Since August 31st at about 8:10 am Parisian time, I have been a resident of the city Paris, France. Like wow. How sick is that? I don't think I will ever truly believe that this is real life and it's really happening. I'm actually back at home taking a three month and two-week long nap and I'm just going to wake up on December 16th and think "what a strange dream." Jokes aside, I have been given the amazing opportunity to study abroad and live in my Instagram feed for a few months. I don't travel much. Actually, before this, I would say I haven't traveled much at all outside of a weekend in Texas on a college campus and a weekend in Nashville for not the happiest reasons. I have never seen travel as something in the realm of my abilities financially.
Back when I was applying to colleges I knew I had to pick a school that provided me with a simple opportunity to study abroad. It actually played a really big part in my final decision. It was an absolute must for me so I picked a place and applied and now I'm here.
I am a world away from home and friends and family. I am in a place where my language is some people's second language and others can't speak it at all. The things that feel so normal to me back home are so different here. There is no Target or Trader Joe's so even simple things like grocery shopping is a culture shock. But I do like it here a lot despite all that. I get to walk past places that I've seen photos of a million times. I get to go to restaurants and coffee shops that I would look at on my Instagram feed back home. Every picture I take looks like I stole it off a travel website, but it's not, it's from my phone. I get to have dinner parties with wine, cheese and bread or picnic beneath the Eiffel Tower any night of the week. I get to casually live in one of the most visited cities in the world.
I just want to say I feel so lucky to be here and I really hope to make the most out of this experience because not everyone can say they lived in Paris for any amount of time. I just want to let that sink in and learn as much as I can about this city before I wake up from the dream.
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