CEA CAPA Education Abroad in Aix-en-Provence, France

Aix was the most amazing city to study abroad in. You had plenty of people that don't know English, which is perfect for learning French. People are extremely accepting of foreigners in Aix, which separates it a lot from the atmosphere in Paris. Vivienne was the most amazing CEA staff member. She was always there to help us though any situation, from housing to travel plans, to planning our excursions. You will not regret choosing Aix!

Have you ever eaten lunch in a cave house that is 100s of years old? I did. Our CEA director Vivienne was amazing at finding unique day trips for us and one of them was to visit Lolo. He is the last of a long line of farmers and lives in a beautiful cave farmhouse where he still prepares farm fresh meals for groups. He is the sweetest old man and his house is amazing to see! If you take a walk around the house and the yard you can see old farming equipment stashed away or simply left out in the elements. Lolo prepared a lovely French lunch for us all while we enjoyed the picturesque view and the Provence sunshine.

While I was in Aix, I turned 21, which is a huge staple in the US. I wasn't going to be able to celebrate with anyone from home. Another girl who became one of my close friends shared a birthday with me, as well. Mama Viv arranged for us to have a nice dinner at Cafe Carrefour with our friends. Everyone sang to us (including the wait staff). Afterwards, we danced around in the cafe and had a fabulous time. It was one of my favorite birthdays, and it was truly unforgettable!

I had only been in France about a week when I got news that my grandpa and one of my cousins had been killed in a car accident back home and that my grandma and aunt and uncle were all in intensive care in the hospital because of the accident. That was on a Sunday that I found out. On Monday morning, I went to the CEA office and let them know what had happened. Although they could probably barely understand me through my tears, they were there for me, which was what I needed at the time. They were so supportive. Once I made it through that initial shock, they continued to make sure that I was doing ok throughout my semester there. It was one of the hardest times in my life, and I couldn't have asked for better people to help me through.

This program changed my life. Everything from the academics at the University to the excursions that we had on the weekends. I had such an authentic awesome semester in Aix. The scenery couldn't have been more amazing. Our apartment was everything that a college student could need. The women in the office were always helpful. I really enjoyed hanging out there, borrowing books, asking questions, and getting advice. The city is such a fun atmosphere as well because there are so many young people in the area. It is so different from Paris and so uniquely French. I wish that I could do this all over again and if I could I would have done a year and set of a semester. In order to become 100% immersed in the program it is really importan I wish that I could do this all over again and if I could I would have done a year and set of a semester.

I went to Aix 7 years ago for a year long study abroad. It was the best experience of my life. I loved the support there. The weekend and day trips were so much fun, and there were also plenty of classes, wine tasting, chocolate tasting etc to choose to do as well. The school program was great and I learned more French with in a month in Aix then I did with 5 years of French language in the U.S. If you're thinking about going to France choose Aix!

I went to Aix in the Spring of 2015 and loved it so much! The staff was very helpful and the school I went to was a great place to learn while away from my home university. The housing was incredible! I was in an apartment with another person from CEA. One of the best parts about this program was the comradery formed between the other CEA Aix students and myself. I've definitely found friends for life! The location could not be more perfect. I was in Aix in January and the lowest it got was 32 degrees at night, never snowed, and hardly rained. The sun was shining and it was warm almost the whole time, something very different from the winters and springs in the Northeast.

I think it would be hard to go to Aix and not like it, but Vivienne, Nancy, and the CEA program helped me love every day of my time in France. I'm sure that they've had so many students come through their program over the years, but they did an incredible job of establishing a personal connection with every student, and their amazing kindness and support went a long way towards really helping me feel at home in Aix. Not only were they super helpful with ideas, details, and logistics for great adventures, but they were totally committed to doing their best to help during tougher times. I had my wallet stolen, and without their support I would have had a really tough time getting everything figured out. Instead, Vivienne spent much of her Sunday working to help me out, and I was quickly back on my feet. I would use kind and committed to sum Vivienne and Nancy up in two words, and they become just as much of a major part of my fondness for France as croissants and rosé.