Loire Valley: A Weekend of Castles

One of the cool parts about studying abroad are the class trips. They’re not your typical field trips most of us remember from high school–they’re historical, wonderful, beautiful weekends in places like Loire Valley, Normandy or Versailles. This past weekend, we went to Loire Valley. It’s a stretch on the Loire River in the center …

The Last Week of First Semester: A Video Recap

Here’s a recap “goodbye” of all the incredible friends I made last year and the host family I stayed with last semester in Paris. Spring semester is already off to a great start, and I can’t wait to get to know all of the new students here on campus!

Soundtrack of Sirens: Paris’ Largest Industrial Walkout Since 1995

Let’s talk about a French stereotype: strikes. If you don’t know, the French have a reputation for constantly striking against the government–it’s a right protected by their constitution and it’s been going on majorly since 1789, a.k.a., the French Revolution. As with everything in France, there’s clearly a long and complicated history when it comes …

Home At Last

  I thought that when I got home from studying abroad, everything was going to feel different. That my friends and family would look a bit older. That there would be many events I missed out on or didn’t know about. That I would accidentally slip some French into my English. I know I was …

9 Days Left in Paris

I have nine days left in Paris until I go home for Christmas. I know what you’re probably thinking. Isn’t this the girl that’s staying abroad for the whole year? What does she have to worry about? And you’re right. I feel extremely lucky to be able to go back to the winter wonderland of …

Balancing School and Sight Seeing While Studying Abroad

Everyone has different goals when studying abroad, and it’s important to know that there’s not one right or wrong way to do it. Many of my peers here in Paris chose this city because it’s centrally located in Europe, giving them the opportunity to travel just about every weekend to a new place. They’ve been …

New Place, New Perspective

A good friend of mine once told me a phrase her dad always use to tell her, and it goes like this: “New place, new perspective”. This couldn’t be more true, especially when the new place is in a new country, culture and language. Getting away from home is a great way to get a …

A Weekend in Paris

Wonder what it looks like to wake up in Paris for a weekend? Here’s a video of what a couple of days off are like in the city. Hint: it includes lots of art, music, and skyline views. Song: Day in Paris – LlusionPlaces shot: Le Centre Pompidou, Le Marais, 15th Arrondissement, Third Eye Blind …

The Best Way To See Paris

The best way to experience Paris is by walking through it. The quiet, quaint streets, lights and cafés filled with people offer up some of the city’s best cultural experiences and people watching, all by just wandering around. Last night, I walked for hours through the city with a new friend of mine that was …

Making Friends in a Second Language

Whether it’s freshman year of college or kindergarten, making new friends is a challenge everywhere you go. It’s a fluid process mixed with language, intuition, space and time, and there’s not just one way to go about it. Because I’m studying abroad in Paris for a year, I’m focused on getting to know the local …