Destination: Cornouaille

    When travelling, or most notably living abroad, there are moments which stand out from the others. Moments when you are struck by the unbridled living experience of doing what you had set out to do. “I’m really here!” After the many months of paperwork, online forms, consulate visits, worrying about the size of visa photos, and having to replace them the night before your consulate appointment because you accidently cut them in half, there comes a moment which validates all the struggle you went through to get there in the incomparably satisfying feeling of being there.

The first time that feeling hit me on the Rennes Liberal Arts Program was on our first excursion to Cornouaille. The unfortunate realities of jet-lag, sim cards, hauling 85lbs of luggage up laughably steep and tightly spiraled stairs, and accidentally asking a waiter for two thighs instead of two spoons, become little but humorous decoration to the fact that you are currently sitting in the sun, eating moules frites with your friend Rachel, looking out towards the sailboats on the river, and conversing entirely in your second language, French. This blog post will take the form of a photographic essay documenting our trip to Cornouaille.

We finished the day at an Auberge de Jeunesse in Concarneau, in Finistere. That night, we eagerly ate buffet dinner, and played the French equivalent of Heads Up!^™ which is Rabbit themed and as adorable as it is difficult. Not surprisingly, Celine, our program coordinator had us beat on that one. I’m not sure how long we played, but we didn’t stop until after midnight. We must have said “park the car in the Harvard yard” at least six times when trying to explain the difference between a Boston and New York accent to her. We laughed accordingly.

Aidan Creamer

St Olaf College