Eye Opening…
I have successfully completed my first week abroad in Paris. We first arrived early last Monday and after getting checked into our Residence, we were shown around the area we would be calling home for the next four weeks. We are in an area of Paris called La Defense, which seems to be mainly residential and business centered. I am on the fifth floor of the Residence and have a view of three parks situated between the apartment buildings (flats). Sitting on my balcony and watching what is going on around us is like a scene straight out of the movie, Rear Window. I can see everything that goes on and my roommates and I have already named some of the residences in the building across from ours. Hopefully we won’t be witness to a murder, like in Rear Window, but we have already seen a guy undressing and a couple having sex. Originally, I was suppose to share a room with a guy from the University of Northern Colorado, but when we arrived the Residence had 5 rooms that accommodate three persons instead of two. Therefore, I was put in a room with Josh and Justin, both from UNF. They are good guys and I have enjoyed getting to know them. We definitely lucked out because the room we are in is like a small apartment with two large rooms. Those who are only in a two person room have a room about 1/2 the size of one of our rooms.
Our first day of class was on Tuesday, and we learned how to get to our school via the Metro (subway). It is about a good 45-minute journey on the Metro, but our school is located in a beautiful residential area of Paris. It is also about 10/15 minute walk to where the French Open is played, that of which I am hoping to attend next week. We were welcomed to the school on the first half of Tuesday and then had two 90-minute sessions in the afternoon. Our first session was on the American view of Paris and how to get the most out of our stay while we are here, and the other was the beginning of our French language class. It went well.
The second day of class we met our Management Professor and learned about the project that we would be presenting at the end of our adventure. We also had our first cultural outing, where we visited Notre Dame and the Crypts, where the remains of the original city of Paris lie. Notre Dame is so beautiful that even pictures cannot do it justice.
The third day of class we got into groups for our project and visited the Musee du Louvre. Our cultural teacher took us there specifically to see the original fortification of Paris. I also had the chance to go up into the Museum when she was finished to see the Mona Lisa, although I plan on going back and spending a whole day there, in which I still won’t be able to see anywhere close to all of it. Thursday evening we were invited to a restaurant called Sangria, by the Wine Club at our school. It was a great chance to meet some of the French students that attend EBS-Paris and get to know them a little better. The food, wine, and conversation were all great.
We had no school on Friday and so I joined a group of three others and took the TGV (the fast train) to London for the weekend. We stayed in a Hostel that was situated above a pub and about a 25-minute train/tube ride into the heart of London. We saw London Bridge, Big Bend, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Harrods, and much more. Westminster Abbey, by far, was the highlight of the weekend. So much history and so many famous people are buried there. Everything was breathtaking and amazing as to the amount of detail that has gone into everything that is there. We had the great opportunity of hearing the choristers practicing before their afternoon song service. The voices carried through the Abbey and made such melodic sounds that it makes you realize how lucky we really are. All in all, London is a great place to visit, but I found it to be dirty and just on a whole different level than that of Paris. Paris tops the charts as of now.
I have been having the time of my life and couldn’t ask for anything more. There is still so much more to see here in Paris and time is going to fly by. I just hope that I will have the chance to see as much as possible and continue to take in as much as I can. As much as I love it here, being here has made me realize how much we have in the States and how much I am thankful I can call it home. I would not change that for the world, nor would I change anything I have experienced thus far. I only hope that this week will be as much as an eye opening and learning experience as the last week has been.
