Psalm 139:9-10 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
Wait, has it really already been a week!!! I can’t believe time is already going so fast! Okay, so yes, if you’re new to the blog, I am studying abroad in Paris for four weeks this summer and I just finished week one! *Insert cheering audio here*. Thanks to my amazing parents, I will be finishing up my English nonfiction writing degree by studying French Literature as well as Paris Through the Ages and I have already fallen in love with the city. Check out what went on during my first week
The Jet Lag
So when I first got to Paris in my head I was totally convinced that jet lag wouldn’t be a problem for me. Well, I was very wrong. I remember waking up at 7am on my first day of class completely confused. What time is it in America? was mumbled under the breaths of some students in my class more than a couple of times. By noon I was exhausted! It took me a while but I think I’m finally use to the six hour time change from back home. Finally!!!
The Language Barrier and Blending in
This has probably been one of the most difficult things for me to get use to. I had not ever sat and realized how important language was to my personality. Not being able to have an advanced French vocabulary has made me feel so horrible because I’m so use to having such good manners where I am from. Here, smiling isn’t really a thing and I’m a girl from the south where smiling and excessive amounts of Thank yous are a must if you don’t want people thinking your parents were crazy and didn’t teach you how to be polite in public. Everybody mostly keeps to themselves and if you know me, not smiling while letting someone get past you on the metro has for sure been…different!
Nothing frustrates me more than being a guest in someone’s house and having to be “accommodated” for my lack of knowledge. This definitely made me more excited to learn more about French language and culture because when I am in Spain, I can pretty much easily communicate with the locals and it makes the experience soooo much better. I am hoping by the time my study abroad trip is over, I will feel a lot more comfortable with ordering breakfast in French in the most polite way ever!
My Classes
So I really love my classes, the ones I mentioned above. I am mostly excited for French Literature because I loveeeee to read. However, the history class has been really interesting too! We have a lot of “field trips” lined up after class next week so I’m super excited about that! I can’t wait to go to all the amazing museums and historical cafes! (Lol pretty sure I used “excited” 5000 times already. Can you tell I’m excited?)
The Fashion
Oh…my…gosh. Everybody here is so fashionable! They mostly dress in dark, neutral colors but always look so put together! My school outfits are definitely getting turned up a notch next week! I am in love with how modest and chic their style is and even though they don’t smile a lot, I really appreciate their sense of style!
What have I done so far?
I have met some amazing friends so far! I was really nervous studying abroad, but my new friends have been making this adventure so much more exciting. Thanks Brittany and Kayla for always making me laugh! Together, we have eaten at cute cafés, visited Arc de Triumph, Notre Dame, and even planned a weekend trip to Barcelona (Blog about that coming soon)! I have been journaling a lot and writing a lot of poetry along with trying to balance my school work. There is so much history to see here and even on the days I feel tired from class, there is no way I can just stay in my apartment and not see the world. I am truly amazed at God’s work.
Current Thoughts and Lessons Learned
I am super pumped to go into next week feeling a little more confident than last week. One great thing that study abroad has taught me so far is adaptability and co-existing with people who may be different than you. My French has been getting a little better and I’m telling you, there is nothing like writing poetry in a Parisian café outside. I’m so blessed to have had this opportunity with school and there is truly no place I’d rather be than Paris, right now.
