Here in Paris, I have experienced a wide range of emotions: happiness, sadness, giddiness, homesickness, excitement, frustration, and I could go on and on… However, this being said, coming to Paris has been an absolutely amazing experience all around! Yes, there have most definitely been times that were better than others and even times when I questioned my decision, but as the semester draws to a close I would have to say that no matter what, Paris has been and will be an important of my undergraduate career as well as my life.
Thinking about all the things that I have had the opportunity to do over the course of the semester makes me feel so lucky: riding a golf cart around the grounds of a castle, seeing the Ballet (multiple times) at the beautiful Palais Garnier, eating several gourmet meals (on NYU’s tab), riding on the back of a moped at sunset, and making friends with Parisians and American who I may have never met otherwise. Thinking back on all these things, it’s hard to believe that I did it all in one semester and that there are many people who will never get the chance to do these things in a lifetime.
This course has really helped me to put me to put everything in perspective and appreciate my own unique experience. At times I would feel bad for being homesick or frustrated with life in Paris but when I came on the Place Studies website I could see how other people, who I could relate to, having similar problems and remind myself that this was just a part of study abroad in general not a reflection of my time in Paris. Also, reading everyone’s posts was often times inspiring! When I saw someone doing something really cool, I wanted to go out and do something equally as exciting and I could read the blogs of fellow NYU Paris(ers) to see what they were up to and maybe add their adventures onto my own list of things to do.
I know that when I get home and start showing all my friends and family my pictures and souvenirs, there are going to be little things that I start to miss about Paris in the same way that I have so many things I miss about America and New York. Most of all, I think I will just appreciate Americans a lot more and the security that comes with knowing how to get everything that you want when you want it. I will also appreciate being able to express myself completely. My French is very good at this point, but there are still times when I don’t feel like I can explain myself fully. I can always communicate an idea but there are certain ways to nuance what you are saying or elaborate that I am lacking from my French communication skills.
Many of you may or may not have caught the title of my first post, “An American Girl in Paris Part One.” This was a play of the title of the series finale of “Sex and the City,” when Carrie goes to Paris with The Russian. Much like Carrie, I came to Paris not having any friends, taking the plunge on my own and prepared to spend some time learning about myself and expanding my horizons. I was drawn to Paris for the Rich cultural history and, of course, the fashion and shopping. I thought the magic of Paris meant that everything would be perfect all the time but just like Carrie I learned that even one of the most beautiful cities in the world cannot replace the things closest to your heart and that at the end of the day, I am meant to be in New York. So to conclude my final post for this class I will end with another “Sex and the City” allusion, “There are those that open you up to something new and exotic, those that are old and familiar, those that bring up lots of questions, those that bring you somewhere unexpected, those that bring you far from where you started, and those that bring you back,” a quote from Carrie to describe relationships, but one that I feel can also sum up our experiences abroad.
Beautifully written!
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