Paris, For Real This Time

I have been fortunate enough to visit Paris twice, but this spring I will finally have the chance to live there. Rather than a long weekend or a carefully packed itinerary, I will spend an entire semester waking up in the city, attending classes, settling into a neighborhood café, and learning to navigate daily life the way Parisians do. Even now, it still feels surreal.

My first visit was with my mom. We had only two days, and we made the most of every single hour, moving from one landmark to the next and trying to absorb as much of the city as we possibly could. My second visit, this past March, was entirely different. I spent about a week there with a friend, and with more time, we were able to explore Paris far more deeply. We wandered through quiet corners and neighborhood spots that we never would have discovered on a shorter trip, and for the first time, I felt less like a tourist and more like someone who truly belonged there.

What stayed with me most after both trips was not the Eiffel Tower or the Louvre, though I loved them both. It was the rhythm of everyday life. People lingered at cafés for hours as though they had nowhere else to be. Lunch was treated as a real meal rather than something eaten hurriedly at a desk. Even a simple walk to the boulangerie was approached with a sense of intention and style. No one seemed to be rushing, and yet everything still seemed to work. I returned home both times asking myself why more of us do not choose to live that way.

A Semester Rooted in Culture

My coursework this semester reflects nearly everything I care about. I am taking French, and my goal is to move well beyond ordering a croissant to holding genuine, meaningful conversations. I am also enrolled in Food, Wine & Culture, which may very well be my dream class. In France, food is never simply food; it is deeply connected to region, history, craftsmanship, and identity, and I am eager to understand the stories behind what is served and why.

Alongside those, I will be taking Photography, Life in Paris, and Fashion History. Photography will challenge me to slow down and truly observe rather than simply capture. Life in Paris will offer a closer look at how the city functions, neighborhood by neighborhood. Fashion History feels especially personal to me, as it will allow me to learn where so much of the industry I have worked in first began.

Learning From the Best

Few countries have shaped the way the world thinks about dining and hospitality quite like France. It is home to some of the most respected culinary and hospitality schools in the world, and that sense of pride is visible everywhere, from the smallest neighborhood bistro to the most refined dining room. A meal is treated as the centerpiece of the evening rather than an interruption to it, the check arrives only when it is requested, and service is regarded as a true craft. I want to observe all of it closely, ask questions, and come to understand what makes French dining and hospitality feel so distinct.

Beyond Paris

One of the aspects of this semester that excites me most is that Paris will be only the beginning. I will also have the opportunity to travel to other parts of Europe, and I look forward to seeing how food, style, and hospitality shift from one country, and even one city, to the next.

I am also incredibly grateful that I will get to share this experience with my friends. Our shared notes app is, quite literally, miles long, filled with restaurants, cafés, neighborhoods, day trips, and everything we hope to see and taste along the way. We may not get to all of it, but we certainly intend to try.

Who I Hope to Become

I truly believe this semester will change me in meaningful ways. I expect to grow in my personal style, my vocabulary in both French and English, my patience, my independence, and my creativity. Living in a new city, immersed in a different language and learning to figure things out on my own, will stretch me in all of the right directions.

On a personal level, I hope to return home having embraced a slower and more intentional way of living, one that values the long lunch, the small details, and the importance of being fully present. Professionally, I want to carry with me the attention to detail and pride in craft that define so much of French culture. One day, I hope to build something of my own in hospitality, and when I do, I want people to walk in and feel the same way I felt sitting in those Parisian cafés.

After two visits, I already know that Paris will be one of the places that shapes who I become, and I cannot wait to see everything it has to offer.