| The summer after I graduated from college I had | | | | about our mistake at first with sighs that we would |
| the unique opportunity to travel to France with my | | | | just figure our way around and that we would be |
| roommates and friends. A group of six of us left for | | | | fine. |
| France on the cheapest flight we could find the | | | | Landing in Paris we quickly learned that it would have |
| morning after graduation. We had plans to stay for | | | | been wise to include a French dictionary in our |
| the entire summer and just see what unfolded. None | | | | packing. We learned that while many French people |
| of us had jobs lined up or anything to rush back to, | | | | speak and understand English, far fewer of them are |
| so we just took things in stride and determined to | | | | willing to help lazy Americans who haven't taken the |
| have the adventure of a lifetime. We learned quickly, | | | | time to learn any of their language. So we were |
| however, that forgetting a French dictionary was not | | | | stuck in a country that mostly spoke English but that |
| the best way to start a great summer. | | | | wasn't willing to help us get around their land. |
| We talked briefly about what we should bring on our | | | | We made it through what turned into a four month |
| journey to France, and I even remember hearing one | | | | journey through most of France. We talked about |
| of the guys mention that we would do well to | | | | leaving the country to explore nearby Italy or Spain, |
| remember a French dictionary since none of us | | | | but we decided to remain in France and focus all of |
| spoke a word of French. I thought that advice was | | | | our time and energy on exploring this country in a |
| wise, but I never thought to bring a French dictionary | | | | more detailed way. We picked up small bits of French |
| myself. I was convinced that one of the more | | | | as we went along, but most of our weeks were |
| organized and responsible guys would surely | | | | spent struggling to make it from town to town on |
| remember to bring such a valuable tool for our | | | | nothing but our English. A French dictionary sure |
| survival. | | | | would have been nice. |
| I was wrong. Not one guy out of the six of us | | | | The moral of my story: bring a French dictionary the |
| thought to bring a French dictionary with us on our | | | | next time you visit France. Or better yet, bring a |
| journey. We realized this on the eight hour flight to | | | | dictionary to any country you visit that doesn't speak |
| Paris from our hometown of Chicago. We laughed | | | | your language. |