They say that total immersion is the best way to learn a new language. Though I’m not leaving Paris fluent in French, I can say I’m nearly proficient in Journalism.
It goes beyond the event coverage. My time in Paris was a fast-track in culture, independence, and self-reflection. I went to a city on a side of the world that I’d never visited. I ordered food, I found transportation, and I communicated without sharing a spoken tongue. Those things taught me more about what this job holds than the journalistic process of covering a massive event, although that experience was valuable, too.
Storytelling is so much more than words. It’s finding the right combinations of the right words at the right cadence to convey a feeling, and when there is an abundance of feelings, it becomes the monumental task of weaving those emotional fabrics into something that can be experienced through the words. The words are just vessels that carry the experiences of others.
My depth of appreciation for art grew beyond anything I could have anticipated. The architecture, the tedious brushstrokes of a Van Gogh painting, or the dedication and perseverance of an Olympic athlete. Never did I imagine that I’d walk through a room in the Louvre that boasted wall panels from King Darius I’s palace in Persia (500 B.C.), nor did I see myself being captivated by a fencing match beneath the grandeur of Paris’ Grand Palais.
I’ve never been particularly confident in myself or my decisions or my abilities, but I can truthfully say these few weeks have done what years of experience cannot in terms of building value in self.
I’ve discovered that there’s more to being human than being exceptional at just one thing, there’s more to life than chasing success at the expense of self. It’s a broader mission, rather – one that values human connection above all else. It’s the reason for storytelling, for travel, for the pursuit of new experiences.
The stories wouldn’t be so captivating if we didn’t hear the athlete’s journey before the medal, their mindset during fierce competition, or their experiences that drove them to become what they are.
This experience showed me how much I’m actually capable of achieving. I navigated so many difficult venues, broke through various challenges, and still found a way to put together pieces that the athletes deserved.
It’s truly been life changing, both journalistically and otherwise. I’m so grateful that I was able to spend as much time in Paris as I did – it’s completely reinvented my perspective on life.
While I did learn some French during my time in Paris, my journalistic and humanistic experiences made me fluent in other aspects of life, and that alone is immeasurable.
By Madie Chandler | @madie_chandler
