With only a river between her and the Eiffel Tower, Mary Klick, Spanish teacher, can’t help but think how lucky she is. Plans for the summer trip to France had originally been made for Erin O’Malley, French teacher, to chaperone. However, when O’Malley couldn’t make it, Klick jumped at the chance.

“It’s a beautiful country and this trip was a great opportunity to learn a language I really enjoy,” Klick said. Sights such as the beaches in Nice, the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the beautiful Palace of Versailles were memorable, but weren’t as impactful as how much the students were moved by the experience.

“I would definitely go back and so would the students because we were only there for a short time,” Klick said.  

As the sun sets in Nice, France, Noah Clark, senior, is engulfed with the laid back lifestyle of the French.

“It’s very relaxed. The culture just goes with the flow,” Clark said. This sat perfectly with Clark who enjoyed taking walks on the beach and taking in his new surroundings.

“It’s nice to walk along and realize that you’re a minority that doesn’t stand out,” Clark said. Having never been to Europe, Clark knew this was a trip he couldn’t pass up. As for the future of Clark’s travels, he’s hoping to make his next stop in Italy.

On her summer trip to France, Mackenzie Miller, senior, tests the limits of her foodie nature. Miller can handle a croissant and crêpe any day, but a pizza topped with an egg is another story.

“I wanted to get the full experience,” Miller said. Even if it meant pushing her tastebuds to the max, she was willing to do it. Tasting authentic French food is a once in a lifetime opportunity, but maybe not for Miller.

“I would definitely go back. Next time I would go to either Lyon or Toulouse to have a taste of the more German influenced foods,” Miller said.

Strolling along a walkway made of fountains, West Linn students experience the day to day lives of local residents in Nice, France at the Promenade du Paillon. The Promenade du Paillon covers 12 hectares, or 120,000 square meters.

“We definitely did a lot of walking,” Mary Klick, Spanish teacher, said. Although there was a lot of walking, the students definitely saw many sights that they will always remember and one day, revisit.

The West Linn group takes a break at some local ruins in Nice, France. The eight were only in France for 10 days, but they all made lifelong connections.

“The day we left, it was two in the morning, we were saying our goodbyes to new friends,” Mackenzie Miller, senior, said. “I will always remember that bittersweet moment.” The students who went on the trip had never really experienced Europe before, and now they can’t wait to continue their global travels.