First Impressions

I have been in Paris for a week now, and I must say I love it here! I love wandering among the city streets, which seem to get more beautiful each turn. The French are so casual about the palaces and monuments scattered throughout their city, yet they do boast a strong pride for their culture. I am living the 20th Arrondissement with my friend/travel buddy/housemate, Natasha (full post on living with a host family coming soon). Paris is shaped like a “snail” with the Arrondissements radiating from the center in a swirling pattern. Therefore, despite school being in the 2nd, our metro ride is only 10-15min. The program gave all of us a “Pass Navigo” which allows us to use any metro, train, or bus an unlimited amount of times - incredibly valuable and allows us to explore the city with ease.

The day after we arrived, the program scheduled a tour for us which was a great way for us to get our first glimpse of city. The 2nd Arrondissement, where school is located, is also home to many major Parisian attractions - all within walking distance from school! Once everyone arrived, our UCLA tour group made our way to Hôte de Ville, Paris’ city hall.

I was amazed by its beauty, but things were just getting started. After crossing the Seine we stopped by Notre Dame, which is located in the island in the middle of the river. The cathedral is the epitome of gothic architecture. I'm definitely planning on coming back here to go inside!

We continued on and stopped off at the Sorbonne - it’s always fun to see another university. Like UCLA, the Sorbonne boasts a gorgeous campus!

We continued to Luxembourg Gardens and the French Senate Building. It was a warm Sunday afternoon and all the children were playing with sailboats in the lake.

We finished off our tour with a stop at a cafe for some ice cream. Everyone finished their dessert and parted ways - only for a short time, though, classes started the next day!

Paris is a walkable city (it’s very flat! Unlike UCLA….), but it also very convenient by metro. Natasha and I decided to take a walk along the Seine on our way home to enjoy the Parisian afternoon. Walking along the Seine or through the city streets, it is easy to learn about the culture from observation. I appreciate that the program encourages us to learn through experience and use the city as our textbook.

Once we got tired, we took the metro back to the 20th for our first dinner with our hosts. They were very welcoming and made us feel right at home. We dined at 8:00pm and had dinner together for two hours! The French love conversation and discussion; we dove right into talking about life in the United States, politics, and social issues without missing a beat. During our dinner, I mentioned I had never been to France or seen the Eiffel Tower - which our hosts recommended we do immediately. Despite our jetlag, Natasha and I set out on an adventure to finish up our evening.

After a surprisingly easy metro ride, Natasha and I arrived at the Trocadero stop - a popular location for viewing the Eiffel Tower. Upon exiting, Natasha made me close my eyes so she could guide me to the perfect view to make my first time seeing the tower truly special. I opened my eyes and will let the pictures say the rest.

It was amazing. The tower stood out in gold against the dark summer sky, the classic symbol of Paris. The clock struck 11:00pm and the tower began to sparkle. I watched in awe and, in that moment truly felt like I was in Paris.

Coming to Paris and seeing the Eiffel Tower has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember (I know, cliché). For me, though, from learning about French language and culture for so many years, finally coming to France has served as a huge milestone in my education. Paris has been everything and more I could have expected - something I realized from the get go. Though I’ve only been here a short time, I know this summer will be great.