Alexis Morton: Eiffel in Louvre with Paris

It’s hard to believe that 3 months has already past, and I’m at the end of the semester so soon. In January it seemed like I would be here for so long, but already it’s bright into the evening and I only have one more class to finish. I think I finally realized that I was acclimatized to life in France when I spent a sunny Sunday laying on the grass under the Eiffel tower. There were locals all around us, enjoying their wine, baguettes, and cheese on a beautiful Parisian day; and I was doing the same. The bustling city intimidated me at first: the maze of the metro system, the abrupt French people with no time to help a foreigner.

 

When I first arrived in France, I seriously wondered what I had signed myself up for. It had seemed like a good idea at home, but once I was here I wasn’t sure anymore. Before long I settled into a routine, and one day as I sat under the Eiffel tower, I realized that I wasn’t forcing it anymore, I had just fallen into place.

My big learning curve this semester has been to deal with plans that change, and sometimes having no backup plan. I’ve learned that I don’t need to have every moment and detail set in place; sometimes the best opportunities just fall at your feet. In a short period of time I think I have grown in huge ways. I’ve become more independent, confident in my capabilities, and brave; leaving Vancouver was a hard transition, but it has been the best decision.

Alexis is a third year Bachelor of Business Administration student studying abroad at France Business School in Amiens, France.