My mom asked me today when I was going to actually send in my application for Paris. I told her that I wasn’t 100% that’s where I want to go. I’m totally a city girl at heart, but I keep hearing bad things!

It’s dirty. There’s dog poop everywhere. It’s expensive. The people are unfriendly… You get the idea.

I even got an IM this morning from someone I know who is in France for the year:

(6:46:39 AM): and by the way, if you have the opportunity to go to somewhere OTHER than paris, I’d do it…I’ve been there twice now and i’m really not such a fan so far
(6:47:59 AM): it’s really not too different from DC…just with more languages and more scary, crazy drunk homeless people on the subway

AWESOME.

My mom brought up a good point, “where else are going to go?”. I have no idea.

So I went on studyabroad.com and searched for academic programs in Northern France (If I’m not in Paris, I think I still at least want to be close by)…

• CIEE has programs in Rennes and Paris. But the only housing option is housestays. That’s out.
• SUNY Rockport has a program in Tours. Housestays. And it’s just one big French immersion course. Two strikes.
• Syracuse has a program in Strasbourg. No. (Personal reasons.)
• IES Dijon is a business program. Homestays. Out.
• Rutgers has a program in tours. Apartments. That’s good. Although the deadline’s passed.
• BCA has a business program in Nancy (Strasbourg). I’ll have to check back into it.
• Miami‘s French programs are all taught in French. See previous post.

Well after that, it started to be all repeats and I got bored. So I’ll research the BCA program further. But I don’t know if I wanted to go through all the trouble of making sure it has everything I need and if the courses transfer. Ugh.

Can anyone tell me any good things about Paris?

That would just make this all easier.