What to expect when arriving for your study abroad adventure

Bonjour à Tous!

And I am able to successfully report that I have arrived in the beautiful, sunny, south of France! My midwest tried-and-tested winter coat has officially gone into retirement, until I travel somewhere cold. 

My first week here has been an absolute whirlwind of emotions, experiences, and transitions. To help future students bound for the south of France, I figured I will detail what you can expect when you arrive at a study abroad destination, to help remove some of the uncertainty about your first few days living in your new country. 

• You have to actually get there

The first step in any study abroad experience is actually showing up, and getting to your final destination. For me it resulted in well over 20 hours of traveling! I had three flights, one from a small regional airport to Atlanta, then onwards to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris, and finally ending up in Nice. Through the experience, especially navigating CDG airport, I can not stress enough how useful it is to have a long connection time. Connecting at CDG is like traversing the backrooms: there are countless hallways, escalators, even a train, not to mention redoing the security check and going through French immigration. I know many people in my program who missed their connection, oh la la!

• Transfer to you apartment or housing 

Once you arrive, you can easily tell who the other IES Abroad students are…who else is flying from CDG to Nice with two large suitcases and speaking English with an American accent! My advice is once you get your belongings, follow the crowds from the baggage reclaim to the arrivals departure hall, where staff will meet you and whisk you away in a large van with other IES Abroad students. A good first attempt to start practicing a bit of french!

• Time to move in and get settled

We’ve all done this before, right? It is about to feel Freshmen year again. After getting my luggage up five flights of stairs (thank you to my roommates, for being real legends with this task), I began the slow process of getting settled in my new apartment. This is when I made the first (of many) trips to a Carrefour or a Monoprix, two large french supermarkets that are ubiquitous in day to day life. The first two weeks will feel like making constant trips to these places to get random knick-knacks and food items. 

Provided when I arrived was a full cooking set (silverware, flatware, pots and pans) in addition to bathroom and bed linens. Nicely for me, I quickly found a tea kettle as well that was at my apartment. But, I did have to buy some other things, such as a food thermometer.

• Walking tour

In French, one of the ways to note that you are on a walk is to use the verb Marcher, and its connection to “Marching” in English sure is applicable for your crash course in Niçoise History! 

Meeting outside the IES Abroad Center, we had a wonderful walking tour. Starting on Jean Médecin we wandered through the Old Town (Villie Ville), learning about general historical and cultural trends (fun fact, Nice was Italian until the 1870s) while also gaming an ever increasing list of restaurants and other establishments to try out. We walked along the coast, stopping at the old market square and other notable attractions. 

The walking tour ended back at the IES Abroad Center, where we had some Niçoise snacks waiting for us, before I, and many of my new friends, ran home and went straight to sleep. After trying to figure out how the keys to our apartment work, of course.

• Orientation 

My first full day in Nice was not spent graciously exploring the Promenade des Anglais or eating every Pain au Chocolat within the PACA region, but instead was spent going through an in person orientation session at a local hotel. Sometimes, powerpoints are a way of life: But we did get lunch that day, and it was wonderful.

• Welcome Trip!

While the Côte d’azur might be most famous for its sunny beaches, the towering French Alps overlook the coastline, providing an escape from the hustle and bustle of urban life. As part of the orientation program, IES Abroad leads a trip into the immediate hills that surround Nice. We started off in the quaint town of Saint Paul de Vence, with a walking tour followed by an hour for us to get lost in the wandering streets. After a delightful lunch consisting of pizza, lasagna, and tiramisu (the 2nd tiramisu I had consumed in 72 hours, depending on how you count the one I had on Delta Airlines on my dinner tray), we also visited a perfumery, and got a chance to make our own custom formula, before being herded into the gift shop.  

And just like that, your first few days in a foreign country have sped by! Through the process, taking care of oneself is vital. Remember: hydrate or die-drate!

À bientôt!