In learning another language, you also learn another culture; French is spoken natively on nearly every continent, so in studying French, I learned about another world and how so many cultures were shaped. To experience it firsthand, I studied abroad in France, twice.
Paris is where I finally felt I had somehow become an “adult.” Over seven months, I discovered a city, my love for its culture, my true obsession with cheese, and my own capabilities in this city of lights. I went not knowing a soul, and left with lifelong friends. I tested my limits of independence, of taking risks, and of truly living an adventurous life. I realized that my zeal for living paired with what I had been taught, I had what it took to make Paris–and eventually, the world–my own.