What inspired you to go abroad?
Both my parents did their fair share of traveling in their youth and always encouraged my brothers and I to as well. Traveling outside of the country is very expensive, especially as a family of five, and like most families, we could not afford to do it often. I did have the opportunity to go to Mexico twice when I was a child. For as long as I can remember, I've always wanted to go to France. Between the language, the music, the scenery, and the culture in general, I have always been absolutely infatuated with the country.
Eiffel Tower!
Why did you choose CEA?
I chose this program because it was a perfect match for me. I didn't want to be in Paris but still wanted to be in France. I didn't want to go abroad for a semester but wanted to be abroad for more than three weeks. I do not speak French and many of the programs I had found offered courses only in French. After hours and hours of searching, this was the only program that had everything I was looking for.
What was your favorite part about Aix-en-Provence?
This is a difficult question because Aix-en-Provence is an absolutely beautiful city with many amazing qualities. If I had to think of just one thing, I'd have to choose how welcoming and charming it is. Just taking a 20 minute walk at dusk or my half hour walks to school in the morning were exciting. During my walks to school, I would pass by shop owners opening up their shop for the day, parents walking their children to school, and businessmen and women enjoying a coffee and croissant at a cafe before heading off to work. At any hour of the day, I would be mesmerized by how beautiful the city was.
What made your experience abroad unique?
I think my experience was made unique by going and living on my own. Several people in my program, went with a friend from their college. I stepped on that plane going to a country where I did not know one single person. Everyone in my program, both students in the apartments and in homestays, had a roommate, except for me. This forced me to be friendly and get to know people and make friends. Although this was a little bit of a challenge at first, this definitely helped me grown out of my shell and led me to meet people that I still talk to today, seven months later.
How did local staff support you throughout your program?
Nancy and Karen could not have been more attentive and supportive throughout the six weeks. Karen was one of the first people I met at the airport and she was incredibly welcoming and made me feel at home which is exactly what I needed since I was 4,000 miles away from home and everything I knew for the very first time. Anytime I had a question about anything , they were always there ready to help me out. They were also two friendly faces I would recognize in the city from time to time.
What's one thing you wish you would have done differently?
With my friend, Gracie, at the lavender fields in Valensole, a city not too far from Aix.
Although I did take try to take advantage of all the activities my school and CEA program had to offer and tried to have the most fulfilling experience possible, there are times where I feel like I almost took my time abroad for granted. I would definitely try to keep in mind how special of an experience this is from the second you step on the plane to leave. As many people have told you, it goes by very fast so try to make the most of it and live every day to its absolute fullest!
Describe a typical day in the life of your program.
Of course no two days are the same when you're spending your summer in a foreign country! With that being said, I did quickly fall into a general routine. I would wake up around 7:30 a.m. and get ready to go to my morning politics class. Before my French class at 3:30 p.m., I would get lunch in the town and spend some time in the basement lounge of IAU, doing homework and hanging out with friends. Some days, I would use this time to explore the city.
After class, I typically walked around to take in the absolutely breathtaking beauty of Aix before heading back to my homestay for dinner. Every night was different! Sometimes I stayed in and hung out with my host mom and her daughter, some nights my friends and I would go get gelato on the Cours Mirabeau or go shopping or one of the dozens of other things to do in Aix! CEA offered many activities such as a wine tasting and a soap making class at nights. I attended as many of these events as possible. Weekends were typically spent traveling around the nearby cities and countries.
What did you enjoy doing in your free time?
Since I was there for only six weeks, I tried to fill up my time with as much cultural experiences as I could. When I had down time, I would check out the local museums. Aix is packed with art history and subsequently, a lot of art museums. Most offered discounted student rates. As said before, both CEA and the school, IAU, offer several activities and excursions. I attended as many of them as I possibly could. They were a great way to meet local classmates, get involved with the school, and learn more about the culture.
What was your accommodation like? What did you like best about it?
Beautiful St. Tropez!
I lived in a homestay conveniently located just a few minutes walk away from the Cours Mirabeau (the city's Main Street) with a divorced mother and her 20 year old daughter. They both knew just a few words of English. Although this would become frustrating at times, my French improved far more than it would have had I not been living with them. The best part was probably what a once in a lifetime and unique experience it was to live in real French home with a French family.
What is one thing every participant should know before participating in your program?
I would tell someone who is about to embark on their study abroad experience to really appreciate their time abroad and really take it in. Whether it's three weeks or six months, it is an absolutely magical time that is going to fly by! Try to get involved as much as you can and step out of your comfort zone and do things you normally wouldn't do. Take advantage of everything the program and/or school has to offer. They offer tons of activities (wine tastings, soap making, etc.) and excursions (usually to local cities), usually free or very inexpensive, and go to as many as you can! It is a great way to meet people and experience more of what your program and host country have to offer.
Now that you're home, how has your program abroad impacted your life?
As said before, I had not really left the country before. In addition to that, I had not done a lot of traveling outside of the North Eastern states. I was meeting a lot of people like me, who have had similar experiences to me. Spending an extended period of time nearly 4,000 miles away from everything I have known for the past 21 years really opened up my eyes to how big the world is and how many different walks of life of people there are. It helped to keep things in perspective and have a deeper amount of respect and understanding for people who have been raised differently than I was.
Would you recommend CEA to others? Why?
Without a doubt, I would absolutely recommend CEA. I cannot imagine going abroad with any other program. From before I had even chosen a program and sent my application to after I returned home, they were so helpful through everything. I would not change one thing about my experience with CEA.
