One Sophomore’s Study Abroad Experience in Paris and Lyon

My name is Lauren Molnar, and I’m a sophomore Fashion Merchandising major here at LIM. I had the opportunity to take part in the Cross Cultural Analysis (CCA) trip to Lyon and Paris, France this past January.

We spent the first few days of our trip in the city of Lyon, where there were silk and food tours organized. On these tours, I learned so much about Lyon’s rich history, silk-weaving industry, and cuisine.

Lunch was offered on both tours in Lyon, allowing us to try authentic Lyonnaise foods. My favorite was the praline brioche bread—it was delicious!

We toured the workshops of famous silk weavers in Lyon. Here, we were taught about the weaving process and why Lyon is famous for its silk. After a weekend in Lyon, we traveled to Paris for the remainder of the experience.

The rain in Paris did not stop us from making the most of our time there! Some of my favorite memories from the trip happened because of the weather! We toured different museums, my favorite being the Schiaparelli exhibit in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.

After the tours each day, we had the rest of the afternoon to explore the city, which presented an ideal opportunity to do some shopping!  

I was able to try a lot of the foods that Paris is known for as well. The purpose of this class and trip was to immerse yourself in every aspect of French culture, but it was so much more than that.

I became great friends with the other people on the trip and experiencing a new culture with these new friends was unforgettable.