Welcome to the City of Lights

I am finally in Paris, France. Wait....let's double check what I just typed: I am in Paris, France. And the great thing is, I'm here for more than just one week. I'm here for an entire semester. I have the ability to soak up a little bit of Paris, every day while I'm here studying abroad. Here's how my journey to Paris started: I departed from good, bone-cold Minnesota on Sunday night. For those of you who haven't read my last post, I was emailed by IES who else would be studying abroad in Paris France this semester. I was surprised to see how many people on the roster where from the Cities, so naturally with the help of good-old-social-media, I contacted the girls in the program to see if we had the same flights. Fortunately the majority of us did, so we met up at the airport and began our venture together. From the sound of it, eight hours on a plane can sound bad. Now I’m not trying to glorify the idea of it. But it’s really not that bad. I had some hesitations about flying alone for my first time, but knowing that the girls were on the plane (who were going through the same reservations as myself helped a lot). This morning we arrived bright and early into Paris. I was tired, and needed more than one cup of Styrofoam airplane cup coffee. Unlike the US, which customs and TSA was practically dead, CDG was packed. Fortunately, my friends and some good old small talk helped make the time go faster. I’m in utter disbelief that I’m here. Ten minutes before landing in Paris I remember looking at the screen wondering why these last ten minutes were going so slow. It was as if time stopped. And I was in shock when we landed that I was actually here. Fast forward to right now. I’m at my home stay in Paris, sitting in my sparkly footy slippers staring at the Eiffel tower. Yes, the Eiffel tower is right next to my window so that every day when I open my eyes it’s the first thing that I can see. I cannot believe that I have finally made it here. From the paperwork starting last spring, to going to the French consulate in Chicago, to doing studying abroad pre-departure info sessions at my home school I am finally here. The wait is over, and I am excited to see what this adventure has in store for me. For now, I’m going to relish in the moment that I’m here. It’s time to create some memories and make long lasting relationships. I’m fully excited to see where Paris is going to take me. Until next time, Sabrina