A Magical Visit to London, England & Paris, France
Today we are in for a real treat as we have Jackie Toews posting as a contributing writer on the blog! We are so excited to share what impacted her the most on her Senior Trip to Europe!
But first, here is a little about Miss Toews!
Hey! My name is Jackie, I’m 17 and I’m a proud Canadian living in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I’m an aspiring singer songwriter, but until that takes off, I’ll be going to college to work as a Health Unit Clerk. Before I left to Europe, Shirley had her daughter, and also my best friend, Nicole, ask me if I’d write a post for her website, and here I am!
From the moment I woke up on March 27, 2014, I knew I was in for the time of my life. And, was I ever right! London, England and Paris, France are two places that are for the dreamers. In each city, I felt surrounded by creativity and inspiration.
The journey to London was full of little interruptions, like an hour delay on top of the seven hour wait to board the plane from Calgary to London.
By the time we got to London, we met up with our tour guide, Vanessa, who arrived all the way from Belgium. She has had a huge impact on my life. Hearing her story, about moving away from home at 17 and everything she’s been through to finally get herself to where she is now, really made me realize that just because things aren’t working out the way you want them to doesn’t mean that they’ll never work out. On the train from London to our hotel, which was a half hour out of the city, I overheard her talking to some other students in my group about how important it is to not rush into real life. She was saying how you should take all the time you need to find that career that you feel you 100% belong to.
There was a girl in my group, let’s call her Taylor, that wants to be an author, and she said how she keeps hearing things like:
Oh, you’ll never make a living off of that
And Van said:
Don’t even worry about that.
Despite only knowing her for eight days, I feel a connection with her. I love Van for being such an encouragement when it comes to finding your place in this insanely big world full of possibilities. Even now that the trip is over, I keep hearing Van’s voice in the back of my mind telling me that everything I want to achieve is possible, regardless of those who doubt me.
While my friend and I were walking through the streets of Paris during our free time on the last day of the trip, I couldn’t help but notice the outstandingly large amount of people living on the streets. See, where I live, we don’t have people sitting on every street corner. When I decided to give some money to this woman, her face just lit up, and it really surprised me of the fact that just a little bit of change, something that we take for granted, can give someone so much joy. We don’t always think about how a small act of kindness like that can make someone’s day just a little bit better.
Going to London and Paris has always been a dream of mine, and now I’m beyond ecstatic that I can say that is has been a reality for me!
When I left, I kept saying how I’d never want to go home, but when I got home on April 6, 2014, it was a wonderful feeling to see my family again. The moment that made me the happiest to be home was seeing my one and a half year old niece come running to me. Seeing her do that was what reassured me that she didn’t forget about me.
The saying really is true. No matter where you visit …
There’s no place like home!
*Thank you so much, Jackie, for your wonderfully inspirational post about your travels! We appreciate you being a part of our team at Light, Love, Hope!
April 14, 2014 @ 3:44 pm
That must have been so exciting for you! What a wonderful opportunity!
April 14, 2014 @ 4:55 pm
Oh, what fun! And your tour leader sounds like a really caring person. So glad you enjoyed your trip abroad!
April 14, 2014 @ 5:51 pm
Great photos. Love the shot of the White Tower at the Tower of London. It’s great to hear about someone having such a wonderful experience.
April 15, 2014 @ 12:03 am
This is a wonderful place to visit and I can only dream that one day I could visit. Great photos.
April 15, 2014 @ 12:12 am
What a great opportunity! Vaneesa the tour guide seems to have made an impact on the group. Glad it was fun, experience. Both Paris and London are on my travel bucket list.
April 15, 2014 @ 4:34 pm
Thank you so much for all that commented on Jackie’s post. It means a lot, and we appreciate you all being here with us!
April 16, 2014 @ 3:28 pm
If the opportunity ever comes up, should definitely jump on it! You don’t want to miss out on your chance to go to London and Paris, because they are two phenomenal cities!
April 15, 2014 @ 7:38 pm
Thanks for sharing! It looks like a grand trip. I’ve not traveled much, but I’m always pulled out of myself by the people when I travel. Blessings!
April 16, 2014 @ 11:11 am
I loved what you wrote, Priscilla!
April 15, 2014 @ 9:14 pm
What a fantabulous trip! I’ve spent time in London, but I was taking classes 6 hours a day and didn’t do as much sightseeing as I wanted to. It’s a lovely city and I thoroughly enjoyed the art museums and the plays. I’ve only spent about an hour in Paris, but I definitely want to return! I’m glad that you had a great tour guide that inspired you to follow your dreams. Keep listening to the encouragers and forget the naysayers’ nonsense!
April 16, 2014 @ 11:08 am
Beautiful, Anita! Just beautiful. Gregory, that commented earlier, also studied in London. I’m surprised he didn’t mention that in his comment. I love reading stories about it like what you’ve shared as well! I agree:
April 16, 2014 @ 3:20 pm
Oh Anita, if you ever to go back to Paris, you need to get right on that opportunity because there is so much to see and do there! Vanessa has impacted my life more than I thought a tour guide could. There are truly no words that can fully describe how grateful I am for her willingness to talk to some of us one-on-one about our aspirations and the reassurance I got from her that it is possible was new to me because none of adults in my life have told me that my dreams can one day be a reality.
April 16, 2014 @ 4:59 pm
Awww, sweet Jackie. I was greatly saddened to read the last part of your comment. I’m so sorry that adults in your life haven’t been encouraging and supportive. I have faith in you and know that you can do anything you set your mind to! You are a wonderful young lady, and I know you will go far in life! Never ever give up on your dreams! ♥
April 16, 2014 @ 3:50 pm
Hi Jackie, I liked your tour-guide’s words: Just because things aren’t working out the way you want them to doesn’t mean they’ll never work out. She sounds a very positive person.
April 16, 2014 @ 10:21 pm
So glad the trip was a source of creativity! I studied abroad in London and LOVED IT.