This post has been collecting dust for two months now (WHAT?!) and the consequence of my procrastination is that instead of finishing it on a train or in a hostel on the continent, I’m next to my little sister on the couch at our home in Saugatuck where the evening breeze tosses the song of …
Continue reading “Bittersweet Beauty: Making Friends Abroad”
Traveling while abroad Thursday: After my culinary and cuisine course I dashed from my classroom to the Cadorna Train station to hop on the Malpensa Express to take me to the airport. Fighting the clock, we quickly navigated our way to the Gate and even had some time to spare. Soon we were off to …
We are here! The last month of study abroad, the last two weeks before I’m back for graduation, and the last moments with my friends here at IES and my host family. The time has been flying just as I anticipated it would this April, but I have so many new things to write about. …
“Profitez bien” is probably one of the most frequently used well wishes in France. Essentially, it is a sort of all encompassing “enjoy”. Enjoy an event, enjoy yourself, have fun, make the most of it, ‘profitez-bien’. One way I have been trying to profit from my time here has been to sign up for the cultural …
Paris is a complicated, historic city. There are unwritten rules to just about everything, and if you want to be treated like a local, you better follow them all. Unlike in newer American cities and towns, quick convenience and individual happiness are subject second to the city’s collective needs and functionality. Say au revoir to …
Continue reading “Vivre à Paris: Rules, Reasons and History”
I was able to visit the Musée d’Orsay over the past week, which is a very unique museum. The museum itself is inside the old Paris train station, built for the Universal Exhibition of 1900. Musée d’Orsay houses several famous artworks, including an entire wing of Vincent van Gogh paintings. If you climb to the top …
Continue reading “Musée d’Orsay, Top of the Eiffel Tower, and the World Cup!”
As an avid art fan, I was super excited to get the chance to go to Claude Monet’s house and gardens in Giverny. Giverny is a small countryside town in Normandy, France. Giverny is famous for its rolling countryside hills and impressionist art history, which was a great change of scenery from the busy streets …
Continue reading “Claude Monet’s House and the Towers of Notre Dame!”
With the World Cup kicking off this weekend, my study abroad friends and I bought tickets to the World Cup send-off game of France vs. Ireland at the Stade de France. As an avid soccer fan, I was super excited to see one of my favorite national teams (France, of course!) take on Ireland. European …
Continue reading “French Soccer, Versailles, and the Louvre!”
Classes finally started at the IES Center! My first class is French 101 with Professor Lerouvillois. I have never taken French language before, but I find learning the language very interesting. I think the language rules are very similar to Spanish which I studied for five years, so I am learning pretty fast. After class …
What is a summer studying in Paris without a visit to the Arc de Triomphe? This was one of the monuments I was most excited to visit! Something I did not know is the only way to access the Arc de Triomphe is to cross the street through an underground tunnel because the street is so …
Continue reading “Arc de Triomphe, Seine Boat Tour, and Champs Elysees!”
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