Sydney Mahmood, Culture through Literature in Paris Summer 2024
In the Culture through Literature in Paris program, we read literature about Paris from both American and French perspectives. Part of the curriculum includes reading Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast. Despite the 100-year gap, studying abroad is not much different than Hemingway finding time to write while dealing with the antics of the Fitzgeralds and traveling around to different cafes depending on his mood. If I hadn’t spent the past two weeks mastering the metro, I might never have realized how much Hemingway actually moved around in Paris. From Gertrude Stein’s apartment to Luxembourg Gardens to Shakespeare & Company, he found a comfortable routine amidst the bustling city. By the end of my month abroad, I had also found my rhythm in Paris. I knew whether to take Line 4 or 6, which cafes to avoid, my favorite arrondissement (S/O 4th), and the best spots to watch the Eiffel Tower sparkle.
As a senior, I had few opportunities left to study abroad, except for a summer program that would delay my degree to August. So, I was even more anxious that my first trip abroad would be a disaster and a waste of time. Despite my fears, I knew I had to step out of my comfort zone and seize this once-in-a-lifetime chance. This mindset helped me embark on adventures I never planned. I was part of a group of thirteen strangers who ended up feeling like family by the end of the program. We had little in common, but our conversations were some of the most enriching I’ve ever had, pushing me to try new things even if they initially seemed uninteresting. For example, I thought I disliked modern art until a guide at the Pompidou Center showed me a new perspective. I also embraced once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, like visiting Paris during an Olympic year and attending a last-minute Taylor Swift concert with two girls from my program. With adapting to Parisian culture, I learned to blend in with their mannerisms, have cafe etiquette, and perfected my “bonjour” so well that locals thought I was French. Trying new things is essential while abroad, and every experience, good or bad, is part of the learning journey. Yes, I encountered waiters who scoffed at my attempts to order in French, but I also experienced the thrill of talking to someone who doesn’t speak your language and laughing at the wild hand movements you are making to describe yourself. I feel like I left the program having a better sense of the person I am and creating a part of me who isn’t scared to say no.
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