I talked last time about how it seems like I’m always needing to re-learn lessons. Apparently I haven’t quite gotten that into my head, because I went on a wine tasting recently. I don’t like wine.

I remembered that little fact as we were sipping on our first glasses of white wine at the small shop of a vineyard. Apparently, when wine tasting, you always start with whites, then the rose, finishing with the reds.

There were eight of us on this journey, and we were staying with one of the Webster professors at his house in France. It was like a building from a storybook. Unbelievable little stone walls, old shutters and roofs that were practically gardens. It was beautiful, and really made me look forward to the Paris trip I have planned in April.

One night during our stay, he fed us fondue one night, pork and apples on another while also providing all the wine we could drink. He does this trip every year, several times a year and we go in groups of eight. According to him, the most a group has ever drank is 75 bottles of wine…in two days. Unbelievable, right?

We got to tour about eight wineries, and had anywhere from five to 12 wines at each. I’m an insane light weight, and was having a good time of it all. Even if I didn’t love the wine, I was at least feeling good.

By the end of it, I actually found my appreciation for wine growing. I learned a lot about how to breath when tasting, and how to smell the wine. I ended up buying a few bottles to take back home as gifts- I’ve been told that a $30 bottle of wine from the vineyard sells for $300 in the U.S.

We also saw a cemetery for World War II, a couple cathedrals, a French market, a museum for medieval hospitals and the largest amphitheater outside of Rome. It was an awesome weekend full of laughing and bonding with people I usually don’t spend much time with.

I’m so glad that I’m able to do things like just pop over to France for a weekend. It’s truly unbelievable being abroad and having all of these countries and cultures at my fingertips. My time here has flown by though, and I have spring break coming right up (and trips to Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark planned for it). Then it’s basically just April and back home! I already know that April will fly by, I, like all the other study abroads, have a trip planned for every weekend- there’s no time to waste.