Submitted by Badiallo Diani on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Paris, France sponsored by the Department of Biological Sciences…
Going on this program means a lot for me. I am excited to be able to continue my studies while immersing myself in a completely different environmental culture. I did, however, have some concerns going into this experience. I am usually shy and a “play it safe” type of person so going headfirst into a new environment is definitely out of my comfort zone. However, as uncomfortable as it may be, it allows you to gain more exposure, try new things, and become an overall well-rounded individual.
Applying for the opportunity to study abroad was a great social challenge for me, because I do not know anyone going and therefore I was very hesitant at first. Now that I’m actually here, I am so thankful I applied, as I know I would have regretted it immensely if I didn’t try. Settling in the first week was kind of off to a rough start. I missed my flight in the craziest way, didn’t have functioning heat or wifi for the first weekend, and I had extreme jet-lag where I would get so tired in the afternoon, but not be able to sleep at all at night– hence I am writing this post at 3 am. In light of all of this, I can say for the last week I’ve seen some of the most wonderful sights– sights that I’ve been dreaming of since I was a child (for pictures of food and art on my journey, visit www.vsco.com/badiallo).
I’ve seen the Eiffel Tower up close, both at sunrise and in the evening, traveled the streets of Paris, took a boat ride on the Seine, got a caricature drawn at Notre Dame, and mastered the metro (just to school and back to my apartment, ha ha). During the week, our class went to the Musée d’histoire de la médecine (The History of Medicine Museum), where we had a tour guide, who introduced us to some of the finest historical breakthroughs in medicine. This was the highlight of my week. The most interesting part of the exhibit for me was learning about how wise and knowledgeable the ancient Egyptians actually were. The Papyrus Ebers attests to the fact that they had a good idea about how the body worked, including that they found a pulse in the wrist and correlated it to the function of the heart. In addition, they first discovered spermicide from a ground plant, and even the fact that they were the first to create condoms and natural pregnancy tests is very astounding to me. Furthermore, after the fire of the Alexandria Library in Egypt by Julius Caesar and his army, most of the innovation was lost and people reverted back to a state of unknowing, following all the information the ancient Egyptians acquired.
