Study Abroad and Domestic Study Away

This fall I have had the privilege to participate in a study abroad program where I attended the University of Aix-Marseille in Aix En Provence. Since being here, I have enjoyed and experienced some of my favorite moments such as the ‘foires’ (fairs), the ‘Marché de noel’(Christmas markets), travelling to the small villages in France, tasting French gastronomy, getting boat rides…. I quickly fell in love with the city which is like a small version of Chicago but less crowded and a completely different architecture.

France is an amazing country to travel to because the public transportation system takes you pretty much anywhere for a few Euros. While being here, I attended a couple of classes which were an extension of my major at Lake Forest, but the education system was completely different. I will never forget the 3h long classes 3 times a day every day or the race to the local cafeteria to get something to eat before the next class. I certainly will not forget the multitude of presentations we had to give in every course because public speaking was key. I was someone who used to be afraid of public speaking and this experience made me a lot more comfortable with the idea of it.

Aside from being a tourist, I also had the opportunity to meet some amazing people and made some great friends for life. There was of course some cultural shock like how affordable healthcare is, how socially active people are during  the weekends in France or simply how much cigarette they smoke in Europe.

All in all, this has been one of the greatest adventures for me in terms of developing even more my independence and spending time rediscovering myself in a new environment and I am very grateful for that.