The Arrival

Haphazardly wiping the tears from my face, I sniff loudly as I text my friend back, "Yeah I'm in Terminal 2 right now and just dropped my family off.

Also I like...just cried, so ignore my face."

After spending a month back at home, trying to spend as much time with my family and friends and then spending a few weeks on vacation with my family, the day finally came. I was alone in Paris.

Well.

Kind of.

Luckily, one of my friends from back home was also studying abroad in Paris and she had just dropped someone off at the airport that same day. We decided to meet up (especially since I would be staying at her apartment for a few days before my program started) and spend the day together. I am forever grateful that I got to spend that day with her and her family. I think if I was left alone after the airport, I would have just cried for hours on end. Not that crying and feeling sad was something that I was against doing. It was more like...I didn't want to do that yet?

I don't think it hit me that I was actually studying in a different country until the next day. I woke up and was like...holy shoot. I'm in Paris and I didn't know a lick of French other than "bonjour", "merci", and "au revoir" (literally). I tried to ease my nerves by doing things that felt familiar to me- watching youtube videos, editing, and catching up on sleep.

It'll get better- obviously. And so far I haven't felt any sort of significant culture shock either. I think I've been really good at adapting and taking things as they come. I love learning about new cultures and being able to live in one is going to be really exciting.

All in all...I'm excited to grow in this semester and to see what Paris has in store for me :)

(Also going to eat as many baguettes and pastries as humanly possible)

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