Category: Ashlyn

That’s All Folks! Parting Words and a Small Surprise

Written by: Alex Stallworth and Ashlyn Willis

As a final goodbye, we’ve decided to come together to create an exhaustive list of advice for surviving and thriving at Georgia Tech Europe! The program can definitely feel overwhelming at first, but after 10 weeks of trial and error, we’ve picked up a ton of knowledge that should make adjusting to life in France a whole lot easier. So, without further ado, here is essentially everything we wish we knew before we got here.

Do’s and Don’t’s: 

Living Situation and Shopping

  • Don’t try to get absolutely everything for your room the first time you go to the store, especially if you go to Carrefour, which is essentially French Walmart. My first Carrefour experience was not ideal in the slightest: I was very jetlagged, very confused because I don’t know how to read French, and very tired after I had to carry my large-ish haul on an over-25-minute walk back to my dorm. It’s best for your first visits to be small trips, just for the basics, then you can come back for larger items later, after you are more acquainted with the store. 
  • As for other stores, Normal is good for “around the house” items: think 5 Below, but with better quality. For food, the best options are Carrefour Express or Auchan, which are more like grocery stores than “everything stores”. 
  • Don’t exclusively buy in bulk, and that goes for both food and dorm items. That’s not to say that you should only buy small-scale items; just keep in mind that you will have plenty of time to go to the store throughout the semester, and it’s better to go back and get more of something rather than end the semester with a bunch of wasted food or product! 
  • Make sure you have enough room for souvenirs on the way back. I recommend putting aside an extra packing cube or leaving additional space in your suitcase for anything you may buy while overseas. 
  • Don’t buy a bunch of additional Tupperware or dishes if you are planning to cook or meal prep. You can do a lot with what is provided, and you can always clean and re-use store-bought containers, like jelly jars. 
  • The dryers in Europe are more energy efficient, but unfortunately, less effective, meaning that your clothes will likely still come out a bit damp. I recommend buying a cheap drying rack or a few hangers, either in addition to typical drying or as a substitute for it. 
  • Getting a haircut in Metz might seem a bit daunting, but a good strategy is to go to the barber shop with a collection of pictures of what you want, as English hair terms like “fade” or “taper” naturally don’t translate into French. The good news is that Metz is a pretty diverse city, so you can easily find a barber who specializes in your hair type. This was one of my biggest apprehensions before coming to GTE, but in my experience, the barbers here do pretty good work, usually for much less than it would cost in America. For someone with type 4 hair, I would recommend going to KAL Coiffure Metz or Kacy Afro Center. 

Academics

  • Do as much work as you can during the week. You may think it’s a good idea to do work either on a train or during free time on a trip, but that will probably lead you to being less productive. Some trains have wifi, but some don’t, and if they do, it is often slow or spotty. This goes for hotels and hostels as well. Moreover, unless you explicitly plan otherwise, it is very unlikely that you’ll have a lot of free time on the weekends that you travel on. And plus, you don’t want to be solving equations or writing essays instead of exploring a new city, do you? So, try to optimize the amount of work you get done during the school week, to avoid working on weekends as much as possible. (Make sure to explore Metz and hang out with friends on the weekdays when you can as well; time management is essential!)
  • Work in the GTE building when possible! Although I am someone who usually prefers to work alone in my dorm room when on the Atlanta campus, the GTE building has a much cozier vibe than many of GT’s academic buildings, making it much more appealing to work in, at least in my opinion. Besides that, the GTE building has something for everyone! Want a busier, CULC-like vibe? Study in the student lounge, where the majority of students find themselves throughout the day. Want some fresh air? There’s plenty of outdoor seating around the building, from benches to tables to hammocks. Want some peace and quiet? The GTE building has several study pods and a few quiet rooms throughout the building, which remind me of the 7th floor of Crossland Tower.

Travel

  • (For some tips and tricks about trains, visit Alex’s latest blog!) 
  • We highly recommend you purchase a Eurail pass for your time in Metz, as a 3-month pass is just $839, and for someone who has taken over 70 trains in 10 weeks, I have more than gotten my value back and then some. Even if you prefer to travel by plane, it still has some value, as Metz doesn’t have a major airport, meaning that if you want to fly anywhere, you first need to go to a different city (which will probably have to be by train). As for where to fly out of, you have a couple of options:
    • Luxembourg is the best place to fly out of. The airport is very easy to navigate, and the public transportation to get there is completely free. It’s also a hub for the region, so there are plenty of routes to and from the city. Finally, and best of all, security there is an absolute breeze to get through; the last time I was there, the line was literally non-existent. 
    • Brussels is your next best option. With the Eurail pass, it only costs 8 euros to get to the main airport. The secondary Charleroi airport is free to get to, although it is some 35 miles out from the city. Both airports are bigger than the Luxembourg airport, so there are more routes to and from the airport, at the cost of longer security lines. It also takes around 4 hours to get to either airport from Metz. 
    • Flying out of Paris is a bit tricky. Firstly, even with the Eurail pass, the cost of your round-trip will be anywhere between 20 to 40 euros more expensive, as you have to catch a TGV to get to Paris. Then, each Paris airport is 45+ minutes away from Gare de l’Est, and it of course costs money to get to each airport as well. Granted, Paris probably has the most plentiful flight options in Europe, but their air traffic controllers have a tendency to go on strike, which dissportationally leads to the cancellation of budget airline flights, which is something that a few of my friends have encountered over the semester.
  • On the topic of budget airlines, they are all very serious about their baggage policies, and they will fine you a lot of money if you violate them. It’s best to plan accordingly and measure your bag to make sure you are within the allowed dimensions before you go to the airport. 
  • To keep prices low, budget airlines usually don’t fly to “main airports” within a city. (i.e., going to London-Stansted instead of Heathrow or Paris-Beauvais instead of Charles de Gaulle). Most of these airports will have trains or shuttles to get to the main city, but they usually will cost something, so make sure to do some research before you get on your flight. 
  • Don’t wait for the last minute to plan or book things. It’s more expensive, more stressful, and you’re more likely to overlook something important at the last minute than if you planned ahead. That’s not to say that you should have your entire summer booked before you come to Europe, but booking things 2-3 weeks in advance can be quite helpful. 
  • Avoid short connections on trains as much as possible. On the Eurail app, you can set a filter to only show journeys with connections longer than 10 minutes. This is a good measure to take to lower the chance that your whole trip gets derailed, but more than likely, it will still happen, at least once. The best advice here is to be adaptable. Have a plan B or C for any long trip, whether that be another train that can still get you to your destination, or a bus that plays the same role. 
  • On that latter point, buses operated by companies like Flixbus or BlaBlaCar are quite good in Europe; they don’t have the negative reputations that companies like Greyhound have in the US, and they are actually the favored method of transportation among a lot of European young adults and teenagers. With that being said, buses usually won’t be faster or more convenient than taking a train, but it can be quite useful if you find yourself in a pinch, especially for an overnight journey.


General Advice and Information:

Items to Bring/Buy

  • Portable Charger/Adapter: Whether it’s an issue of trains and planes not having charging outlets, hiking in remote places, or not having the right plug for the charging ports (emphasis on Ireland, the UK, and Switzerland for this one), a portable charger can be a lifesaver!
  • Tote Bag: In Europe, most supermarkets don’t provide free plastic bags, meaning that you either have to buy your own plastic bag or bring a tote bag. Neither are particularly expensive: each plastic bag is maybe .30 euros, and you can get a tote bag for less than 5 euros, easily. But, it might be worth packing, considering that they are so light and take up virtually no space in a suitcase. 
  • Ziploc Bags: Super useful for getting through airport security with liquids (make sure your bag is no more than one litre to make things go more smoothly), as well as keeping things organized on trips. Also, I recommend bringing a separate bag to store your dirty laundry in for each trip, so that you can keep your clean clothes nice and fresh. 
  • Laundry Detergent Sheets: A personal favorite of mine, laundry sheets are not only more eco-friendly than most laundry pods; they also are lighter, take up less space, and are just as effective! You still can handwash your clothes with the sheets too, which is something you’ll probably do once or twice at GTE, as laundry does cost money, and sometimes, you just need a few things clean without doing a whole load. 
  • Travel Containers: Not all living situations on your trips will have shampoo or bodywash, let alone conditioners or other products. I recommend bringing travel-sized containers to fill up with your preferred hygiene products. 
  • Your Favorite Hygiene Products: On that note, I advise you to bring at least some of your favorite hygiene products to Metz. As we talked about before, it’s not a good idea to buy too much too fast for your dorm in Metz, and unsurprisingly, it’s a little difficult to purchase hygiene products that you may be fairly particular about in a language that you aren’t fluent in. I know a couple of people who bought the wrong products and had to eat the cost of it, so to try to avoid that, come with some of the more important ones. 
  • Shower Shoes: Most hostels have communal showers. While you may luck out and get a private bathroom, it’s best to bring shower shoes just in case. 
  • Towel: Most hostels and GTE dorms do not provide towels (although for the former, you can usually rent one for a couple of euros).  Plus, you probably will want one if your travels take you to a beach or a lake! While you can buy towels at Carrefour for less than 10 euros, if you have additional space in your suitcase, it is something that I would prioritize. 
  • Fan(summer): A majority of GTE dorms, and to a greater extent, buildings in Europe in general, don’t have air conditioning. The temperature may get up to a max of like 92 degrees over the entire summer, which doesn’t seem bad, but because of the lack of AC and the way European buildings are built, it will often feel warmer inside your room than outside your room. Although it’s only hot like that for a week, buying a fan can help that week feel much better. You can get a decent one from Carrefour for 20 euros or so, or pick one up from the GT donation drive when you arrive. The donation drive is a system that you get to partake in at the beginning of the semester,  where previous students leave unwanted supplies for the new students, which usually entails a lot of fans.

Items to Leave Behind

  • Hangers: Although you’ll need hangers for your room, hangers are inexpensive to buy and quite bulky to transport in your luggage, so you’re better off just getting them at Carrefour or the GT donation drive.
  • Lots of Shoes: You don’t need a lot of shoes. They take up a lot of space in a suitcase, and since you’ll be walking a lot, you don’t really have much need for athletic shoes. One to two pairs of walking shoes, the aforementioned shower shoes, and maybe a pair of sandals or slides should serve you very well.
  • “Just in Case” Items: Now, this one is a bit vague and can mean different things for different people. For me, it’s the extra books,  just in case I wanted to read, or the pair of gloves,  just in case I went somewhere extremely cold. As I pack up for the end of the semester, I look at the books and the gloves and sigh, as they never left my primary suitcase. While it is good to come prepared and limit buying more items that you could’ve brought from home, definitely make sure you are thinking twice about those non-essentials before you bring them.

Travel Locations

While everyone has different preferences and options, we have included some of the places we have visited and enjoyed! Europe is a huge and diverse place with so many countries and cities to explore, so don’t feel limited by just what the majority of people visit. The biggest piece of advice is to use this opportunity to explore what you want, whether that is just around the city of Metz itself or across the continent!

  • Amsterdam, Netherlands: A city with an interesting history, we recommend taking a boat tour on the canals, as you will be able to learn a lot of information about different parts of the country and city, with lots of fun niche facts. The stroopwafel there is absolutely delicious as well!
  • Interlaken, Switzerland: This is a great place to have a “home base” for a weekend if visiting Switzerland, as it is just a short train ride away to the more elevated villages of Grindelwald, Lauterbrunnen, or other good hiking towns, yet very accessible. (Note for popular hiking destinations in Switzerland: many towns are based in the valleys, so to do many mountain hikes and trails, you may often have to pay for a gondola ride up and occasionally back down a mountain if you want to avoid a very timely and strenuous additional hike upwards, which can sometimes be expensive.)
  • Luxembourg City, Luxembourg: While not a large city, the city of Luxembourg is a great place for a day trip! Although often overlooked just for being an area of connection for travel elsewhere, the old city area built into a fortress is a beautiful and green place that makes for a relaxing day of exploring. And once more, the public transit is completely free, which is a great bonus!
  • Vienna, Austria: If you like classical art and intricate buildings, Vienna is a perfect city for this vibe. It has a very regal feel to it, with many museums and lots of beautiful architecture to admire!
  • Bruges, Belgium: A very pretty and quaint city to visit. There are a lot of walkways along the canal as well as markets and shops to go through; it makes for a good day trip if you are staying in Belgium.
  • Edinburgh, Scotland: Although the UK is definitely more of a trek to get to than the mainland European countries, Edinburgh is an absolute gem to lovers of an academia vibe, history, and mystery. It is a beautiful city with Gothic architecture everywhere, and it is built in the valley of steep hills stretching to the sea, making for lovely scenery and hiking opportunities as well. If visiting Scotland for longer, taking a tour of the Highlands and lochs is also recommended!
  • Florence, Italy: Definitely a popular choice and justifiably so, Florence is another hub for art and overall beauty. There are so many museums and historical points to see in the city, and the food is absolutely spectacular.
  • Marseille, France: If you want to visit more of France, Marseille is an interesting and unique city to visit! Being a port city so far South, it has a completely different vibe from Paris and other cities in France, and has a beautiful coastal area along with lots to explore.
  • London, England: Between West End shows, sporting events, the copious amounts of museums, and the most famous monarchy in the world, London is the perfect place to go for an action-packed weekend. 
  • Budapest, Hungary: Although a bit far from Metz, Budapest is one of the cheaper cities in the EU, with a charming beauty from the dual influences of Western and Soviet architecture.

And…well, that’s it! Thank you for reading along. We hope that our blogs have been helpful, inspirational, or made the decision to sign up for GTE just a little easier. While we may sound a bit irritated while discussing some of these topics, these are just some growing pains with being abroad. Trust us, GTE is an absolutely amazing experience that we would both do again, 10 out of 10 times. 

Now, for a bit of a surprise. You may be wondering, “Why are both of the bloggers working on one post?” Well, that’s actually because we are quite good friends outside of work, and we have traveled together on a lot of the weekends during this semester!

(Ashlyn, Alex, and Friends atop Arthur’s seat in Scotland)


With that being said, this is Ashlyn and Alex signing off for the final time. Au revoir!

Art Beyond the Frames

Written by: Ashlyn Willis

One of the most rewarding parts of studying abroad through Georgia Tech Europe has definitely been how the weekends offer a constantly changing backdrop for adventure, learning, exploration, and more. Each place has its own charm and tempo. I have experienced countless breathtaking moments from cathedrals in Bratislava to grand parliament buildings in Brussels. But two in particular in my experiences so far have made a definite impact in my memory. Vienna, Austria, and Florence, Italy struck me for the thing that felt as if it was ingrained in their very stones–art. In these two cities, art does not just exist inside museums;  it flows throughout the structure and culture of the palace itself. On every wall, around every corner, it is embedded in the very way life seemed to be designed there.

Both cities felt like walking through a living museum. In Vienna, I was not just taken aback by the quantity of beautiful architecture, but how detailed it all was on seemingly every other building. St. Stephen’s Cathedral and the City Hall, for example, are absolutely awe-inspiring in both size and detail. They are definitely Gothic masterpieces, with towering spires reaching straight up to the sky. Even beyond its landmarks, Vienna’s everyday cityscape felt like a celebration of some sort of grand ornamentation. Whether it was the embellishments carved into public buildings, golden adornment and filigree in shopfronts, or the way the street gates curved gracefully, everything had a certain elegance that felt like the city was designed by artists, for artists. It made perfect sense that this was the home of Gustav Klimt, a workplace of Mozart, the subject for Billy Joel’s classic song, and so many more.

Images of Vienna City Hall and St. Stephen’s Cathedral

With Florence, the city felt like an art piece itself. Walking through its streets could have very well been like travelling back in time to a visual scene of the Renaissance. The Duomo looks like a bold painting come to life, with its intricate green and pink marble pattern and a dome too impressive to be real. I was constantly swiveling my head around just to take in the buildings and their terracotta-looking rooftops all around me, all decorated with some kind of flourish, whether subtle or bold, be it a statue, a fresco, or some ornate doorway. Florence definitely does not let people forget it was once the heart of an artistic revolution. I think what I loved most was how naturally the art felt embedded into the city. It wasn’t just limited to its impressive galleries like the Uffizi; rather, walking out of this museum felt like I was just stepping into a larger exhibition. It was the way the simple alleyways opened up into the sunlit piazzas, where artists were in markets selling drawn sketches, and the way at sunset golden rays complemented the sandy tones of the city’s skyline from the Piazzale Michelangelo.

Images of the Uffizi Gallery, a view of the Florence rooftops, and the sunset at Piazzale Michelangelo

What struck me in both cities was that art was not treated as something separated from regular life to be only admired in the isolated pockets of museums and showcase attractions. Rather, it seemed to be a part of life, with people walking past sculptures and ornate buildings all around. I realized in reflecting on my time in these two cities, as they have stuck with me so heavily, how much I love that blend of old and new, of beauty and function, of history and casual life. My classes this summer have definitely helped me to appreciate these layers with connections in what I have been learning about and what I have experienced in each city. In many ways, Vienna and Florence have helped me deeply appreciate the importance of the arts and how important they are to history as a whole. However, this is not limited to just these two cities, as everywhere I have been so far has had its own form of incomparable beauty. There is so much to appreciate in how each city, each town, each place, something I am greatly thankful to be able to experience in such a way.

Forgotten Metz: The Value in the Local City

Written by: Ashlyn Willis

I, along with many other students in this program, was initially enthralled with this program for all it offers on the international scheme. Travelling across Europe every weekend for the entire summer? Say no more! Like clockwork, we scrambled around booking trains, sketching itineraries, and drafting packing lists every week, all in the pursuit of new cities, new experiences, and more. Paris, Amsterdam, Vienna, the list goes on. However, between the excitement of these outbound journeys and the exhaustion of returning late Sunday nights, these past few weeks, I began to realize I had begun overlooking the city we were actually living in. 

Not long ago, if you had asked me to point Metz, France, out on a map, I wouldn’t have even known where to look in the country. And yet, it has slowly become a quiet place of significance in this movement-filled summer. Particularly in the last week, as I spent much time downtown, I found myself wandering down the cobblestone streets and admiring the softness of the town. It has a gentler rhythm, with less broadcasted stories than larger, more tourist-drawing cities, but the history here is anything but quiet. From its Roman ruins to its huge cathedral, Metz itself is rich with history. Even for its beauty alone, Metz to me seems like something from a fairytale or storybook. The Moselle River, the main river running in its center, is always so magical to me with how lily pads float on the edge of the water, washing up against the stones of the pathways lining its bank. It is a nice calm, especially walking down alongside it on the lower levels with a tree-lined park by the marina.

Images at sunset of the Metz marina on the Moselle River and the Temple Neuf.

One of my favorite discoveries has been the small corner near the Temple Neuf, the castle-looking building where the river splits and creates a little island park. You can sit under a tree or on the benches and watch boats drift by or people walk along the streets, with the sound of the many tree leaves rustling or the church bells in the distance. Just uphill from the river lies the cathedral, so mentioned, one of the biggest draws I have found myself to in Metz. The way its towering height appears out of nowhere never ceases to amaze me. One of my favorite things about it is the color scheme; the sandy gold stone matches the colors of the town, so despite its intricate Gothic engravings, it still blends in seamlessly.  

Metz has reminded me that exploration and travel aren’t always about how many miles have been travelled or how many cities have been visited; sometimes it’s about looking a little harder into what’s right in front of you. Don’t get me wrong; I still catch plenty of trains on the weekends (having travelled 2 days, 22 hours, and 52 minutes worth of time so far according to my Eurorail app) and I love the thrill of stepping into a new place, but I have definitely come to realize Metz is so much more than a place to sleep and attend classes. Whether it’s wandering around at dusk with gelato from Amorino’s, reading the stories about the dragon Graoully, or catching the MB bus from Francois Arago to visit the train station for a field trip, Metz has grown on me immensely for all it has to offer!

The Graoully dragon, hung up in the street or “village” of Taison.

History and Humanities: The Promises They Offer

Written by: Ashlyn Willis

Walking into the first day of classes was rough; it was a quick and immediate turnaround from the nine hour flight and four hour bus ride from Hartsfield-Jackson, Atlanta to Frankfurt, Germany, and finally to Metz, France. Furthermore, there was no masking the fact that it was indeed at its core, school. However, soon after the first week of classes I was quick to count my blessings. I have made several friends enrolled in classes like computer science, math, and more, and although I am a science major as well, I am using this summer as an opportunity to complete my free-elective credits. I therefore strategically designed what I deem to be a spectacular schedule:

Monday and Wednesday

10:25 am – 12:20 pm: History, Science, and Technology

Tuesday and Thursday

10:25 am – 12:20 pm: Creative Writing

1:30 pm – 3:25 pm: Documentary Film

(On Tuesdays, the occasional 6 pm – 8 pm GTE 2000 lecture as well)

I was able to choose classes I was passionate about, rather than ones I directly needed for my major of environmental science. Because of this, I have been able to take what feels like a much-needed breath of fresh air after my first year academic experience completing core classes at Georgia Tech. I am incredibly passionate about history and the arts, and given that I am a person who is motivated for schoolwork when I am interested about the subject, I was incredibly grateful to be able to take these classes. Furthermore, I was unaware of the fact that many of my GTE classes would overlap in content. In GTE 2000 and field trips to the local Metz museum with Creative Writing, we discussed ancient Roman architecture and its impact on the region.

Images of Roman baths and carvings in the Museum of La Cour d’Or based here in Metz, France.

In History, Science, and Technology, and another outing with Creative Writing to the Gare de Metz, we discussed architecture choices and Gothic builds. In Documentary Film, we covered how to conduct a good interview, of which I will be doing with peers for this very task as a GTE blogger! (Another shout-out to Creative Writing, as the overarching focus of the class for this summer is travel writing…convenient with helping me to better my skills in writing blogs!) Not to mention, these classes have helped me appreciate my travels even more. Up to this point, I have utilized my weekends to visit Luxembourg, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Vienna, Budapest, and Bratislava; all places with diverse and rich histories. Given the subjects of my classes, I have been able to notice certain things with different cities that I may not have fully understood before. For example, in my GTE 2000 class, we learned how the use of flying buttresses in Gothic architecture helped to raise ceilings so much higher than before, lending way for the massive cathedrals found all across Europe. In visiting Vienna, I was able to see a magnificent example of this with St. Stephen’s Cathedral; a towering build with the most intricate designs I had ever seen. In my History class as well, we have an individual project for our case studies to present to the class, and I chose to discuss building Gothic architecture, a topic which I now feel quite knowledgeable in due to these classes.

Images from inside and outside St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna, Austria, showcasing its towering ceilings and spires.

The experience of being able to travel to learn more about our topics has been incredibly beneficial to deepening my appreciation for both my classes as well as for weekend trips. I have also found myself doing research on different places in an attempt to learn more about what I will be seeing. For instance, it was interesting to note how both the city of Luxembourg and Bratislava were somewhat built into cliffs as fortifications. Both were cities that I had not known too much about before visiting, and in reading about them, I was able to gain a better appreciation and understanding for their impressive construction. Taking these humanities classes has helped me to realize there should never be a lack of underappreciation of all that they have to offer; you’ll never know how the things you gain from them could help you appreciate more of the world we live in and all the unique perspectives there are!

Views from Bratislava, Slovakia and Luxembourg City, Luxembourg showcasing their fortress-like build.

Art, Antiquity, and Science Across the Sea

Written by: Ashlyn Willis

Hello, and welcome to a new chapter in my experiences with the fields that I love so much! As an environmental science major with a passion for the visual arts, I’m incredibly excited to be traveling on a journey to Georgia Tech Europe, in Metz, France. This blog will be an exploration of the beautiful intersection between art, nature, history, and sustainability, all of which have shaped my perspective on so many things. I want to share with you how these passions of mine blend together, especially during my time in Metz and across Europe.

For as long as I can remember, nature has been my greatest inspiration. From intricate designs in the petals of a flower to the rhythmic flow of a river, the natural world has always sparked my creativity. I’ve often used art to capture all the beauty I see in it. But my connection to the earth doesn’t stop at its visual beauty; I’m equally interested and inspired by the science that makes it all work—how ecosystems thrive, how animals adapt, and how we, as humans, must take responsibility for preserving these things for future generations with sustainability and conservation.

These photos are just a few of a vast collection I have of ones I have taken that truly represent for me how much nature and the natural world mean to me, for all its beauty.

Beyond nature, I also have a deep love and interest for history and culture. Europe is a pinnacle area of historical significance, where every city, every building, and every street has centuries of stories tied to them. When I got the opportunity several years ago to travel to London and Edinburgh, I was struck first most by the rich histories of these cities, from the ancient walls of Edinburgh Castle and Old Town to the iconic landmarks of London, such as the Tower. The way history and culture inform the present is something that I find inspiring, especially in the context of sustainability. How do past societies interact with their environments, and what lessons can we learn from their successes or mistakes? These are the kinds of questions I plan to explore throughout my journey.

Metz, where I’ll be studying, is a city also steeped in rich history, from its medieval architecture to its modern-day culture. The opportunity to live here, while traveling around Europe, gives me a unique chance to learn not just about sustainability in Europe and the European Union, but about how different cultures view the natural world. I’m excited to see how art, culture and history, and environmental science can come together. I hope to explore how European cities have balanced modern development with environmental preservation, and how art has played a role in this dialogue.

“Spiral” collage piece inspired by my love for historical science and art, drawn from the Victoria and Albert art museum and the Museum of Natural History in London, UK.

Printmaking piece from a photo taken by me in Oxford, UK

“Chaoskampf”, a piece painted by me inspired by the commonality of mythological themes found in different cultures.

In this blog, I’ll be sharing my experiences as I navigate these fields. I’ll take you along on my travels to places throughout France and beyond, showing how each destination has helped my understanding of these subjects, as well as my day-to-day life, of what I am experiencing! I plan to use this blog as a platform to explore how these seemingly separate interests can be intertwined, as well as tracking all the unique things I experience and find there. Thank you for joining me on this journey to Georgia Tech Europe! I can’t wait to share how art, science, history, and culture will continue to inspire my growth as I get to explore Europe, and bring the lessons I learn to help my future goals!

Meet our Summer 2025 Bloggers!

Written by: Alex Stallworth and Ashlyn Willis

Introducing… Alex!

Salut à tous, mon nom est Alex! I am a first year Aerospace Engineering student at Georgia Tech, with a concentration in propulsion and fixed-wing aircraft. As a Georgia Tech tour guide, I’ve spent the last semester giving tours of the ins and outs of campus, but this summer, I’m excited to embark on my own tour of France, Germany, the Netherlands, and beyond! Whenever I have free time, you’ll usually find me watching some kind of sport. In Europe, I’m ecstatic to delve into the world of soccer and rugby, to see firsthand how deeply sports are woven into the culture of different cities. But my adventures won’t stop at the stadium; whether it’s beholding the sheer majesty of the towering spires of Notre-Dame, or savoring a plate of authentic Italian pasta in a secluded trattoria, I’m more than ready to experience Europe through its landmarks, flavors, and traditions. While my excursions will keep me busy exploring cities, I won’t neglect the opportunity to unwind and escape to nature. I’ve already planned to hike the Alps and explore the Black Forest, but I’m also looking forward to uncovering hidden gems in the community of Metz. 

With passport in hand and a 200-day (and counting!) Duolingo streak at the ready, I’m so excited to embark on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure—come along for the journey!

Introducing… Ashlyn!

Hello, my name is Ashlyn, and I am an environmental science major with a passion for the visual arts and the natural world around us! I love exploring the connection between science and creativity, using art to highlight the beauty of nature and exemplify environmental awareness. Whether through painting, drawing, or science, they all promote my love for the intertwining of these subjects.

Special interests include: Art, Biology, Environmental Science, Nature, Outdoors, Animals, Reading, Cooking, Baking, Arts and Crafts, and Traveling.

Keep up with them as the summer semester progresses for their insight and experiences while at GT-Europe!