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 Michigan and see my friends and family for the holidays, thanks to a flight scholarship from IES Abroad. It’s not going back home that’s confusing my mind and emotions, it’s processing how much Paris feels like home already.
It genuinely blows me away when I think about how fast I’ve adapted to my new world, life, and language here in Paris. Between carving out my favorite spots around town, sharing a smile with the local clerk at the grocery store around the corner, and wandering around the now familiar streets of my neighborhood, things feel quite…normal.
Don’t get me wrong, I still get really excited when the Eiffel Tower sparkles on the hour and I order my coffee in French without totally messing up. But, if you would have asked me in September how this semester was going to be, I would have honestly told you: I don’t know.
Flash forward three months and I’ve met so many cool people. I’m having a hard time hanging out with them all between studying for exams. I’m energized and excited, getting up early to stretch out my days here (not to mention the sun rises at 8:30 am and sets at 5:00 pm, so I really have to capture the light while I can). I feel healthy and at ease here now, and though I can’t wait to give my friends and family good ol’ American hugs in a few short days, I haven’t even left the city yet and I already miss it.
