Pondering in Paris

As of today, I have officially been in Paris for three weeks. If I hadn't any sense of time, I would've believed you if you told me that I'd been here at least a couple months because it seems that everyday there's been something to do and something going on. Just this past Friday, I concluded my two-week intensive French session offered to us by my program provider, MICEFA and, although it wasn't much, I felt that my comprehension and expression in French improved a little bit and I can tell that I'll only get better as time goes on. I also started classes at my French university at Saint Germain en-Laye and it is a very international school with students from all corners of the globe: I'm actually the only student from the U.S.A, believe it or not! If I were to sit here and describe everything that's been going on during my time here in Paris, I'd drag on for hours and this text would probably reach the thousand or so word limit, so instead, I am going to talk about the great day that was this past Thursday. First, I made the fifty-minute metro trip to my university from my student residence in Paris. I arrived at about 10:45 for my class on the European Union; I got out of class at 1 and was back in Paris at 2:15 because I was going to meet up with a friend, since her and I both had an advising meeting at the MICEFA office, so we were both going to go together. First we ate some sandwiches before getting on the metro and heading towards the Eiffel Tower, since that is where the MICEFA office is located, just across the Seine. Funnily enough, we arrived late due to a delay in one of the metro lines, but the meeting went well. Later that night, we had to all meet at a French restaurant because MICEFA was hosting a dinner reunion for the whole cohort. We got out of the MICEFA office at around 5 and instead of going back, we decided to stay for a bit, so we just relaxed and talked on the Seine, all the while enjoying the amazing view of the Eiffel Tower. We eventually went back to our residence to get ready for the dinner and after freshening up, we made our way to the restaurant on foot, since it was only a twenty-minute walk. Luckily for us, it started to pour rain while we were walking, so we arrived at the dinner late again and soaking wet, which was just honestly perfect. That's the best way I can describe that day: perfect. We all had a great dinner and I just remember feeling like I am where I need to be. I truly feel that I have a purpose for being so far away from home and loved ones right now and I can't wait to see what the other eight months here in Paris have in store for me.