Le coin des anciens

Now five years later, I remember my first day in Paris. After getting off the Métro, suitcase wheeling behind me, I walked into the first boulangerie I saw. I waited patiently in line, then said, “Bonjour! Un Croissant s’il vous plait.” The baker told me the price and gave me the croissant. Then I paid and I left. That was it. And it was magical.

“Un an à Paris a bouleversé ma vie.” Eh, non. Bien que ce soit vrai, c’est trop pathétique. “Paris m’a ouvert la porte vers une liberté invraisemblable de connaître et de savoir ce que c’est la vie.” Non, ca ne va pas non plus. C’est trop névrotique et d’ailleurs banal. Al ors, voyons. Comment commencer?

I remember being invited to my host mother’s summer house in Normandy when I was an Educo student in France.

Not only was the concept of a “summer house” alien to me, since I’d only lived in apartments growing up in the US, but, more curiously, the extent of freedom to safely wander that one could have in the French countryside was breathtaking.

I participated in the EDUCO program in 1995-1996, and it was one of the greatest experiences of my life. Study abroad is a wonderful and unique opportunity to discover a new country, culture and way of life, providing a realistic, first-hand dimension to accompany the classroom learning of the language and history. Paris is one of the most incredible cities in the world, and even two semesters full of sight-seeing are not enough!

Vivre c’est avoir vingt ans à Paris. C’est tomber amoureux plusieurs fois par jour et pour toujours, avec des passantes, avec des copines d’un moment, avec la ville. C’est sentir l’air frais d’octobre, les fleurs des jardins au mois de mai. C’est faire la fête avec des amis de la fac jusqu’à cinq heures du matin et ne pas même sécher les cours ensuite.

Greetings reader,
I spent my junior year of college—from September 2008 to June 2009—in Paris via the EDUCO program. Those 10 months represented a new turn and phase of my life. Never before had I been abroad, but I came back with European friends and acquaintances, greatly enhanced foreign language skills, and a more international view of the world.