I landed in Paris, France, at Charles De Gaulle Airport early in the morning on January 8th. I had never been to Europe before, so being in this foreign country with no idea how to function was quite scary. My program and school, CEA Capa, had scheduled a driver to pick me up from the airport and drop me off at my quaint apartment in the 20th arrondissement, where I met 4 out of 6 of my lovely roommates (the other two go to Chapman!). I was so excited to be there with all of them; they are the best people ever. All seven of us were placed in a four-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment that couldn’t have been more perfect. It was a five-minute walk to the metro station and about a twenty-minute commute to school.  

I didn’t know what to expect at all, and I had known close to nothing about Paris before arriving to study there. CEA had set up an amazing intro week for us so we could get to know the staff and students. Walking to CEA’s building for the first time was jaw-dropping. It is nestled in the 3rd arrondissement of Paris, the Marais district. The Marais came to be one of my favorite areas in Paris. It had the most amazing food options (it was a struggle not to try something new every day) and the cutest thrift stores with the most affordable cute clothes I had seen in my life. Another area I have grown to absolutely adore in Paris is Montmartre. Montmartre is a historic and culturally rich district in the 18th arrondissement of Paris. It is located on top of a hill that offers stunning views of the city and is crowned with the most beautiful church known as the Sacré Cœur. Sitting on the hill in Montmartre was one of my favorite things to do. The panoramic view of the city, including the Eiffel Tower, is something that is permanent in my brain. 

Having so many amazing historical museums and chapels in one city was also such an amazing aspect of Paris. My roommates and I made a museum and historic site bucket list and made sure to go to every single one we wanted to. Some of the museums we went to include the National Archives Museum in the Marais, The Centre Pompidou, The Louvre, the Panthéon, Musée d’Orsay, Musée de la Vie Romantique, Musée de l’Orangerie, Sainte Chapelle, and so many more. Being able to pop into the Louvre for a casual after-class adventure was a crazy experience. I feel as though I had never experienced art like this in my life, and I was beyond lucky to live in such a historic city full of museums.  

The biggest blessing Paris brought me was the ability to travel. Early on in January, one of my roommates (and now best friends) and I sat down, and we decided that we needed to start booking trips so we could take advantage of our time in Europe. We had no idea how to go about this crazy plan because we didn’t want to spend too much money. Paris’s prime location gave us the chance to purchase Eurail passes. This pass made it cheaper than normal to travel around Europe without the stress of having to go to the airports, which are located far out of Paris’s city center. Taking the trains solved most of our travel concerns, so we began booking trips! Some places we went to included Amsterdam, London, Brussels, Switzerland, Germany, Bordeaux, Normandy, Nice, and Honfleur. I was lucky enough to book only one trip that required a flight. I went to Malta with four of my close friends from Chapman. It was such an awesome experience. I was also incredibly lucky to have so many visitors while I was in Paris. My roommates and friends from Chapman visited, my parents visited, and even my hometown best friends spent a week with me. I got to show them how amazing Paris truly is.  

Studying abroad in Paris brought so many amazing things and memories into my life. My roommates were the most amazing people, and I am so lucky to have lifetime friends that are all scattered across the US. Getting the chance to try so many different authentic foods within France and traveling outside of France was such a treat. Studying abroad gave me the opportunity to experience and see so many different cities and countries that I wouldn’t have been able to see otherwise. Paris is the best city out there!  

 

 

 

Kaylie Roche  

Business Administration 

Spring 2024 

Paris, France