I'm currently in an internet café, so I don't have much time, but I'll try to describe what this year is shaping up to be. I am among experienced college students, and contrary to my expectations I think I will be taking actual classes at the Sorbonne instead of the intensive grammar classes that Winsor signed me up for. That means art history, French literature, philosophy, and something else- maybe history. Also I think I'll be taking an extra-curricular film course and a museumology course, and hopefully tutoring, taking clarinet lessons, taking art classes, and traveling. Classes don't start for another week or two; right now I and the other 10 Americans (9 girls total and only 2 boys- this seems to be common among study abroad programs) have been walking a ton and learning about the logistics of the program, and speaking mostly English to each other while we have the luxury. There are two other Harvard kids, both Jewish, and I finally have somewhere to go for Yom Kippur. What a relief. I still don't know who I'm staying with and I hope Internet and phone things pan out soon- I'll keep you posted. The people on the trip are interesting, adventurous, and very friendly, and although the program won't bring us together much, I plan to hang out with them as much as possible.
Mon francais est en train d'ameliorer, mais j'ai une distance à aller. Au revoir!

Welcome!

In my quest for personalized mass communication, the blog seemed like the best way to go. I'll be maintaining this blog with my observations, reactions, and chronicles of a year in Paris.

For background's sake: I, an 18-year-old, received a scholarship from my high school to attend the Cours de Langue et Civilisation at the Universite de Paris-Sorbonne. I'll be spending a year there and then returning to start as a freshman at Harvard.

I'm leaving on Sunday night. At the moment, I'm not sure what to expect, and I'm (understandably) somewhat nervous. I'm looking forward to seeing what's to come!