Looking back to my anxious self back in January, stressing about prepping a great wardrobe and overwhelmed at the thought of organizing weekend travel plans, it’s easy to laugh at my worries. Travel ended up coming together just fine, and Paris is so full of shopping I never was far from access to the perfect outfit. In retrospect, I wish I was a bit more proactive in that first month: it was hard to quickly get adjusted, so I missed out on a lot of events and the opportunity to form friendships early on. I admittedly did not realize that doing a CEA partner university program (at Institut Catholique) would mean that I would arrive three weeks after 90% of our program, meaning many friendship groups had already been established before I even began CEA orientation. Knowing this, I ought to have searched elsewhere in Paris rather within the small bubble of American students, this also would have allowed me to improve my French in a casual setting. I had lofty expectations of becoming more extroverted immediately upon my arrival, I wish I had been gentle to myself and focused on my strengths when faced with a new experience. There is no perfect way to study abroad! I am glad I focused on what I wanted to do this semester (museums, gardens, bookstores and cafés), but I wish I dropped my guilt of missing out and not living it up to the max. 

On a more minor note, I should have brought less books and left more suitcase space, the lack of which I am currently regretting. I wish I paid more attention to capsule wardrobe tutorials, and now sitting in 80 degree heat in Paris I wish I packed a single pair of shorts! I have zero regrets about the absurd quantity of scarves and jewelry I have accumulated, however. 

I will say it was easy to disconnect from home, and from Pitt. There is an advantage to taking time to establish independence and individualism from family, though maintaining regular calls may have helped me feel more balanced and supported. Staying on top of academic responsibilities back in Pittsburgh was occasionally a challenge, with making application and registration deadlines on time. Still, I value my time spent working on my personal growth, adaptability, and cultural awareness outside of my all-consuming Biology degree; these are lifelong skills that will serve me well in school and in my healthcare career. 

And, of course, on the tail end of a pricey semester, I see moments where I could have been more financially prudent. I could have applied for more small scholarships and grants in advance (or chose a affordable city for tuition, hah), and planned travel weekends with more thriftiness, utilizing student websites for budget flights. Although be warned, never count on EasyJet for connecting flights, you might just get stranded in Bristol for 24 hours in an effort to get to Greece. But I wouldn’t know anything about that.