Submitted by Haleigh Kidd on the 2019 fall semester program in Paris, France…
This week has mainly been adjusting to my French classes as they just started on Tuesday. I think so far so good because I understand my teachers and I am able to ask questions if the need arises (they are not allowed to use English with us nor us to them) and I feel like I’m understanding a little bit more every day. I was most nervous for my electives because I have been taking my French instruction classes entirely in French for a few years now, but I’m quite proud of myself and how well I’ve been able to follow along and my electives have been an entirely new way for me to experience the language – it’s much more natural rather than someone reciting grammar to you. The only difficult thing about my classes is that they’re 3 hours long (you take all of your credit hours at once, once per week) so sometimes it can be hard to keep focus. Consequently, I have started to drink coffee which I never did in the States. Other than class, life here in Paris is wonderful. I have the chance to travel on the weekends, I have the freedom to invite my friends over for dinner, and my internship hardly feels like work because I love it so much. In fact my supervisor had me eat an edible flower today that has anesthetic properties – aka my mouth tingled, then went numb, then I couldn’t feel or stop myself salivating and my supervisor thought it was the funniest thing in the world (the plant is called brède mafana for anyone with a curiosity). Enjoy some more pictures from the farm!
