Senior Nora Blok spent this past summer evolving into a true European.
Nora spent her summer strolling through Paris, spending time with her friend Luna in Cologne, Germany, visiting little coastal towns in northern France, and eating an array of peculiar seafood, which was plucked fresh from the water where she sat at a restaurant.
“When we were in France, we went to Concarneau, which is kind of northwest on the coast,” Nora said. “They’re known for their fish and their seafood—they do oysters [and mussels] a lot differently. So, I tried oysters for the first time, and they literally had a guy going out on a kayak just cutting oyster and mussels off rocks and bringing them to [the restaurant].”
Although seeing the oysters and mussels fetched directly from the ocean and prepared in the kitchen was definitely a unique highlight, eating a recipe that involves snails—which is called “escargot” in France—was a moment of culture and memories that confirmed Nora’s passion for traveling. The texture was odd at first, Nora stated, but the snails were mixed in a type of herb butter that elevated the dish and almost made her forget she was actually eating snails.
Trying new, daunting foods abroad is only a small facet of the connections Nora has made with other countries and cultures. Nora’s friend Luna, who currently lives in Germany, is a key example of the unbreakable bond that is forged between friendships, especially those that have endured years and continents apart.
“Luna and I met when we were in Korea,” Nora said. “We were in the same kindergarten class, and we were best friends. Her family lived in the apartment building next door, so we would hang out a lot or go to the park, so we spent a lot of time together—our younger sisters are both the same age, too.”
Living in South Korea for the early part of her childhood is what kickstarted Nora’s initial connection with Luna, and the two of them kept in touch online and through social media during the years they were apart when Nora’s family moved to the United States.
The two of them had the opportunity to connect again two summers ago when Luna spent the summer with Nora’s family. Having been denied a year abroad in past years because of COVID-19 restrictions, Luna finally had the opportunity to explore the Midwest and spend a traditional summer with Nora. Nora’s family took Luna to Mackinac Island, Chicago, and their cottage in Saugatuck, allowing Luna to have the abroad experience she had been waiting years for.
This past summer, Nora traveled to Cologne to stay with Luna and her family, and while some of their time consisted of munching on snails along the French coast, Luna also showed Nora a glimpse into standard life in Europe.
“Luna, who is our age, would just go on the weekend with friends, so it was kind of fun walking around with them because they knew all of the spots and the things that are more overrated,” Nora said. “I loved [the Eiffel Tower]. I am definitely one of the girls that dreamed about visiting Paris their whole life and then finally did it—it was a dream.”
Because Cologne is only a few hours’ drive from Paris and easily accessible by train, it is normal for Luna and her friends to take weekend trips to neighboring cities, which is something that Nora finds interesting and different than normal life in the United States. Additionally, because of the difference in the school calendar in Europe and the United States, Nora also got to spend a couple of days attending school with Luna while she was in Germany, gaining a unique perspective on the differences between American and German education.
“Their school is definitely a lot more rigorous—their classes are [about] two hours long, and they basically don’t get up,” Nora said. “They take a lot of tests and a lot of handwritten notes, and they don’t do as many projects and don’t have as many exploratory classes as we do. They have a little less art, and they don’t have any sports through the school; it’s all outside of the school.”
Nora also stated that with the lack of sports in schools, there are no theater programs, and the emphasis is placed heavily on traditional education. The school Nora spent a few days at had the equivalent of seventh through 12th grade in the same building, which was another notable difference from the schooling she was used to.
On the plus side, however, Nora enjoyed how the older students were required to go to school less, and her friend Luna would only go to a few hours a couple of days of the week and would spend the rest of the time participating in an internship to one day be an interior designer.
These experiences have expanded Nora’s horizons and have instilled compassion and appreciation for her time abroad, especially because she has been able to fulfill lifelong bucket list items and reconnect with her childhood friend, who will be visiting in the summer once again.
“It’s fun that those connections lasted, too, because now I have friends in Germany,” Nora said. “When I was with Luna, I met some of her friends when we were in Cologne, and we got to hang out. It’s fun seeing all of the similarities and differences because pretty much all of her friends know three different languages.”
