“To awaken alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.”

– Freya Stark

I sit writing this post before this class and am not eating gelato, biking to find a croissant or eating myself silly on French food. Reality is too real. And so is jet lag. This trip to France was one of the most unique travel experiences I have ever had for various reasons, but mostly that this was truly an international vacaction and not a “trip.” I seemed to have coined this term amongst my community and find myself explaining the difference between a trip and vacation frequently to confused friends and family. I view a vacation as a relaxing time that you don’t need to recover from where as a trip is travel where you are constantly on the go site-seeing and when you get home you need a week to recover.

(going on a hike around the coast of Beaulieu-sur-Mer)

I have never been to Europe and was glad to have this experience in Nice, France! I had a very local experience as I stayed with a friend who has been living in France finsihing his phd at the observatory. I really had no plan and made it up as I went which was also different from my past travels. I spent a lot of time with expats, doing solo day adventures and spent multiple times a day eating so much gelato its a miracle I didn’t get seriously sick! “I regret eating that gelato” said no one ever.

(sunset on Castel beach with drinks, french music and friends)

I spent a little over a week in Nice, in the bustling and historic Old Town area. I arrived in Nice and took the 98 bus where I met my friend at his place. I quickly learned that Nice is an easy place to navigate….if you have a sense of direction unlike myself. However, I always seem to end up where I want to go…eventually (my mother will atest to this). This trip was also different because I didn’t bring my camera and took very few photos. It was nice to disconnect and just enjoy the moments spent in the Cote de Azur!

(reading on a beautfiul, sunny day)

I will include another post about all the food I ate (because food is life), some of my wandering around Nice and a trip to the beautiful Chagalle museuem! But for now, I am back to the grind of school and work and increidbly thankful for my time in the beautiful French Cote de Azur.

-Kaila