A Rift as Perspective
Normandy
By Chris Waters
I am standing before the Atlantic Ocean in the small French town of Normandy. The coastal town is only a few miles from Omaha Beach where the Allied forces landed and retook Europe from the Nazis; it is an area with rolling green hills, magnificent sheer coasts, and yet it contains so much dark history. One cannot imagine how Allied soldiers threw themselves at these beaches and climbed the coasts under hellfire. When I was there, only the ocean and wind could be heard, I do not want to know what it sounded like in 1945.
Normandy, France
My program had planned a weekend trip to the town, the famous American cemetery a few miles away, and then we would continue traveling along the coast. This was my first trip outside the capital since I had arrived in Paris and I was so incredibly excited just to get out of the city —I had never lived in a major city before so seeing some familiar country surroundings would do me some good! Beyond that, the excitement to see this famous town and beaches was unbeatable, this was history that literally changed the world! The sun was bright the entire trip and the sky, as in the picture, was clear and picturesque.
I remember there being so much wind coming off the ocean and thinking about how this was technically the closest I was to America since leaving — just across that ocean behind me was home. The salt of the sea with the powerful ocean wind became more and more intense as I scaled the cliffs. It was refreshing after weeks of Parisian air. Further, I recall the people of Normandy being much warmer to foreigners — especially those from Allied countries. It seemed as though they recognize their town was forever a part of the international community. In the town, there was military memorabilia, small cafes, and a few restaurants. Come to think of it, the French town couldn’t have been much larger than Geneseo itself!
Notice, however, that I am alone in that picture, as I was most of my time abroad. My trip-mates were more into the modern focuses of France, which is undeniably fun and there is certainly no ill-will. They are excellent, fun, and friendly people —they just had different aims for their trip than I did.
My goals were trips like this one: experiences filled with history, memory, and certain undeniable importance. Indeed, this meant that I went throughout Normandy’s museums solo, explored the bunkers mainly alone, and paid my respects at the cemetery by myself. Now, exploring a new land alone is not necessarily a negative experience! This did not make Normandy any less beautiful; it did not make the cliffs less impressive nor the battlegrounds less humbling.
That day in Normandy, although just a few months into my abroad experience, summarized a lesson which took me the entire program to learn. Experiencing awe-inspiring sights alone does not make them any less, going it alone does not limit how much joy you can get. For weeks I desperately wanted everyone to like me and muted my personal goals abroad just so I could mix. Eventually, I gave that up and found myself enjoying France much more. Although it is certainly a big leap, seeing the gorgeous, renowned coast you dreamed of alone is better still than never seeing it at all.