Western Europe is one of the most fantasized about regions of the world; its rich history and popularity making up the stuff of people’s daydreams. While for many other NYU students it is as easy as a flight away, for Chinese nationals like me the struggle to obtain a legal entry permit had been arduous. Nonetheless, I think this only made me cherish my experience abroad this summer that much more. From late May to early July, I attended the NYU Summer in Paris program and traveled around various major European cities thanks to the close proximity of everything in Europe. After a year of planning and contemplating my journey, it was refreshing to finally reach the destination. And in the end, the City of Lights neither fell short of nor exceeded my expectations. First off, the neighborhood housing that served as the accommodations for summer program students can be best described as “up and coming.” Rue Oberkampf, a road full of lively bars and hipster cafés, was not so different from all the other roads in the 11th arrondissement. If you can imagine the city of Paris as several concurrent circles, from the central downtown circle to further parts, the residence likely rested in the second one. Independent restaurants flourished in this area, including one of my favorite types: fusion cuisine. The highlight of my food exploration on Oberkampf was a Korean-French restaurant, named after the chef Pierre Sang. While Sang has garnered numerous culinary awards worldwide, the venue itself was unassuming and blends in perfectly with its surroundings. Glass doors noted the set menu prices and specials; behind them, there was a long wooden table for diners adjacent to an open kitchen. Perhaps the only standout characteristic was the lack of an apparent name sign. Nevertheless, the food here was sublime and for every dish my companions and I were asked to guess the ingredients. In the end, the four of us were completely impressed by the delicacy and creativity of the food, which was accompanied, of course, by premium wine.Besides eating, there were millions of marvelous things to do in Paris. Students in the program all took the opportunity to explore the city and its suburbs in separate groups or independently. However, in addition to the opera, the theater, and the walking tours organized by NYU Paris, the summer program also sponsored two day-long excursions during the weekends that helped us venture outside Paris and gain a better understanding of French culture and history. I attended a trip to the Château de Malmaison, a well-preserved historical mansion built by Napoleon’s first wife. The guide was informative and the tour turned out to be fairly enjoyable; especially when we visited the petit château, a smaller establishment built later and adjacent to the original château. A well-dressed gentleman who turned out to be the actual proprietor greeted us. From the water-lily-filled pond in the garden to airy living rooms full of art works, I was overwhelmed by surreal feelings. It was difficult to believe that I was seeing paintings, sculptures and home decors that I had only previously seen in textbooks and magazines, given the abundant pseudo-European concepts and items back in China. Having a sense of direction and organization can be pleasant but sometimes it felt even better to be spontaneous and get lost. That’s why almost every weekend I hopped on Europe’s efficient and comfortable rail systems and travelled to a different corner of the continent: Amsterdam, Brussels, Lausanne, Munich, Berlin, etc. The city that left me with the greatest impression was Brussels, for three reasons. First, it is a bilingual city with a name in plural form. Brussels, Bruxelles, try the French pronunciation, it is tough but fun! All the road signs are written in Flemish and French, which is a phenomenon that I, a believer in multiculturalism, was more than content to see. Second of all, it is the spiritual hometown of Jacques Brel, a legendary Belgian singer-songwriter whose witty yet cathartic music I very much enjoy.Last but not least, let’s not forget the savory, meaty cuisine of Brussels, the home of Michelin-starred restaurants like La Paix and the all-so-familiar breakfast and bakery place Pain Quotidien.If I told you all these weekend trips by train were not exhausting, you should know I would be lying. After all, besides all these sidetracks—no pun intended—the Summer in Paris program’s intermediate level or above courses are rigid. I chose to take the “Conversation and Composition” language class as well as “French Society and Culture through Cinema” course, which were both conducted in French. I certainly had trouble keeping up at the start of the program—given my limited French proficiency and a laidback summer mindset—but in the end I was pleasantly surprised by the progress and result of my studies during this month and half period. Most importantly, I began to regard cinema with a whole new perspective, washed over by the creativity and peculiarity of the Nouvelle Vague. If I was to reflect on this experience by myself, I could go on all day with meticulous details and superfluous emotions. To me this is proof of how unforgettable my time studying abroad this summer has been. To others hoping to make the best out of studying abroad, my ultimate advice is to set out for a destination and not to worry too much! Whether you hope to be kissed on the lips under the street lamps of Pairs or want to shout and cheer along the canal after midnight, it is your youth and your precious memory, so catch every moment of sensitivity and thrill along the way.

This article was written by Ze Liu. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Ze Liu