Aero: Dallas Zebrowski – France 2018 – Travel

Posted by LEAF Architect on Tuesday, September 11, 2018 · Leave a Comment

Aero: Dallas Zebrowski – France 2018 – Travel

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Dallas Zebrowski

To begin with, I thought the process of flying was not nearly as infuriating as others believe. TSA, the bane of most traveler’s existence, was not a terribly difficult obstacle if you did what you were told, did it quickly, and did not act like “that guy.” In my opinion, most of the TSA experience was simply common sense.

Concerning the actual flying, again I did not think it was a terrible experience. Actually, I thought it was rather exciting. I had never flown before, so the in-flight experience was totally new and interesting. Takeoff was an amazing sensation, feeling the plane accelerate down the runway and lift off reminded me immensely of motorsports. The food was alright; I did not think it was the gruel that comedians from the 1990’s portrayed it as. It’s not something I would wish to eat every day, but it was edible. The entertainment was superb; I had no idea that planes were outfitted with decent movies. Also, another aspect of in-flight entertainment that I loved was the moment-by-moment telemetry. Again, this interest was from motorsports, as I thought it was amazing how I could know, at any time, how high the plane was, the speed we were traveling, and the exterior temperature. Overall, while it may sound strange, flying was the newest and most interesting portion of the trip. I had been to battlefields, museums, and cities, but I had never flown on a plane. This was a totally new experience for me, and it was much better than I expected it to be.

Now, when discussing packing, the coin will flip. The rucksack that I brought on the trip was a terrible idea. It was both a purposeful and pragmatic choice, as I remembered how much I could stuff in it, everything from clothes, to a stove, to a full tent. However, my mother and her husband left for Dallas the day before my departure and took the travel luggage—leaving me with nothing but my trusty rucksack. But, regardless of its past dependability, it was woefully unsuited for international travel. I could never fit anything in it, it was always bulky and inconvenient, and furthermore it was a pain to deal with. In the future, I will be using travel luggage, like a normal human.

Considering travel within France, I do not have much opinion on taxis. I do not remember many, but perhaps the French do not have the quintessential yellow American cab. But to shift to the subject of busses, I still do not understand why it is inappropriate to eat on a bus. When I thought about this, I first asked the natural question: “is this lack-of understanding derived from my natural American worldview?” However, I then thought about it logically, and it still did not make sense, especially considering the shear amount of sand and dirt we tracked into them from Omaha beach. Perhaps I shall never understand the reason, but at least I am now aware of the French travel faux-pas.

Regarding walking, I am afraid to say France defeated me. There was never a point in France when I truly knew where I was. Actually, I got lost more times in those two weeks than I have in all of 2017. While the previous statement is slightly hyperbolic, I am not exaggerating when I say that I pride myself on possessing a strong sense-of-direction. However, I could barely find my way from the train station to my host-student’s apartment in Rennes, let along Paris.

Finally, I believe the travel aspect learned on the trip is extremely valuable in future career terms because being late or losing your way is a direct, negative reflection upon yourself. While it might not be a huge deal at first, continual failure to meet travel deadlines could have more serious repercussions. Learning about travel patterns in France made me more aware of their function, which will aid me if I ever return in a business context.

Dallas Zebrowski
Study Abroad – France 2018 @ FLCC

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