I finally visited the Eiffel Tower!

While my first week in Paris was a little hectic as I was trying to adjust to life in a new city, things have gone much smoother this week. After discovering the cheapest grocery stores in the neighborhood, learning how to use the washers and dryers at the laundry mat, and navigating the metro system successully, I feel as though each day is better than the last. I have heard so many times from my program director that the first week of a study abroad program is the hardest, and I couldn’t agree with her more. If things can only get better from here, I know this semester is going to be as wonderful as I imagined.

When I used to day dream about living in Paris, I imagined myself wandering around the Eiffel Tower on a bright, sunny day, revelling in all that is French. This image was quickly thrown out the door after almost two weeks of consant rain. Literally every day since I arrived here, the sky has been filled with clouds. Although it is a little sad to live in constant gloom, I will not let that stop me from enjoying my time here. Spring will simply be all the more glorious when it returns.

La Tour Montparnasse

After traveling to a handful of the different districts in Paris, I can gladly say that I live in the 14th. Paris is divided into twenty districts (or arrondissements). They are arranged in a sort of clockwise spiral like a snail, starting in the center of the city with the 1st district. The district I live in is far from the tourist hot spots and is quite different than living near the center. Roads are mostly one-way streets and are rarely busy. Instead of designer clothing stores and expensive restaurants, there are smaller shops and cafes where you can try and save a little pocket money. Although nothing is more than a fifteen minute train ride away, life is just a little less crazy than in the center of Paris.

Since my foyer does not have a meal plan, I have to cook my meals in our kitchen if I do not feel like spending money at a restaurant, which happens to be most of the time. While finding a grocery store was quite simple, chosing my own groceries was a different story. Even though I have cooked meals for myself at home, it’s much different when you have to plan on buying every single item you will need for just one meal. Unfortunately, I discovered that I am a terrible cook and will be living off of grilled cheese, noodles, and poorly cooked vegetables for the next few months.

My savior: the boulangerie.

Luckily, there is a wonderful thing called a boulangerie on almost every corner in Paris where you can buy fresh baguettes, croissants, pain au chocolate, and other delicious concoctions that melt in your mouth. Bread in France is absolutely sinful. The crust of a baguette is perfectly crisp, and the inside is incredibly soft. It is simply the best bread I have ever tasted. Bread is definitely going to be my number one food staple while I am here…

Every day I wind up thanking myself for every decision that got me here so far, from choosing to live in a quiet neighborhood to choosing this specific study abroad program. As I learn more about Paris each day and see amazing cathedrals, monuments, and architecture, I couldn’t be happier than where I am now, and I look forward to seeing much more of France and Europe soon.