How would I describe studying abroad? Interesting, daunting, and exhilarating.

In the summer of 2022, I attended the History and Biology of Paris program with Michigan State University.

With housing in the City of Lights, we were able to get an understanding of Paris, explore the major landmarks, walk for miles to find new adventures and learn to navigate the metro.

The total duration of this program was six weeks and I added one more to visit a friend in Ireland. Within these six weeks my classmates and I went through a lot of thoughts, emotions and explored a lot of different cities.

This program had a lot of ups, but an experience like this is not without its challenges and learning experiences. Traveling alone for the first time, entering into a country where you do not speak the language and trying to navigate the mannerisms of another culture is not an easy feat. It can be lonely and nerve-wracking, but with some perseverance and the outlook to learn it also has the potential to be one of the most amazing experiences of your life.

After a week or two in Paris everyone was a little worn out, but we had one night that brought a lot of us together. At this point we knew enough French to get us through a basic day and could navigate well enough to move throughout the city. Some of the students in our program invited us to take a long hike up to the highest point in Paris, Sacré Coeur. This is a Basilica located at the top of a large hill in the midst of the city. We all agreed and started our walk through the streets of Paris. We arrived and knew immediately why we decided to apply for this program. We understood and talked about how this program offered us a different perspective and understanding for the fields we were planning on entering. Sacré Coeur turned out to be a place with an amazing view and a place where we all were able to connect and understand each other.

After this, the program became more about living in the moment and learning then about living the “amazing study abroad experience.” I stopped thinking about how it should be and focused on all the things I was finding out and exploring.

In the future I want to become a doctor, and this means lots of learning and lots of growing. The study abroad experience is not a perfectly painted picture, it is an adventure full of confusion, understanding, exploration, collaboration and living in the moment the program presents to you.

Name: Lucille Broadwell
Status: Senior
Major: Human Biology
Hometown: Warren, Michigan
Program: History of Medicine and Public Health in France