Paris holds the key to my heart

It was my childhood dream to go to Paris and when I was applying to study abroad programs I was looking for a structured program with enough guidance to feel safe leaving the country for a semester but also enough leeway for me to enjoy free time in this new city. I wanted to get the most bang for my buck and APA delivered. I loved that we had could decide what Parisian universities to attend, our metro passes were included in the program fees, we got weekly tickets to all different kinds of shows across Paris (dance, traditional theater/avant garde, concerts), tutoring for French language. Sophie, Blandine, and Claire are very sweet and are genuinely concerned with how we were getting along with the program.

Things to note: 1) Beware of pickpocets! I can not stress this enough. Tourists/Americans are huge targets... even locals are frequently stolen from. Never leave your phone in your pocket. 2) You meet such amazing people through APA it's easy to stick to your new American friends and speak English. It's imperative to make French friends to learn slang and informal speech. 3) As a woman-of-color it can be a bit more of a culture shock to navigate being a minority in another country, make French friends you think might share the same experiences as you, they will have a lot of tips. 4) Some host families love it when you cook American meals to share with them at dinner 5) Explore the city even when you don't feel like it. A lot of times when I felt down and lonely cause I missed family and friends back home I'd go out to a part of the city I had never been before and discover something new to lift my mood.

All in all, this was an incredible experience and I'm so glad I chose APA. I felt so supported and I met some really amazing people and made lifelong friends!