Author: Sierra Jorritsma

Growing up in a Christian reformed church my whole life made it very unique to visit the different church services on Sundays.

The second Sunday of the trip we were in Reims. The Reims cathedral was, in my opinion, the most beautiful. Sitting in on a catholic service was a whole new atmosphere. Although I could not understand most of the sermon because it was in French, it was a good experience for me to witness other areas of faith.

Each Sunday was very different in the way each denomination expressed their perspective on faith and beliefs. I loved being able to experience such a wide variety even though the language barrier made it difficult to fully know the differences between each of them.

We have visited so many businesses and neat places so far. One thing I have found most interesting is how different products need to be made based on limitations and regulations of different countries.

I first saw this at Vermeer. In Europe you aren’t able to tow as much weight behind your vehicle so they have to have different models for farming equipment based on different things. I have definitely learned to appreciate more of work that goes in to an operation. Even at Mercedes today there are so many unique things for one car in different places. One common example is just simply the side of the car that the steering wheel is on.

I can definitely say from all of these visits I can understand and appreciate more of the work that engineers do. From designing storm surge barriers to designing cars, it was really cool to see the big things they do behind the scenes.

Bonjour! Our day began with a trip to the Eiffel Tower where we were able to go up to the second level. Although it was a rainy morning, it was still an amazing view and experience up there. From there we were able to go explore on our own. Most of the group started out by going to tour the catacombs under the city. It was a tight squeeze so far below the ground, but also a cool experience to see all the remains.

Stopping for a quick lunch at a local sandwich shop, some of us struggled with the language barrier in attempting to order, but eventually we got it squared away. I find that to be my favorite part of France so far is trying to use the small amount of French that I know and giving it my best shot to converse with the locals.

From there a few of us were able to visit the Arc de Triomphe, a stunning sight to see. A walk down the Champs-Elysees was well worth it. With a beautiful view of the Arc and seeing all the luxurious name brand stores we knew that was the perfect way to end our day of taking on Paris.