For all of you planning to study abroad, I hope you will take my advice on a few things!
Plan the semester’s activities ahead of time – Before arriving to Paris, I arranged an interview for an internship with the International Herald Tribune (The New York Times Global), and after three weeks of living here, I was already working. Balancing a part-time internship with the full journalism exchange academic course load allows me to benefit from the best of both worlds. Also, talk to advisers at UNC to plan your classes abroad and make sure they will transfer. Even if you think they will not, keep all your notes. And make sure to take a fun class!
Where to live?– When deciding to study abroad, think of what you want to get out of it. For some, it may be nights of partying with guys with sexy accents. For others it may be to get away from home, or it may be completely immersing yourself in the culture (partying with guys with sexy accents falls also into this category). I chose the latter one, so I now live with a French family, and this was the best Paris decision I could have made. My French is greatly improving,and so is my awareness to delicious food, world politics and different cultures. I advise you to spend real quality time with your host family. By doing so, I am developing a family-like close relationship with them, and they add precious value to my experience abroad!
Find your place– Tucked away on a quiet one-way street overlooking the Notre Dame Cathedral resides my favorite café: La Caféothèque de Paris. Thischarming café is not “Parisian” at all, but resembles the small, artsy Carrboro coffee shops. Both the exquisite coffee and the calming atmosphere were a hit with me. With a mishmash of rustic wooden furniture, a small bookshelf and photo displays adorning the walls, the café gives me a chance to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee from places like Ethiopia, Peru, Guatemala or India while listening to romantic songs from the coffee lands. I usually write articles or read there, and the baristas know my order by heart — a café glacé! Get one. Trust me.
Make new friends – I imagined myself making French friends right of the bat, but to my surprise, that did not happen. I first had to feel comfortable with the language, then get in the rhythm of the second semester, and by that point it was already March and I had made mostly Argentine and other international friends. I learned to stop always wanting something else, but to appreciate what I have and the friends I have made. Befriending the Argentines brought me closer to a home that I haven’t visited in years, and it is very refreshing since they are the most fun, loud, friendly and cheerful people I have met! I also got closer to girls from UNC; this is something special since they will be the only people at UNC who will know the Parisian Maria! Although I am studying in France and did eventually make French friends, the combination of all the international people I’ve met has been one of my most rewarding experiences.
You do you, girl! – Some of my favorite past times in Paris have been walking aimlessly, roaming the streets in Paris or sitting down by myself to read or write by the Seine on sunny afternoons. I’ve had many alone days, but I’m never lonely. Although I am the kind of person that feeds off of people, I’ve learned to be happy by myself and feed off of moments, places and solitude. I crave time alone because it’s my time to reflect on what I do, where I am and what I want. As much fun as I have with my friends, I enjoy the alone feeling. It is difficult to reflect on who you are unless you have a time in which you are without distraction. Knowing your true self will give you the confidence to experience life as a person who is comfortable with being alone and being in the company of anyone you encounter. So take the study abroad time to learn to be on your own and enjoy every moment of it!
The foreign lover– If you are single… mingle! Also, if you are taken… mingle as well! I don’t see anything wrong with grabbing a drink or dinner with a guy, even if you have a boyfriend, as long as you’re honest. Having a study abroad love adventure is probably on most people’s lists, so once again, you must think about what you want to get out of it. Just a one-time thing? A long-term romance?
Relationships are similar everywhere, and for that reason and judging by my American experience, I feel pretty incompetent to give advice. I will tell you, however, that French guys love accents and that they are incredibly romantic. Also, the French do not shy away from public displays of affection, something that I support. The one-time thing is easy to do everywhere, but if you’re not into that and would rather get to know a guy better and have a couple of drinks without any other expectations, my advice is going to cliché: you will find it when you are not looking for it. Whether it’s at a bar, at school or outside your favorite café, you will meet a person at the right time, when you’re supposed to meet them. And trust me, a French kiss is better in Paris!
Always follow the music – This is probably one of the most romantic and la-la-land pieces of advice I have, but it is definitely and without any doubt the best one. From the moment I get on the metro, music follows me, giving me a background soundtrack to my days. Hopeful musicians make music on the metro and echoes under bridges, and set the tone for an afternoon in plazas or walks by the Seine. I’ve spent many afternoons and nights sitting for hours listening to these hopeful musicians. My favorite one is a young saxophone player who plays old American jazz with his guitarist friends by the Seine. Following my own advice took me all the way to an underground swing/jazz club where I practiced my skills and learned a few pointers from the dancing pros. It also took me to a place by the Louvre museum where an old man played the cello and another played the saxophone, performing the most beautiful concert for the several people who stayed to listen. I always stay to listen. And believe me, there are few things better than having “La Vie en Rose” stuck in your head after hearing it in a street concert… I could not stop humming it all the way home!