By mcbitter
In less than 24 hours, I will be boarding a plane to Paris! It seems like many of my peers have already left for their programs, but my departure date was perfect for me - it allowed me to spend about two weeks with family and friends at home, as I had stayed at GW the majority of the summer for an internship.
One question I've been asked a lot is "What are you most looking forward to in Paris?" That's an easy one for me (and no, it's not sampling all the croissants and macaroons I can find, though that's a close contender!). After paying a visit to all the typical tourist attractions and sites, I'm really excited to discover what we can call 'city gems,' or the niches that locals enjoy regularly and that a tourist might stumble upon while exploring a neighborhood. (Hopefully, finding these places will help me feel like less of a tourist!) Although I'm not originally from the area, I've found many places like this during my time in Washington, DC, and they've really made me feel like I have my own grasp on the city over the years. (For example, if you have a sugar craving and need a cupcake in Georgetown, go to Baked & Wired rather than Georgetown Cupcake! GW students practically swear by this.)
Another thing that I'm excited to enjoy is one advantage of participating in the GW Paris Fall Business Program (which is for GW Business students). Though we have classes Monday through Thursday, each Friday includes a "site visit" (aka field trip!). Some of this year's highlights include visiting the European Union, paying a visit to Normandy, and seeing Monet's Giverny estate. It should be a lot of fun!
I could probably go on for many more paragraphs, but I'm going to limit it to this - gotta get some sleep before the big day! Safe travels to all the other GW students out there!