Hi, I am Autum Cavender! I am a Sophomore at DePauw University from Jamestown, Indiana. I joined HerCampus as a freshman in order to interview and write about topics I am passionate about. This time I decided to interview myself because I feel like this trip to Nice is not well known enough and should be experienced by more people. Over the summer, I went to Nice, France for a month and it was one of the best experiences of my life. So here is the good, the better, and the best parts about my stay in France.
HerCampus: What was your favorite part about living/studying abroad?
Autum Cavender: I had so many favorite parts about this trip. I loved the weather, it never rained, and the sun was always shining. I adored being a five minute walk from the beach which had rocks instead of sand, but it was not as bad as one would think. The food though might have been my favorite part because no matter what I tried from mussels to pasta to pizza it was always delicious!
HC: Was there anything in Nice, France you did not like?
AC: I realized that almost all places in France do not have air conditioning so when it got really hot you really had to adjust to the 100 degree weather. There is a large night life presence in France, however most stores and food places close around 10-11 pm, so late night McDonalds was never possible.
HC: What was the learning experience like being in the country of the language you studied? Was it overwhelming?
AC: At first it was kind of overwhelming because while I have taken several years of French I was definitely not fluent, yet each day I became more comfortable speaking the language especially with people from France who I became friends with over the month I was there.
HC: Do you need to know French in order to go on this trip?
AC: You do not have to know a word of French to go on this trip, however you learn a lot quickly so its not like your lacking communication. Also, most people in France, especially younger people, know some English.
HC: Did you visit any other cities or countries while in France?
AC: Yes! You get to go on excursions to other cities along the coast like Cannes, Antibe, Saint-Paul and Eze. My personal favorite was Saint-Paul because we got to explore a lot and take a very fun and interesting wine course. Also, there is a four day free weekend where you are allowed to travel anywhere, and me and some friends went to Amsterdam for the weekend to explore the canals and art museums.
HC: How does French culture differ from US culture?
AC: French culture differs greatly from the US. I feel like France is more laidback in a sense, kind of like living in the moment constantly. Whereas in the US I often feel overwhelmed and extremely busy.