Throughout the school year, my school has taken us on week-long excursions to different cities around France. In the fall, we traveled to Bordeaux, in February, we visited Paris, and more recently we visited the city of food: Lyon.
Lyon was filled with restaurants, colorful orange and pink buildings, and two rivers much more beautiful than the Seine is in Paris (trust me).
It can be hard to find authentic food from different cultures in our small town of Rennes, so coming to Lyon was a pleasant change of pace. We ate Vietnamese food in a blue train car one day, pizza in the mountains at Grenoble, and authentic Lyonnaise cuisine another day (essentially just traditional French food).
We savored the taste of each meal we ate and ventured out to find a little sweet treat after our meals to reward ourselves for finding such a good restaurant.
It is true that food brings people together. Sharing a plate of freshly baked pizza is the epitome of friendship and the ice cream we eat afterwards is the cherry on top.
Food also builds connection. Traveling through different cities allows us to try out new things and create new experiences. Each city, large or small, will always have at least one truly delicious restaurant. I've recently made it my goal to find such restaurants in each city we visit.
As I begin my journey in Marseille, Nice, and Antibes, I'm excited to create more memories through the food we eat. I love trying new cuisines (escargots are actually really good, and so is goat cheese!). You always learn something new about yourself and the people around you through the food you eat.
The same goes for all the meals I've shared with friends at St. Paul's. Whether it's DoorDash from Panera in my dorm room or the sushi buffet we're occasionally treated to in the Upper, I'm always delighted to find joy when sharing a meal with others.