So this entry will be just a little more sentimental than
normal, but I really wanted to share my thoughts on my visit from Mrs. Jarman
tonight.
For those of you who don’t know, Mrs. Jarman was my high
school French teacher and is really the reason I am currently in France. She
inspired such a love for French in me that I had to continue studying the
language even after completing four years in high school. Her energy, her own love
for the culture, country, and language, and her wisdom over the years has
helped me in more ways than she probably would think. One of her wonderful life
lessons I remember her telling me: study what you love, not what you think will
earn you the most money, because if you do what you love everything will work
out. She actually experienced this, going to school to become a lawyer but
realizing her true love was French and in pursuing French she has encountered
so many amazing opportunities. This bit of advice has always popped into my
head when trying to make decisions regarding my academics or anything really,
to do what I love. I think it has been successful for me thus far.
In addition to being my French teacher and a source of
wisdom, Mrs. Jarman also had the pleasure (I hope haha) of taking me to Europe
twice during my high school career with a group from the school. We went to
Italy and France in 2007 and Ireland, Wales, England, and Paris in 2009. Both
trips were amazing and just added to the desire in me to travel as much as I
could.
As she and her husband were passing through Arras from Normandy
on their way to The Netherlands to visit their daughter, they decided to stop
by for the night and take me out to dinner. We went to this little restaurant on
the Grand Place with “Ch’ti” in the name (Ch’ti is the picard- or dialect – of
the Pas-de-Calais region) and had delicious wine, an interesting dinner, and
my dessert (crème brûlée) was delicious. She brought up how during her last
school trip to Europe she was thrilled with a moment in the Louvre when the
students were taking in and interacting with the art around them, and truly
appreciating the experience. These moments are very special to her, as she says
they’re the reason she continues to take students to France. She once told me
that she noticed one of these moments with me, the first time I had laid eyes
on the Eiffel Tower and pretty much anything in France.
These thoughts came to me tonight as I was walking home from
our dinner and I was completely taken by just the reality of things. I’ve
changed so much since young me saw these things that I had idolized as a
child. I can remember seeing
Paris, the Eiffel Tower, the beaches of Normandy, the Coliseum, abandoned
castles in Beaumaris, the Tower of London, and so many other places, and being
completely enthralled by the history and beauty of these places. And yet, I am
still taken aback by simple things I have found in Arras, and grander things I
have seen in Strasbourg and the Loire Valley. With these more recent
experiences, I know that that little girl who was literally giddy from seeing
the Eiffel Tower up close is still present, and will continue to be giddy at
the sights of Europe (just ask Grace!).
Having dinner with Mrs. Jarman tonight just renewed all of
these thoughts and memories, and I really have her inspiration, encouragement,
and love to thank for offering me all of the opportunities and the spark to
follow my own love for the French language. So, thank you beaucoup Mrs. Jarman!
 |
| Also, she brought some Maryland love with her (thank you Maman and Faja, John & Jessie & Jack, Will, Aunt Liz, and Granny!) |
No comments:
Post a Comment