With only two hours left till our departure, I lit my cigar, and proceeded to sit down by a nearby stone bench that overlooked the Mediterranean Sea. This was priceless and was the perfect way to cherish my final moments in Nice. I was able to relax and reflect on a weekend that I know I will never forget.
The Group
Photo Credit Reed Stiefvater
So what exactly happened in France this past weekend?
Well, I toured the French Riviera with four other friends from our Lugano group. The change of pace from a relatively large twelve person group, to five was refreshing. It was more personable and we were able to kick it, and really enjoy each other’s company. The train ride was almost six hours and at one point I almost lost my composure because we could not find our reserved seats. The five of us were tiptoeing through a crowded narrow hallway, knocking into people, and receiving some nasty looks from the pedestrians. It wasn’t pleasant, but eventually, we found our seats. That was by far the worst experience of the trip.
The first night, we all went out to a bar called Waynes, which is marketed towards young people visiting or living in Nice. They had a live band playing 90s American music such as, Blink 182 and Nirvana. I remember singing along to, “All The Small Things” and various other classic hits like, “Stacey’s Mom”. The bar closed at two, but I went to another bar with some local women that I was dancing with at Waynes. The French woman thought my accent was entertaining and also got a kick out of hearing me butcher the French language. All in all, it was a incredible night in many ways.
Monaco
Photo Credit Reed Stiefvater
After a healthy four hours of sleep, we woke up, ate breakfast, and took a train to Monaco. I was overwhelmed by the amount of wealth in the country. Frankly, it was kind of nauseating, but maybe that was just my hangover talking. We walked around the city for almost five hours. We even went into the world-renowned Monte Carlo Casino. I even placed a very small bet on slots just so I could say that I have gambled at the Monte Carlo.
Collin Medford
Photo Credit Reed Stiefvater
As I puffed down the final drags of my cigar, I glared out into ocean and was at peace with everything. I know what I need to do in order to be successful. I have the confidence to challenge the goals I have set out for my life. These past three years I have self-reflected and now know so much more than I ever did about myself. I’m blessed and can’t thank my family, friends, and colleagues enough for supporting my aspirations. I still have many challenges to overcome and I know some of them won’t be easy, but all I can do is take it one day at a time.
Were going to Venice next weekend for Carnivale. Arrivederci Ciao!
