One thing that has been interesting about being abroad is seeing how it is really up to you to define your priorities — want to travel all the time? You can do that. Want to fully immerse in the city where you are? Go for it. Maybe you really want to take maximum advantage of all of your classes. What I have found is that my schedule is a lot less demanding than it is at Northwestern and it has taken some reflection to decide what to do with all my time. First, I am trying to strike a balance between traveling abroad and immersing in Paris. So far I have traveled to London and Amsterdam and have had a great time exploring both. I am also trying to push myself to not settle into too much of a rhythm when I am in Paris and continually make an effort to explore new neighborhoods and buildings, because it is easy to get stuck in the familiar. Because I have had some extra time, I have decided to look into exploring certain interests I usually don’t have time to devote to. Just yesterday, I spent an hour in an art supply store trying to pick out a medium to explore. I settled for charcoal and a sketchbook made of brown paper (new to me) and am looking forward to sketching around the city. I also plan to head to Station F, the world’s largest startup campus, to explore the entrepreneurial environment here. I also discovered a Salsa Club that has free classes Wednesday and Thursday. Basically, there are a million activities to explore, and where better to do that than in the enormous and bustling city of Paris? Not to mention, it is a great way to practice my French!
hi izzy where are these salsa classes CAN WE GO