Arriving in France - Sept 21, 2016

This afternoon we took a flight from Chicago to Paris and we were all fortunate enough to have an empty seat next to us (although we still didn’t get as much sleep as we would have liked!)

We met some other group members at Charles De Gaulle Airport at a little coffee shop. While we waited for the rest of the group to arrive, a few of us wandered around the Marks and Spencer grocery store and enjoyed looking at all the different European foods.

We bought warm croissants, French bread, fruit, salad, and even some popcorn! Over the next few hours everyone arrived and we began getting to know one another. We have a diverse group, including undergraduate, masters and doctoral students, counseling practitioners, counselor educators, and significant others outside of the counseling profession. There are participants from Arizona to Texas, and everywhere in between (Chicago, Florida, Indiana, New Orleans, North Dakota, New Jersey…etc.). Once everyone arrived, a coach bus came to pick us up and drive us to Le Mans.

We stopped after about an hour at a cafeteria to eat some lunch. There were hot and cold sandwiches, a soup and salad bar, a hot food bar, cheese, and desserts available.


A large picture helped visitors choose among the hot food options, including paella, fish, ham, chicken, pasta, steak, and a hamburger.

 

After lunch, we looked around the small convenient store and picked up some snacks for the bus.  Most people slept as we traveled through the French countryside until we reached our home away from home for the next 9 days.

Our hosts, Sister Ann and Sister Stephanie, welcomed us into their home, the Solitude. Sister Ann is the Mother Superior and Sister Stephanie is second in command, and together they provide leadership for nuns all around the world. After showing us to our rooms, we met together to learn more about the rich history of this sacred place we are staying.

The Solitude is an 8-acre property with a beautiful chapel, large meeting room, sitting room, library, a few dining areas, a balcony, and several residences. There are still 19 sisters living at the Solitude who range in age from 75-103. Sister Ann remarked that red wine, hard work, and fromage (cheese) must be the foundation for living a long life. Most of the nuns have worked as nurses and helped rebuild and nurture the country and its people after it was devastated from WWII. The oldest woman, Marth, was taken to a concentration camp during the war, and she willingly shares her story of survival during that time in world history.

Sister Ann and Sister Stephanie told us more about the schedule for our time here – most notably meal time, which seems to be especially sacred. They also offered to stop by the “Walmart of France” to pick up anything we needed or forgot from home, which I thought was incredibly thoughtful. They also brought us snacks, water, and coca cola!

Dr. Remely next provided us with the vision for these study abroad programs, which is to make a difference in the way counselors see the world. He encouraged us to learn both about French people as well as ourselves as Americans through our experience in France. Sometimes when people travel abroad, we can gain powerful insights about the way we live, love, and work and how it compares with other people throughout the world.

After our orientation, we got to experience our first French meal, which was meticulously prepared and served in our honor. The staff brought out the meals in several courses, including vegetable soup, salad, meat lasagna, several types of cheese, red wine, and dessert. After a long day of travel, it was a wonderful way to end the evening.