I’m not going to lie, there are only a limited number of things that one can write about from abroad. Things are different here – well, duh. Doing stuff is fun – this should go without saying. And then I happened to be in Paris during the terrorist attacks last Friday.

Instead of sharing writings, I recorded a few videos to express my thoughts on the matter. While these may also be found on my YouTube Channel, they are embedded below in the order in which they should be viewed.

How Friday unfolded for the four of us Valpo students:

In-the-moment thoughts from Saturday, brought to you from under the Eiffel Tower:

These thoughts about Saturday and Sunday were compiled on Monday and Tuesday:

Extra footage from Paris:

Finally, to help lift your spirits after this rather depressing subject, a video of my cat from last year. Just in case it’s needed.

This is not an experience anybody should have to go through. Even so, I never experienced firsthand stress or danger, and was fortunate enough to be able to inform my family of my safety and of the attacks before they heard about them on their own. The four of us, along with all of our friends, families, and communities, are truly blessed in far more ways than we can count. May we not forget those ways, and not take the gifts of life and experience for granted. Amen.