Name: Elena Copeland
Program at Carleton: Humanities and French literature, third year
Location: Lyon, France
Growing up, I spent many summers camping and road tripping around Canada and the United States with my family. Born and raised in Canada’s capital, I’ve always had an inclination towards travelling.
I was originally planning to take a year off after high school graduation in order to travel, but changed my mind after falling in love with Carleton’s College of the Humanities and realizing the lack of autonomy a 17-year-old would have overseas (come on, not everywhere has a Hull). Third year abroad was the next best choice.
Why France? I lost most of my French oral communication skills after switching to the anglophone school board, so I wanted to make my French-Canadian grandmother proud by getting back to my roots.
Why Lyon? One might assume Paris would be the ideal French destination, but I saw the freedom in one of France’s largest cities. With its lovely Gallo-Roman amphitheatres, Romanesque and Byzantine architecturally-inspired basilica and many museums, this city is perfect for an art and history buff like myself.
