Howdy!
March and April flew by for me in Strasbourg! I went with a couple friends to Normandy, Amsterdam, South of France and spent a couple weekends in Strasbourg. I just got back from my spring break trip to Italy with a few friends. Italy was amazing, we stayed in Sorrento (on the southern coast) and took a day trip to Capri. We also stopped in Rome and Florence for a few days. I always get asked which city or country is my favorite, but that question is hard because they are all extremely different! In Italy I ate way too much pizza and gelato but it was definitely worth it. Hands down one of the best trips of my life.
Finals week has quickly approached and I am lucky to only have one presentation and one final. ?April was weird because my last class was on the 8th, and then I won’t have anything else until the 21st. For me, all of my classes are over with the exception of some form of assessment that will determine my final grade. I have definitely gotten used to group work and writing papers with other people, something I had not done much of before. ?The school system is still the same, the administrators are slow to do anything but I have gotten used to it. I have become friends with a girl that studies and lives in Strasbourg full time and it is interesting to hear her talk about the university. The organizations are very different than the organizations we have at A&M. There is an organization for international students, sports, arts and that is about it. To elect new officers a group of people hold “campaigns”, which basically means lets see who can throw the best party or set up the best afternoon activity at school. One day a group of people running for office brought a moon jump and had a BBQ in the courtyard.
My family is here, so they will be with me in Strasbourg for the next few days and then we will travel to Greece and Sweden and then I will go home. It is definitely a bittersweet feeling. I miss things about home, but I have come to love Strasbourg and the people here more than I ever thought I would. The flowers and trees are now blooming here and it is enjoyable to walk outside. I have started to eat outside more and more.
My advice for anyone even slightly considering studying abroad: do it. I promise you will not regret it. I have made friends here that I know will last a lifetime and I am so sad even thinking about leaving them. It is crazy how close you get to people in such a short time. I have been able to see so much of the world and have probably learned more traveling than in the classroom. Life experiences are something that you cannot put a price on.