Submitted by Blaine Siegel on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Paris, France sponsored by the Department of Biological Sciences…
This month has been nothing like I could have imagined it to be, in all the best ways. I have come to love a new city in such a short period of time and I am so grateful for this opportunity. This month, I have had some highs and lows while living in Paris, but I am so happy that I have come to this city on this program to have this experience, which I will remember forever. Some of the highs included getting to know the other students on my program, going to the museums and learning about a new culture and its history, getting to eat the French cuisine from where it is truly best, shopping on the Champs-Elysses, and just getting to explore Paris and walk around such a beautifully designed city at my whim. Something that was extremely beautiful and breathtaking were the views from the monuments. This month, I climbed to the top of Sacre Coeur, took the spiral staircase to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, and last night I finished off my time watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle from the top which was absolutely breathtaking! I have also overcome some struggles during this month including the language barrier (especially at the supermarket on our first day here), having to deal with the transportation strike in the metro, and the hardest of all was having to budget.
Overall, my experience could not have been better and is making me excited to travel on my own in the future, potentially for an extended period of time again. Before this program, I was extremely nervous about traveling alone, especially to a country I had never been to before. My experiences abroad have definitely made me overcome these nerves and the fears that came along with it as I traveled on two of my weekends to Dublin and London which are two cities I had not been to previously. Although there is some form of luxury that comes along with traveling with a group of people or going to cities that are within your comfort zone, this experience has taught me that traveling is not an issue, but the greatest privilege of all. I have learned to appreciate traveling alone and the relaxation and headspace that comes with not having to worry about anyone or anything other than yourself.
After this program, I would definitely say that I would be open to living in a foreign country again for a period of time! Living in a new city opens you up to a world of opportunity and potentials, and you can never be bored. When you live in a city that is new in all ways, shapes, and forms there is always so much to do. You can spend a free afternoon at museums you have never been to, visit landmarks or castles that you had only seen in pictures, eat authentic regional cuisine in restaurants that you always wanted to try, and get to know a new culture all while having new experiences that you had never thought of before.
Overall, this experience has been one of the most positive things I have done thus far in college and I can’t wait to travel even more to try to even come close to this experience at some point in my life again.
