Je suis arrivée!

Today I arrived in Paris, France for my three and a half month long semester abroad. It is hard to believe I am upwards of 3,000 miles from home and residing in a historically famous, culturally rich, world renowned city. I am so incredibly fortunate.

My journey here was smooth, I took an evening flight and was lucky enough to sleep for parts of it. I arrived here at 10:30am local time and was picked up at the airport by a CEA shuttle and escorted to the CEA Global Campus. Once there, I was given an extremely brief orientation speech by one of the student services coordinators. She gave me much needed snacks, maps, and metro tickets. After that, the shuttle driver brought me to my residence in the 15th arrondissement, which is within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower!

When I got to my flat, my roommates were all in class, so I was able to nap for a while. One of the most surprising things about the apartment is its size. It is really small! There are two bedrooms in the flat and I share a room with one other girl and our beds are practically touching! The lack of privacy will take some getting used to but I am thrilled to be here and know it is part of “the experience.”

When my flatmates came back we all went to the grocery store to buy some dinner. I bought some Brie cheese, some apples, and a (legal) bottle of rosé wine. On the way back we stopped at a boulangerie (bakery) and I bought a baguette in true Parisian fashion. We sat around together and spent some time roommate-bonding but for now I am jet-lagged and need some rest 🙂

Tomorrow I have orientation activities at the CEA Global Campus and I am looking forward to navigating the metro and seeing a little more of Paris!

Until next time,
Shannon

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