When I was a little girl, which was no more than two years ago since I am twenty-one, I thought the Eurostar was a train under the sea that could take you from Paris to London. On that specific point I was quite right. A little detail made me sad though, when you are on the train you cannot see the fish. A real disappointment. If you were still asking yourself the question. Yes, I learned two years ago at the age of nineteen that you cannot, in fact, see the fish or simply the sea when you take the Eurostar.
Today, I am saying to myself that this might actually be a good thing, because, what would I have seen? Dead fish and a dead sea? Not so flounder friendly (cf. The Little Mermaid). I am writing as a twenty-two-year-old woman who has understood that it is not everybody’s main goal to protect our earth before learning the Eurostar is not transparent. It has come to my attention that on the surface some institutions, like the United Nations, make it seem that it is our common goal to protect and cherish what the earth gave us and to cultivate our sense of being part of a community. However, in our community not everybody has the same resources and knowledge to contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. When I announced to my parents that I would go to Scotland by train they looked so surprised, as if the plane was the only reasonable option for travelling. I prefer taking the train, first because it allows me to pollute less, but also because it allows me to take my time and enjoy the journey since it is slower. Moreover, in some cases, I will have to stop and spend a night somewhere. That could add a destination to your trip, plus you could meet people from other countries or regions. Following that same idea, I believe that wherever you travel you should engage with locals. Discussing sustainability and the effect of the human presence will never be as concrete as when it is told by someone who lives it. Coastal residents are the best placed people to talk about the effect of erosion. Nobody will talk better about soil degradation than a farmer. It is because I still have to compare the price between a plane ticket and the train ticket that I want this scholarship. To be able to make better sustainable choices and hope for a better world.
I now have to say goodbye to you, whoever you may be, because I was only allowed five hundred words. Therefore, I might just say to you, “Good morning, good evening, and if you don’t grant me this scholarship, goodbye”.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Kind regards,
Clémence, a French student going to Scotland.
