For those just coming across my posts in the Honors blog community, my name is Laura Dibble, I am a rising senior at Pitt about to move back to Pennsylvania next week! I have spent an incredible 18 weeks in Paris with CEA CAPA, studying at a partner university, l’Institut Catholique de Paris. I am…
Author: lfdibble
Do’s and Don’ts Abroad
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…
Un Avenir Parisien
I have certainly spent a moment or two this semester reflecting on the dream of a postgrad life in Europe. Many of my peers in France have expressed that they could not live here in the future, but I still observe Paris through a romanticized lens. I watch the parents marching their kids through bustling…
Balancing Life While Abroad
If I had to sum up the most challenging aspect of studying abroad for a semester, it would be the struggle to find balance. Between wanting to live up to the social media-created facade of the experience, to wanting to honor your own interests and mental health, it can be hard to know how much…
Takeaways From Living in Paris
I’ve somehow slid into second half of my time abroad, and I find myself reflecting more and more on my cultural identity and relationship with home. Living in a very touristy city means that I am constantly encountering French and American cultural intersections. Sometimes, I feel a vague awkwardness when someone realizes I’m American, particularly…
Living Up to Abroad Expectations
As I enter my seventh week living in Paris, I am faced with my first big exam in both of my classes and a distinct feeling of unpreparedness. Adjusting to the French style of learning has occasionally been complicated, but in other ways it has exceeded my expectations. I arrived in France anticipating the classic…
Chez Moi
Hello again! It is time to update on my Parisian living experience now that I have officially been here for a month, goodness how the time has flown! I have been truly blessed with my housing location, although I didn’t initially realize it since many of my peers in the CEA program live quite far…
Week One: Honeymoon Period, Paris Edition
The last twelve days since my arrival in France have been a whirlwind of emotions, learning curves, surprising interactions, and street crêpes. I have quite nearly mastered the metro and the proper way to mutter “pardon” to a sidewalk-hogging pedestrian, but beyond that, many aspects of the bustling city still feel fresh and exciting. I…
Allons à Paris
Hello, welcome to the beginning of my semester study abroad experience in Paris, France! My name is Laura Dibble, and I am a junior at Pitt studying Biology and French with a minor in Chemistry. In just about a week, I will embark on a four-month stay in the capital of France, studying at l’Institut…