PARIS. 

OH LÀ LÀ. par OÙ puis-je COMMENCER?

I could honestly write a book about my experiences in this wonderful city. Trust me - it's been one month (and eight days, five hours...) since leaving and I don't think I've gone a single day without mentioning Paris in conversation. 

My time in Paris was a period of growth - mostly through realizing and combatting several anxieties and fears that I would have never discovered in the familiarity of my college campus . It was a time of transformation, exploration, and the awakening to a bolder women that I would have never imagined to identify as myself.

I entered my study abroad with no expectations - or so I thought. Secretly, I anticipated instantly clicking with a group of students who were equally passionate about photography as I, acquiring an authentic Parisian accent, and easily passing as a local myself by adapting to the local fashion culture. I was in for a rude awakening throughout my first few weeks in my new home. I struggled to find others who shared - let alone understood - my burning desire to explore Paris through my lens. Speaking in French on a day-to-day basis revealed that despite my 8 years of learning French, I still sputtered to string together coherent sentences to ask for directions, buy groceries, or talk about my favorite TV shows at dinner with my host family. And as much as I admired the bold-yet-effortless fashion choices made by passersby (a black fur coat with white adidas sneakers? pourquoi pas?), most shop prices were outside of my broke-college-student budget (Goodwill please come to Paris xo).  After a meltdown on the phone with Maria, a dear friend of mine who had finished her own study abroad in Paris right before me, I realized that I needed to change my approach to the rest of my stay. Gradually, I allowed myself to make mistakes in French, to slip into an American accent when I was confused or frustrated about something, and to be occasionally replied to in English despite striking up the conversation in French. I embraced the slow, sometimes awkward process of making new friends and watched my relationships blossom into permanent lifetime bonds. As for the fashion...I contented myself with my turtlenecks and all-black ensembles (close enough). Of course, those are just three of many aspects that changed - but I'd hate to go on a tangent (besides, there are so many pictures to look at below!!).  In short, I let go of what I expected myself to be, and saw myself becoming someone that I had always wanted to be. Being able to embrace the hiccups on this journey made the moments where everything naturally fell into place all the more enjoyable. I will always cherish this chapter of my life, and I'm honored to share a piece of it with you.

You will need:

• One turtleneck (preferably black)
• One pair of high-waisted trousers
• A pair of high-heeled boots (can be substituted for white sneakers)
• Top with a beret of your choice

Wear as little or as often as you please (I opted for the latter, as most of my photos will reveal)!

food

FAQ: What's the food in Paris like?

Above, you will see a selection of my favorite meals that to me, exemplify la cuisine française: essentially, anything bread, chocolate, or fromage-based. As a girl who's into fitness and (relatively) clean-eating, living my best gourmande life was a bit overwhelming at first. However, with all things, I adapted and learned to appreciate the richness of the foods at my fingertips. I once thought myself not to be a "bread-person", the same way others claim not to be "breakfast people". However, by October, I found myself frequently wandering towards the "baguette corner" of my host family's kitchen to tear off a chunk of fresh bread -  whether or not I was actually hungry. Europe was pitifully lacking in the realm of peanut butter (if you know me, you'll know that this was a tragedy), but compensated with a rich selection of both inexpensive and luxurious (but all so delicious) chocolates.  Chocolat fondant, basically lava cake's second cousin, was my favorite dessert to order at any restaurant. Paris is truly a food lover's paradise - and don't worry about packing on any extra pounds.  The portions are more reasonable than the super-sized American style, and you'll walk off the excess calories (especially if you're anything like me and get lost very easily)!!

friends

I've always found the process of friends incredibly nerve-wracking. When I started college, I basically started all over again in finding new circles to hang out with, and  individuals that I not only vibed with, but who were also as willing to invest in a deeper level of intimacy as I was.  Although I had three years of practice coming into my study abroad program, having to adapt to a completely new culture added to the pressure of finding students with whom I could relate. The funny thing about being in a new environment is that you can basically recreate yourself; you don't have to behave in the ways that people at home know you for, and you don't have to be weighed down by past mistakes or by expectations that you have yet to fulfill. But when you find the right group of people, you realize that -  blank slate or not -  you can be completely and shamelessly yourself. Within my program, I made friends from three different universities - Cornell, Emory, and Tulane - and was amazed to learn about the similarities in our academic cultures and the striking differences. If I were to ever visit Cornell, I'd find students who were as fiercely proud of their school's rankings on the U.S. World Report as the average Hopkins student. If I went to Emory, I now know to avoid the Duckling at all costs for a decent meal. And if I'm ever in NOLA around Mardi Gras, I know who to hit up in Tulane for a good time ;) 

Finding my study abroad "circle" defined the course of my study abroad. Within my circle, I found travel buddies, models for spontaneous shoots, French-speaking practice partners, late night confidantes, relationship coaches, and life teachers. I learned to let go of my fear of being disappointed in my friendships and trusted people whose pasts I knew nothing about for four months. One of my favorite weekends was the weekend of my 21st birthday. I'll never forget how stressed I was on that Saturday night, as basically everyone else from my program had taken a day trip to Chartres and were fatigued after a long day of walking around the city. Ironically, I was the one that ended up oversleeping for my own outing! After a 40-minute, anxiety-filled commute to my friend's dorm room/RDV point, I was shocked to walk into a full-blown dance party! By that time it was already midnight, but everyone was eager to dance the night away - even the friends that normally weren’t night owls. And so we did, at one of the best Afro/Hip-hop clubs in Paris  - followed by pizza in a random bar at 4 am, lounging on the couches of their nonsmoking section (a blessing in Paris) and rambling about life whilst only half-awake. Moments like that and many more in our daily interactions confirmed that these connections would last much longer than those four months we spent physically together.

I’d be remiss to talk about Paris without mentioning the wonderful French friends I made along the way! Parisians get a bad rap for being unfriendly and cold - that certainly seems true on the metro, but who could blame them? It smells, it’s crowded, and many are headed to pretty mundane destinations like work or school in the early morning. I had the privilege to meet and befriend French people that disproved my own preconceptions. A month into my program,I gave up on waiting for an organic friendship to for with the generally clique-y Parisian students at the university I attended, and decided to reach out online to make connections. My main goal was to find fellow creatives to collaborate on photoshoots, but I ended up striking luck and finding people that I easily clicked with on a personal level. Being able to explore Paris from the perspective of those who knew it best, discuss cultural differences and similarities, and overcome language barriers with grace and humor deepened my appreciation for my time abroad. Mes amis français, je suis tellement reconnaissante de vous avoir fait connaissance, et en outre de pouvoir rester en contact avec vous! Vous tiendrez toujours une place spéciale dans mon cœur.

places

Paris is a living museum. Turn any street corner and you will find yourself surrounded by buildings constructed in the iconic Haussmanian style. As breathtaking as the architecture was throughout my time in Paris, it also was the source of my countless times ending up lost on a nearly-identical street, after having turned the wrong corner of a six-way intersection. However, if there is anywhere in the world where you would want to get lost, Paris is definitely one of those places. Every street lends itself to a host of unique cafés, shops, flower markets, street-side vendors and historical treasures. My first visit to the Louvre was a complete accident; I had gotten lost on the way to a field trip to the Musée de l'Orangerie and ended up walking right to it! Before winter hit Paris full force, I turned this unfortunate habit of mine into an opportunity to explore the sectors of Paris that are not typically found on the "Top 10 Places to Go" lists. The slower pace of life there allowed for more time to walk aimlessly, sit introspectively in gardens, and people-watch - activities that I would never think to do on a typical weekday at school. Most of the time, I did not have my DSLR with me to capture the picturesque views that I would accidentally stumble upon. Thankfully, my iPhone 6S camera and Snapchat camera did not disappoint!

for the culture

I'm not even gonna lie - some of the best cuisine I had in Paris was not Parisian at all. Paris is a melting pot of cultural richness - from the small Chinese takeout restaurants in between the high-end boutiques of the 8e arrondissement to the quartiers that are renowned for the immigrants that have completely transformed the space. Château Rouge, also known as the African Quarter, is one such place - located in the 18e arrondissement, it is a hub for all sorts of commerce -  ankara  fabric shops, open air produce markets, shoe stores, black hair supply stores, hair braiding salons, restaurants, and a fair share of fell-off-the-truck vending activity. Some might see it as disorganized and chaotic, with aggressive (depending on your level of melanin) street vendors approaching you from multiple directions to have you try on or sample their goods, and then coax you into buying multiple. While that is true to some extent, for me,  Château Rouge will always be a slice of home for me in Paris.  There is nowhere else in the city where I can expect to find anyara, enjoy a deliciously spicy Senegalese meal, and buy 2 euro Mac lipsticks - all within a 300 meter radius. You will certainly not find anything about Château Rouge in any magazine about Paris - but trust me, it's worth a trip or two. 

Food is my love language, and I was thrilled to share it with friends as we dined in a variety of ethnic restaurants. I fell head-over-heels for Haitian food in Paris - I had the honor of going to two different restaurants with my dear Haitian friend, Anshera, who was able to teach me the cultural importance of certain menu staples as I happily stuffed myself. I also still drool over the manioc fufu and peanut soup that I devoured at a hole-in-the-wall Togolese restaurant. The only thing more impressive than the richness and depth of flavor to the meal was that my mostly-white company managed to eat fufu with their hands like pros (shoutout to the Duke Engage program in Togo). And I cannot forget the free (thank you EDUCO!),multi-course, Cameroonian meal that I enjoyed on my birthday! Juicy steak with (an actually spicy!) pepper sauce, palm wine, and a chocolate fondant cake with whipped cream to close the night - am I the only one drooling? Paris is truly a hub for culinary and cultural excellence - but it takes a bit of adventure-seeking and openness to experience the full extent of it.

Paris, tu me manques tellement, mais je te promets de revenir très bientôt!