This is mostly filler until I figure out what I’m doing here. Anyway, you’ve found my blog about Paris, congratulations!
Fun facts about me and this trip:
- I just graduated from UMW with my BA in Historic Preservation and a minor in Museum Studies.
- I was planning on being part of this program in 2021, but of course, COVID delayed it, hence why I’m here in a strange liminal space between student and alumni.
- I live on a sheep farm in upstate New York, with about 30 sheep, 20 chickens, 3 family members, and a whopping 5 dogs (recently increased from 3, but we love them all).
- Some of my favorite things: dinosaurs, books, cryptids, strange museums (ask me about the mothman museum)
Beyond a chance to learn more about international preservation and see new places, HISP in Paris signifies great progress that I am very proud of. When I was 16, I attended Disney Dreamers Academy, a program that changed my life. At the time, I was struggling with my anxiety and mental health, to the point that just getting from New York to Orlando was a feat. While I was there, my Disney-appointed chaperone brought me into the Paris pavilion in Epcot to calm down during a panic attack. We found ourselves sitting in the cool, dark theater where they show a film about France and Paris. She had been to Paris as a student and remembered the time she had there fondly. While watching the film, I expressed that I wished I could go there and travel someday, but that I felt my anxiety would never permit me to do so. After the film ended, she told me that I could and would get a handle on my mental health and that she knew I could do anything I put my mind to. 5 years later, I’m here ready to head to Paris.
Anyway. Sappy stories about Paris: over. Keep an eye on this page for more blog updates!! Can’t wait for this journey.