, I noticed that French culture is a lot more relaxed and less be productive and get stuff done compared to American culture. With every meal it expected that you ask for the check because it is custom to sit and talk for long periods of time, It is common to get a month of vacation annually compared to an average of eleven days in the United States, sometimes workers in France are even given two hours for lunch.
I’ve learned so much from this trip and can’t wait to go on more adventures to explore the rest of the world. It has allowed me to view my own and other cultures more objectively by comparison. Like Saint-Augustine puts it “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.”
– Benjamin, SPC France High School Study Abroad Program, March 2023