I don’t have the words to describe my experience leaving Strasbourg. I was excited to go see my family but so sad to leave a city that truly became my home. I knew the in’s and out’s of that city, from the best restaurants, parks, bars, streets, stores, so on. Everything about it was absolutely amazing. My favorite thing about the city was the every shop we went to was locally owned and authentic, something you don’t see as often in America because it’s hard for authentic stores to thrive. They all had their own quirks and were loved regardless of their flaws. Stores in America are curated to what they think the consumer would like, but in Strasbourg, they did what they wanted, and we loved them because of it. Nothing was better than grabbing a bowl from Harmonie then eating it on the river (when it was warm enough to sit outside without freezing to death). The one complaint I had was that I was only able to wear a short sleeved t-shirt maybe two times the whole time I was there. Even then, once it turned to 6pm I would be too cold to not have a jacket on.
I also really enjoyed the way the courses were set up. I only had three days of class a week meaning I had the longest possible weekend. Even when I did have classes it would only take up six hours of my day, meaning I still had a lot of free time to see my friends and explore the city. I also had a lot of time to travel, as many people expect when they study abroad. Though I did travel, I didn’t travel very often and only went on one large trip. I even got to go to Barcelona to work at the Bridal Fashion Week with my aunt which was really exciting.
Overall, I loved my time in Strasbourg and wouldn’t change it for the world. I hope to come back as soon as possible because it really did become a third home for me (after Austin and College Station). I still remember everything so vividly and am so grateful for my experiences there.