Hello readers! I hope that everyone had an amazing summer vacation, because lord knows I did. It’s hard to believe that it’s been five months since I’ve written my last article, and I truly missed it. I have so much to catch y’all up on! For my first article, I’m going to talk about what it was like to study abroad in France and Belgium during the summer. If you’re curious about what studying abroad is like or just like to read travel stories, then this article is for you. Without further ado, let’s dive in!
How i ended up here
For those of you that have read my bio, you know that I’m an International Studies major here at NC State. One of the requirements of being an International Studies major is we have to study abroad at some point during our undergraduate years and take six credit hours abroad. It doesn’t matter if it’s in the fall, spring, or summer; we just have to do it at some point. We also have to make sure that the classes we’re taking relate to our major in some way.
My timeline here at NC State couldn’t be more non-traditional. I started my first year with 55 credit hours, five shy of being a junior, and became a junior halfway through my first year. This summer, I earned an additional seven credit hours studying abroad, making me a senior. I will graduate in the fall of 2027 after only being here for two and a half years. With all of that being said, I knew my options were limited for when I could study abroad. I wasn’t able to do an entire semester as I would’ve pushed back my graduation date, so I decided that summer was my only option.
When I was looking through the summer study abroad options, I was blown away by how expensive everything was. For a while, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to study abroad. Then, I got in contact with my study abroad advisor, and she gave me two great pieces of advice. One: apply for a scholarship through the Study Abroad Office. The odds were one in three and I did not need to be in financial need (officially) to apply. Two: look into the third-party programs. The NC State-affiliated programs were outrageously expensive, but I found that the third party programs were relatively affordable. I applied for a scholarship and narrowed my choices down to three: France, England, and South Korea. After much deliberation (and finding out that I did win a scholarship (yay!)), I chose the French program. I was officially accepted in March and the countdown began.
The first week
Before this trip, I had never left the country before (unless you count going to Canada for three hours while on a cruise, in which case it was my first time flying overseas). After narrowing down what to pack in my two suitcases and computer bag, I flew from Raleigh to Newark, New Jersey. I’ve always heard that the Newark Airport was not the best, but I was genuinely surprised by how modern and clean it was. After waiting three hours, I boarded my next flight to Brussels, where I was sat next to two of the sweetest guys I’ve ever met. We became friends very quickly, and thank God we did because shortly after we boarded our flight, the pilot announced that there were thunderstorms moving into the area. We were to stay put until further notice. It was bad enough that this flight was six and a half hours before the delay, but the delay made the flight nine hours. We sat on the tarmac for two and a half hours. We were just thirty minutes shy of the flight crew expiring and all of us having to disembark the plane. Luckily, there was a short window of escape, and we took off into the night sky.
Jet lag is not for the weak. I arrived in Brussels the next morning with no sleep in me (I can’t sleep on planes) and had to navigate an airport that didn’t speak English. Luckily for me, I met a woman before I got on the flight in New Jersey who promised to help me when we landed. After going through customs, which, thankfully, only took 30 minutes, I met up with her and she got me on the train heading to the train station I needed to go to. Fun fact: at Brussels Airport, the train station is underneath the airport on the ground floor. After getting on that train and making it to the first train station, I waited an hour before hopping on my next train, which took me straight to Lille, France.
I should probably specify that I studied and lived in Lille, France. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s the fourth largest city in France and a short 30 minutes away from the Belgian border. It was truly a beautiful city, with lots of Flemish culture. Upon arriving, I met up with the university officials and they sent me, along with three other people, to the metro to head to our dorms. Those three people would later become my best friends and the people I spent every day with. I miss them dearly, and I hope to see them again one day.
The first week was all about exploring. We attended a welcome meeting and brunch with the university, where I met tons of new people from around the world. We attended our first classes (mine were Project Management and EU Law and Policymaking). We took a guided tour of Lille and the Palais de Beaux-Arts, which, fun fact, is the second largest museum in France after the Louvre. We went to the Wazemmes Market, which is a weekly outdoor market on Sundays that sells fresh produce and other goods. Overall, it was a chaotic week (in a good way) and I walked around feeling like a zombie every day.
The Belgium trips
In my program, there were three day trips built in that allowed us to go see three different Belgian cities. Our first trip, which happened during our second week, was to Bruges. To this day, it was my favorite place that I went to. The charm of the city, the friendly people, and the amazing food had me swooning over a city I had never heard of before this trip. I still have dreams about the Belgian waffle covered in chocolate sauce that I had that day. We started off with a river cruise, and then we had the rest of the day to explore on our own. It was truly one of my favorite days of the whole trip.
Our second trip was to Ieper. Ieper (or Ypres depending on if you’re in France or Belgium) is an old WWI city with famous graveyards and demonstrations honoring the fallen soldiers. We started off by going to “In Flanders Field”, and I was blown away by how big it was. Pink poppies lined the graves and the sky gently sprinkled rain on us. It was a sad kind of beautiful. After that, we went to downtown Ieper, where we went to the City Museum and learned about the history of Ieper. We had a few hours of free time before a traditional Flemish Dinner of beef stew and fries was served to us, and I’ve got to say, it was delicious. Before heading home, we walked back to the main gate of the city (called the Menin Gate) and watched the nightly ceremony honoring the fallen soldiers. Fun fact: this ceremony has happened every single day, regardless of rain or shine, since 1920. Unfortunately for us, we had rain. Regardless, the ceremony was still beautiful.
Our third trip was to Brussels, the capital. A third of us started off by going to the European History museum, where I learned a lot about the European Union, WWI & WWII, and modern culture. Unfortunately for my friend, she started experiencing horrible pain and went home early with our other friend shortly after. My third friend had plans to hang out with other people, so I took it as an opportunity to explore the city on my own. I rode the local metro, saw the royal palace, tried Belgian chocolate, and even stumbled upon a beer museum. I absolutely loved Brussels, and if I end up working for the EU one day, I could be going back there often.
Paris
A name so good, the headline needs no further explanation. I had the opportunity to go to Paris three different times while studying abroad, and I promise you that Paris is as good as they say it is. The first time we went was to see the Champions League Final (which wasn’t being played in Paris, but Paris’s team, PSG, was in the final). Before the game, we went to Pere Lachaise, the famous Parisian cemetery housing famous celebrities such as Jim Morrison. It was right across the street from the apartment we were staying in. That night, we watched the game at a bar, and it was unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. I’m not a soccer fan, but Parisians are so passionate about soccer that it made me a fan. PSG won the game and the city erupted in celebration (literally). Between the celebrations and the heat, we didn’t sleep much that night, but it was totally worth it.
The second time we went was to do Paris right and go sightseeing. We spent two full days there and walked over 40,000 steps. We saw the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, The Pantheon, The Luxembourg Gardens, Arc de Triumph, The Louvre, Galeries Lafayette, Grand and Petit Palais, and took a river cruise down the Seine. We ate at delicious restaurants, boulangeries, patisseries, and drank at bars, as one does. The temperature was much more bearable this time and it made the weekend one that I will never forget.
The third time I went was by myself at the very end of my study abroad. I only stayed for a day as I was in between cities, but I still got to see my friends and eat pastries one more time. I wouldn’t have wanted my trip to end any other way.
Other lille stories
I promise my entire trip wasn’t just travelling outside of Lille (although that would’ve been nice, wouldn’t it?) I learned a lot about different software that project managers use when working through a project in my Project Management class. By the end of the class, we used those software and other charts, as well as physical materials, to make a model of a bridge for a company. We had to present the model, our budget, and our plan of action in front of a panel, and my group got the best grade in the class! We were also the smallest group, which made it funnier. My professor was one of the silliest and sweetest people I’ve ever met, and he made a boring class seem fun (most of the time).
In my other class, I learned about the different organizations within the EU and the judicial powers that they have over member nations. I learned about Brexit (spoiler alert, I’m anti-Brexit), what the EU is doing to combat climate change, how they add new members, and so much more. It was extremely helpful for my major and I often reference back to things I learned in that class. All three of the professors were so nice and I made friends with everyone in the class. If you ever have the chance to take a class about the EU, I would highly recommend it.
During the one weekend that I didn’t travel, two of my friends came to see me and I showed them around Lille. One of my friends lives in France, but I met her while she was at NC State studying abroad. The other friend goes to NC State with me, but she happened to be studying abroad in Brussels at the same time I was in Lille, and she took the train to come see me. Right as they were coming into town, I got a call from my boyfriend and found out we were breaking up. I kind of saw it coming, and it was a mutual breakup. I cried for exactly three minutes and moved on with my life. Very girlboss of me, I must say. That night, the girls and I went to a techno club, and the following day, we walked around the city and shopped our hearts out. That night, while at a bar having drinks, my friends encouraged me to get on Hinge and have fun with a European man while I was there. I had never been on a dating app before, so I was rightfully scared. Upon further consideration, I decided to give it a shot. I’m so glad I did because that’s how I met my current boyfriend.
I’ve never clicked with someone faster than I clicked with him. We went on two dates and talked every day, and he quickly became my person. Now, over three months later, we’re officially together and still talking every day. He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I can’t wait until he comes and visits me.
Speaking of clicking, two of the three best friends I made ended up getting together on the trip, which was magical to watch. Like me, she also came to France already having a boyfriend, and like me, they also weren’t on the best terms. From the moment they met, I knew there was a spark there. After the first week, the other friend and I were talking about it in secret. Two weeks in, while we were in Paris, they both finally made the move. She broke up with her boyfriend and later on, during our second trip to Paris, made it official. He asked her to be his girlfriend and kissed her in front of the Eiffel Tower at night while the lights were on. Isn’t that so romantic?! Ugh, they make me sick lol. To this day, they’re also still together and making eight-hour long distance work. I couldn’t be happier for them.
Bordeaux
Remember the French friend I mentioned earlier that came to see me in Lille? Well, long before the trip started, we planned for me to come down and stay with her in Bordeaux for a few days at the end of my trip. It was going to be her birthday, La Fête de la Musique, and probably the last time I was going to see her for a while. The day after my classes ended, I got on a train headed for Paris, and then had to switch trains and stations in order to catch the train heading to Bordeaux. That was quite the experience because I only had 50 minutes in between the trains and they were 45 minutes apart from each other. I sprinted through the metro and the stations and made it with five minutes to spare. I made it to Bordeaux and met up with my friend and her friends, and we all took the tram to her house. Her house was exactly how you’d picture a Southern French villa: a massive stone house with vineyards across the street, a massive in-ground pool, and the river running right next to it. We had a pool party and I got to meet her friends, although it was difficult to talk to them because they didn’t speak much English.
The next day, we went to Bordeaux for Fete de la Musique, and I was amazed by how many people there were. It was basically just DJs set up around the city and people vibing around whatever DJ they liked the most. It would’ve been more fun had it not been so hot. I was in Bordeaux during the massive heatwave, and it got as hot as 108 degrees. Heatstroke? For the second time while studying abroad? Check. At midnight, when we were out partying, it was still 85 degrees. The worst part? Most of France doesn’t have air conditioning. I’ve never sweat so much in my life.
The following day, we drove two hours west to the beach and cooled off. The water was so clear and cold that it felt unnatural. Speaking of unnatural, it was also a topless beach. I’m not gay, but respectfully, I took a few glances. On my last day there, we hung out at the house and watched Mamma Mia 1 & 2, which I had never seen before that day. Now, whenever I listen to ABBA, I time travel in my mind and go back to France. By the end of the trip, I was sad to leave her, but I was a little ready to go home and see my family (and experience AC again).
The Journey home
The journey home was….interesting to say the least. Due to the heatwave, my train from Bordeaux to Paris was cancelled, and I had to scramble to find another one. The night I was in Paris, I was so nervous that my train was going to get cancelled again that I didn’t sleep all night. It was also too hot for me to be able to. Sure enough, my train did get cancelled, and I found an earlier one and left immediately. That train was delayed by 15 minutes, and then the second train to the airport was also delayed. After finally making it to the airport and getting through security, I got in what turned out to be an hour and 40 minute customs line. I was terrified I wasn’t going to make my flight. At 11:20, with ten minutes to spare, I ran down the terminal and got on the plane. Again, I swear I’ve never sweat so much in my life.
The eight and a half hour flight home was also not great. I never slept due to five (yes, five) kids around me who would never shut up. Even worse, the guy who was sitting next to me got up four times (including once when he crawled over me). The moment I touched down in D.C. I breathed a sigh of relief. Three hours later, I got on my last flight and made it to Raleigh, only to have to drive another hour home because I was living in Fayetteville at the time. Let’s just say I slept 14 hours that night.
in conclusion…
My trip was absolutely amazing. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Even with the frustrations, I would do it all over again. If you are considering studying abroad, I hope this story convinced you to take that next step. You will learn so many things, meet lifelong friends, and even meet new loves. The culture change will shock you, but it will all be worth it. Thanks for listening to a little glimpse of my life, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions about studying abroad. See you in the next article!