One Week In!

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Abraham Garcia Nunez

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Abraham Garcia Nunez

<i>"Hello" in your host country's language:</i> Bonjour <i>Home Institution (your U.S. University/College):</i> Sonoma State University <i>Expected graduation year:</i> 2023 <i>Destination city & country:</i> Paris, France <i>Program provider:</i> CSUIP <i>Major/minor:</i> Political Science / French <i>Demographics:</i> First-Generation, Mexican-American <i>Future career aspirations:</i>I hope to one day work within the U.S State Department as a foreign affairs analyst at the C.I.A or The Pentagon. <i>Top 3 goals for your time abroad:</i> 1. immerse myself within the French and Parisian culture 2. Maintain my good academic record and continue my academic, as well as professional goals 3. Become involved in the community in any way I can and make amazing memories!

As I am writing this, it is currently 10 PM here in Paris and I just got back down to my room here in the temporary international student residence that I have been staying at. I was up on the seventh floor of the residence with my fellow MICEFA program cohort and we were just relaxing and taking in the view of Paris, and of course, the Eiffel Tower in the distance. If I were to describe how I’m feeling write now with one word, I would probably say elated; if you had told me five days ago that I would be this excited about my new life here in France, I would’ve told you that you were crazy, but it is true. I left for Paris directly from San Francisco last Saturday, August 21 and arrived the following day. My first eighteen or so hours here in France were, to be completely honest, some of the worst feelings that I have yet to experience in my life. I felt completely estranged and homesick and I was sure that I wouldn’t be able to do this, but fast forward a few days and it’s been a complete 180. I never would’ve thought that my first week here would’ve be this eventful and this helpful in making me feel as if I belong here in Paris. My program, MICEFA, and its coordinators have been the best of help a student could ask for; I went to our student affairs coordinator on the first day to tell her that I was feeling a little lonely and uncertain about being here and she helped reassure me of what I was here for and she told me to take it one day at a time and that’s what I’ve been doing since. Everyday since Monday, I head out in the mornings with my group of friends that I made here from MICEFA and we all go to whatever activity or meeting MICEFA has planned for us and after that, we set out to explore Paris and take in the reality of our new lives. I have met people from California, like me, but also other students from other parts of the U.S.A and, overall, I’ve truly just felt like I am right at home and that was the last thing that I would’ve expected just a few days ago. All in all, I can’t wait to see what my new life has in store for me here in Paris and I will be sure to share every bit of it with all of you here on the FEA website, thank you and until next time!

Lastly, the two pictures are some of my favorite ones that I’ve taken so far here in Paris. Both of them are with my friends here that I have made who are also MICEFA students and, relaxing under the Eiffel Tower, you can’t get much better than that!