Last week of UC Paris

In all honesty, I'm not sure what happened these past few months. Where did they all go? How did time fly so fast?

I still have many things I wish I had done but there's no point in dwelling in regrets. I still have a few days to go and a few more adventures left in Paris: souvenir shopping, the Hobbit premier, the Pantheon, perhaps the Catacombs?

This week is the last week of the fall UC Paris program and it is hectic as any other finals week chalk full of last-minute studying, study groups, in-class exams, essays, but also, with a side of fun.

Even if I am stressed out as ever, I need to check myself because HELLO, I'M IN PARIS!

During finals week, there is nothing as re-assuring to me as reading the following love letter:

Remember: It is a book. It is a test. It is a paper. That’s it. That’s all.

 Breathe in, breathe out.



During a rather philosophical talk with a friend as we walked around the track of a recreation center  next to the Eiffel tower, she and I discussed if and how we had grown during this time. If Paris had taught us anything... If there were any regrets... Benefits...


Thinking now... and comparing who I was as a person before I came into this program... I would say that yes, I believe I have grown as a person while here.

Yes, I'm still as lost and unsure as ever. Yes, I don't have a job or a finite plan in life. Yes, I haven't fully figured myself out yet...

But slowly by slowly, with every day and adventure, who I am and what I want to accomplish in life and who I want to be, the ambitions I have, everything becomes a little clearer.

They say that when you are separated by distance (especially while studying abroad), you would realize quickly who is most important in your life, who you make the effort to stay in contact with, and who makes the effort to stay in contact with you. Needless to be said, this has happened for me, and I have never been more grateful for having some of the most amazing and supportive friends and loved ones in my life :)

Three of my closest friends are pictured here (from left to right): Merisa, Bernie, and Michael, from when we went to visit Fontainebleu. This picture perfectly sums up our relationship in which we always have three different conversations. Family <3

It's interesting to think but out of all the EAP study abroad programs there are, for some reason, the four of us all decided on UC Paris for this specific semester and were able to meet. So in many ways, we were all brought together by fate :)

One of my other closest friends that I have made here: Harry. By some strange coincidence, we both met each other at a friend's dinner party and had an instant connection to one another. Love at first sight :)

Me in front of Trevi Fountain in Rome about to toss my coin in! One to return to Rome, two to fall in love.