The World Looks Different at 7,200 Ft.

In the Fall of 2025, I took a step out of my comfort zone and out of my country to visit Chamonix, France. This wasn’t a trip planned as a vacation, but as a study abroad program for the college I had formerly attended (Pellissippi State Community College, Grad. Dec. 2025). I had been out of country before, earlier that year I had been to London, UK for vacation with family members. Frankly, visiting a small mountain town in the heart of the French Alps with people you barely know is a far cry from visiting a British version New York City with family members. Thankfully I put my skepticism aside, and can look back at my trip to Chamonix as the pinnacle of my college experience.

Before continuing any further, I would like to thank: TBR Global Studies, Pellissippi State Community College (PSCC), The PSCC Video Production Technologies program, The Food Bois, and my fellow classmates/graduates.

Aiguille Verte - Photo taken by Christian Copelan, Signal Forbes, Elevation: 7,218 Ft.

The trip to Chamonix isn’t exactly the same as taking other trips. Firstly, it requires multiple fights. In our case, we left our hometown, flew to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (Atlanta, GA), then to Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (Paris, Italy), and concluding our flights at Geneva/Cointrin Airport (Geneva, Switzerland). Once landing in Geneva, it was time to hop on a bus and finally end our travels in Chamonix.

As neat as it sounds being able to make all those stops along the way, it’s pretty grueling. If my memory serves me correct, it was 18 hours of straight traveling (give or take). Roughly 10 of those hours were spent being asked by a flight attendant to return my seat to the up-right position.

All that being said, once arriving in Chamonix, all the travel related frustrations are quickly washed away once stepping off the bus. Even months after the trip, I find it hard to explain the sheer beauty of the French Alps. You’re completely surrounded by towering mountains that look down upon you as if they were gods.

Musée Alpin Chamonix, Chamonix, France - Photo taken by Christian Copelan

I consider me and the group I was working with (The Food Bois) to be the luckiest of our class. The whole classes objective of this trip was to go out and create a film about a certain topic in Chamonix. If the title of our group didn’t give it away, ours was about food. The reason I consider ourselves the luckiest is A. our job was to go find amazing food and document it and B. times we weren’t doing anything food related gave us time to really take in and enjoy the town. For those wondering, the meal that stood out to me the most was the Parmentier D’agneau (Lamb Shepherd’s Pie) at a restaurant called Rose du Pont. If you’re struggling to find it, it’s the big pink building next to the casino (Yes, I’m still talking about France and not Las Vegas).

Rose du Pont, Chamonix, France - Photo taken by Christian Copelan

One fun fact I had learned was that the Winter Olympics had originated in Chamonix. I learned this right before visiting, and wondered why that was. After spending a week there, I quickly learned. With skiing being one of Chamonix’s greatest attractions, how gorgeous the surrounding mountains are, and the welcoming mountain town; Chamonix is the perfect place to host such an event.

Residing in Chamonix to pay tribute is an Olympic park, called Parc Olympique. Me and a few classmates decided to pay a visit to Parc Olympique one night while exploring the town, which resulted in a couple of footraces around their Olympic track. I may not have won, but I did get to race on an Olympic track, which is bragging rights in and of itself.

Olympic rings outside of Parc Olympique, Chamonix, France - Photo taken by Christian Copelan

To draw this to a close, Chamonix is the most breath taking destination I’ve gotten to experience. I count myself more than blessed to have been able to not only visit such a place, but to be able to do so with such an amazing group of people. As a Videographer/Photographer that mainly shoots automotive content, Chamonix gifted me the ability to go out and capture different types of media that I had no clue I enjoyed.

To Chamonix and all included in the journey, thank you.