DP Paris Trip

First day:

5 AM

5 am is just not for a busy high school student. Our looming and annoying alarm was on its duty.

After some chaotic preparation, I dictated to my entire cell to “MOVE, ACTIVATE” and head to our assembly point, “Gare de midi.” Enjoying a cup of coffee (which we didn't) allowed us to breathe fresh, frosty air. We woke up.

Emmm the seats…

After a short moment of waiting for the rest of our peers, we were sitting in the luxurious seats. The embarking procedure was remarkably smooth and our cosy seats touched our hearts.  

We all spend our time relaxing, chatting, eating, and somewhat enjoying our favors. 

The “Gare de Paris” announcement was only after 90 minutes of boarding. We were astonished by the beautiful architecture of the station. Taking the metro we headed to our hostel had a little hiccup as some had to purchase the paper tickets and things didn’t go as the teachers expected.

Taking a selfie at a cemetery?!

The hostel we stayed at was named “The People Nation,” a building near a big roundabout. We quickly left our luggage, and then we walked around the Cimetière du Père-Lachaise, participating in a game searching for famous people who were buried there and we were required to take selfies. (Ethics depend on individual perspective.)

Nutritious lunch

We looked for a place to get lunch, and wanting to save money, we found KFC, although it ended up costing much more than anticipated. 

Escape Room

Without the pressure of actually being locked in, we enjoyed a series of challenging puzzles. It was a refreshing mental exercise, especially since we hadn’t had to use our problem-solving skills in a while. The area of problems varied from mathematics to riddles and we had to combine it all to crack a code that let us have the antidote the “poison” we had breathed in at the start.  Although we were successful in solving all the problems, we ended up "dying" from not drinking the antidote to the poison (???).

Karaoke pub?!

I have a sincere apologies for not saving a photo. But this way also conveys the essence of how enjoyable the pub was. 

The fancy beverages, grooving to the music were new to me and I had a great time. Since the karaoke pub didn’t serve food, we headed to the nearby McDonald's for a meal afterward. Healthy.

Second day:

Woke up.

The slow elevator favored us taking the stairs up to the 6th floor from the 2nd floor where we slept. After the short exercise, we had a buffet-style breakfast. And as we were in Paris, we had to have an authentic Parisian croissant. The impression I had of the spectacle from the rooftop restaurant was “green”. Unlike staying in the center of Paris, there was a park gazing up at us.

ART

The high standard of art was immediately clear to us. The creativity and out-of-the-box ideas displayed in the artworks were truly eye-opening. We strolled through the museum and participated in a couple of TOK activities along the way. From the museum’s vantage point, we noticed that most Parisian apartments have a distinctive type of chimney 

sprouting from the rooftops. To be honest, due to a lack of proper sleep, our minds were still asleep. 

Loitering

Kebabs never betray me. To an astonishing fact, I have never encountered a non-delicious kebab. Paris was also the case. After eating our large meal, we decided to stroll around the city because we had  a couple of free hours. Visited Flying Tiger, a vintage clothing shop.

Compensated teatime

Due to the heavy rain, our plan was foiled so instead, we visited the famous mall, Galerie Lafayette, which wasn’t very suitable for a student's wallet, but its fancy structure and architecture was stunning. After a while looking around, we realised we were in the women’s half of the mall, and that a whole separate building was for men across the street. A bit later after going up to the roof and seeing the view, our phones vibrated and received a message that the school would pay for our teatime. After a 5 minute walk, we entered the elegantly rustic coffee shop, featuring antique decor.

After a tiring day, we didn’t have the energy to go eat somewhere far away, so we went to the supermarket right below the Motel and bought a couple of hot dogs and buns to enjoy in our room.

Third day:

Eiffel Tower

For those of us living in Belgium, the Eiffel Tower isn’t exactly new or unfamiliar. Still, seeing it up close was impressive—the size was at least three times what we’d expected. Although we didn’t get the chance to climb it, we were happy to soak up the atmosphere. For lunch, we enjoyed some amazing Chinese food at a small restaurant near the Champs Elysée, mostly noodles, soup and fried rice. Although I had studied Chinese a bit on Duolingo, my attempt to understand their conversation ended up in failure.

Palace of Versailles

At that point, the relentless rain had us feeling exhausted. But the grandeur of Versailles was jaw-dropping, and we wandered through the palace, soaking in its splendour. By the time dinner rolled around, we were in for a special treat: the school had arranged a pizza party for us. An overwhelming amount of pizza filled the table, and by the end, our full stomachs said it all! The chef’s disappointed expression when we didn’t eat as much food as a typical teenager was memorable.

Fourth day:

Sister school?

We took a long train ride to visit our sister school, which was much larger than MIS. The main purpose of this visit was not only to interact with the students but also to attend a university fair. DP is a time to start thinking about university, and we found plenty of inspiring options, especially from the UK. Time flies, and I’m thrilled to realize that university is just around the corner. It feels 

like I was in primary school just a few days ago...

I believe many DP1 students were influenced by this fair to consider studying in the UK. It was a motivating experience, offering valuable insights into what lies beyond the Diploma Programme. Lunch at the school was delicious (most of the people hated it, not me), featuring a hearty piece of meat and other snacks on the side.

Afterwards, it was time to head back to Belgium. Returning to the Gare de Midi, I found myself hoping to come back one day as I stepped onto the train. The intense trip made it feel like we had been away for a year. The sensation I felt returning home was strange.

Final Thoughts: 

As I mentioned before, this trip was more than just sightseeing; it gave us a precious opportunity to truly get to know each other and having the trip at the start of the school year was also great for this. Our busy Diploma Programme rarely allows time to sit back, look each other in the eye, and have calm, meaningful conversations. I’d like to thank our teachers, parents, and everyone who made this wonderful and memorable experience possible. I understand the trip was costly – €700 – but by the time I’m 50, I know this memory will be priceless. All we can do is appreciate the support of our parents, and with that, I’d like to end my journey in Paris.