Reflecting in Europe

It is now currently October and we are just a few day away from November; I am about halfway through with the semester and it sometimes seems crazy to me because time feels like it drags on, but due to the amount of things that I usually do day-to-day, it also causes us to lose a bit of perspective and just keep moving onward with our path without taking a moment to appreciate what’s actually transpiring. Sorry if these words are a bit “over-dramatic” for some, but as I said before, I have really enjoyed using this blog as a platform to be able to express and reflect on my life here in Paris. On a somewhat unrelated note, as aforementioned, I am actually the only American student here at my small French university, and while that may seem a bit isolating at first, I have greatly enjoyed the experience. I always get French classmates asking me what the study abroad experience is like, since some of them are thinking of also studying abroad next year. Juts yesterday, as of writing this, I began to talk with a classmate from Slovakia who was born in Bratislava (the capital), but she grew up here in France. Studying abroad has definitely been as advertised thus far and I have essentially relished and loved the experience of what it’s like to grow as a person and gain a new perspective on life. It is still a bit early for me to gauge what exactly that experience is, but I’m certain I’ll have it by the end of my time here in France, so stay tuned!

Also, these are just a couple of pictures that I really liked how they turned out. The first one is of the city hall of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which is a small city just outside of Paris where my university is located and the other one is a nice picture of a Parisian street near the U.S embassy here. Additionally, the first week of November is a national break for French students, so with the week off, a few other American students from my program and I are going to be going to Berlin and spending a few days there. As I’ve said, my life here in Paris has just been totally full of amazing turns and surprises, but I can’t help but feel that I am doing what is best for me.