Bonjour from Paris! I cannot believe that I have been here for almost three days now yet I have already seen and experienced so much. Each day so far has brought something new-streets to explore, places to eat, people to see-it has actually been quite overwhelming. I arrived in Paris several hours later than planned due to a flight delay and spent two days waiting for lost luggage, but with all of that aside I find myself adjusting more and more to the Parisian lifestyle and have found myself starting to call it home. I think it is safe to say that when you buy your first public transportation pass in a new city and somehow master your first metro trip back home!
Orientation made me fall more in love with the program that I selected, as we learned which historic sites and museums we would be visiting for the two classes that we are taking. Having never visited Paris before, I knew that there were certain areas I would have to hit, but some of those have already been covered for me by the classes. We start class on Monday, and in that first week alone we will hit the Opera House, Musee d'Orsay and Museum of Natural History as well as taking visits to the Marais and Versailles. As part of our orientation here in Paris, we have taken several walks around the neighborhood and explored as well as taking a Boat Tour on the Seine River. This trip allowed us to see the location of several famous and historical sites in Paris, including the Love Lock Bridge, Parliament Building and Notre Dame Cathedral. Even though we will not be hitting all of these sites as part of class, my classmates and I plan to take our own adventures to the city center during our time here and explore. After all, who could pass up a photo op with the Eiffel Tower?
Starting this week, I plan to highlight my top five experiences at the end of each blog post compiled into a "Five Favorites" list. So these first three days in Paris we have...
1) Seeing the Eiffel Tower for the first time. I have wanted to visit it since I watched Madeline as a young girl. We may just have to pay another visit sometime soon.
2) Crepes and Cider. Laurie, one of the IES staff members, took us to a creperie for lunch on Friday, where we each enjoyed a savory and sweet crepe. I got one with egg and cheese and another with chocolate and toffee.
3) Boulangeries. There are several bakeries spotted around the neighborhood, as well as a few near the center. During orientation, I got a formula package with a baguette sandwich, chocolate eclair and drink.
4) My luggage arriving. My luggage arrived two days after I did, so you could say getting that was a nice treat.
5) Walking around the neighborhood. I absolutely love the layout of the neighborhood where we are staying, and some of the architecture is too pretty not to miss.
Au revoir!
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Hannah Abel
Hannah is a rising senior at University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, majoring in Human and Social Development with minors in Psychology and Education. When she is not in class, Hannah serves as Vice President of Coordinators on the Panhellenic Executive Board and a member of the Student Government Senate as well as being a member of the Homecoming Executive Committee and Kappa Kappa Gamma. While she has been on a safari in Africa and tried fresh sushi in Japan, this will be her first time studying and traveling in Western Europe, a dream of hers since high school. She is excited to document her adventures and hopes to share this blog on the study abroad adventure of a lifetime.
