Paris me manque

Truthfully, I have been back in the United States for one week and I can assuredly say that I miss Paris a lot. I miss the picturesque streetscapes, the amazing food, and the romantic atmosphere that saturates the City of Lights. I miss the friends that I have made, my classmates, my neighborhood, and even my metro commute to school.

Nevertheless, it has been nice to return to my quiet and familiar home in the suburbs of Pittsburgh. For the past four months, I have pushed myself to regularly speak French, to succeed academically in a foreign educational system, and to constantly see and experience new things. And although all these elements are exciting, together they are exhausting to continuously manage. And as the phrase goes, all good things must end.

But even though I may have left France, the things that I have experienced by studying abroad in Paris has allowed me to learn various new skillsets that I can carry on into the academic and professional realms. I am now much more proficient in French, I am more flexible to change and uncertainty, and I have a deeper understanding of history and culture in France and Europe.

Studying abroad in Paris was one of the most formative decisions that I have made in college, second to enrolling into the University of Pittsburgh. It was an extremely rewarding and profound experience that would not have been possible without the aid of academic scholarships. The Pitt Honors Global Programs Scholarship not only financially supported my study abroad endeavors, but also allowed me to document my studies through this blog. I am very thankful to the benefactors of this award.

Yes I will miss Paris, but this melancholy feeling is greatly outshined by the pride that I carry from being able to say that I studied and lived in Paris for four months. Thank you to all those that allow me to have this pride.