Howdy! My name is Celeste Nava and I?m a senior marketing major from the great city of Dallas, Texas – but most importantly, I?m the loudest and the proudest member of the Fightin? Texas Aggie Class of 2023, A WHOOP! I?ve had the amazing opportunity to do a study abroad trip before graduating through the European Marketing Study Abroad Program. This year looks a little different because we are just concentrating on France and England instead of 7 countries in a month- but I?m loving it either way! I?m currently in bed wrapping up my seventh day in France and I cannot believe all we have seen and experienced so far. There is no way to fit it all in one blog post but here are my two favorite days so far.
Our first actual day in France included the American Cemetery and Omaha Beach. I have always known about D-Day (especially through all my social studies classes growing up), but it was never made real to me until those visits. Our tour guide, Francois, did an outstanding job walking us through each aspect of World War II and D-Day as it related to where we were. Francois expressed to us that the American Cemetery in Normandy overlooks ?the bloodiest section of the bloodiest beach,? and as we walked through the cemetery overlooking Omaha, the sacrifice of thousands upon thousands of lives for freedom was palpable.
We also went to Disneyland Paris and that was such a blast! I have personally never been to Disneyland before (even back in the US) so this experience has forever been engraved in my heart. From seeing the French culture mixed into our classic movies and shows growing up, to the food courts and marketing strategies used in another country as a whole, this day reminded me of the different cultures we all have. Of course, we were in the happiest place on Earth while in Paris, so there?s no way we can complain about that!
There is still so much to learn and see. Although there are tons of company visits and cultural events yet to attend and explore, the people here are what is truly making this experience unforgettable. All the students are willing to help each other out, go eat together and build lifetime friendships. I can?t wait to see how close we grow in the next three weeks and all we are yet to experience together.
