Hello, Giana Eddy here! I am a Diverse Duck for the Spring term of 2026, as I am studying abroad in Paris, France. Today is March 30th. I arrived in Paris on March 27th. Upon my arrival, I picked up my checked luggage at Charles de Gaulle Airport and took a taxi to my apartment. Today is actually my first day as an intern at the American Medical Center in Paris! My study abroad program is the GlobalWorks Internship in Paris, France.
I chose this program for two reasons: first, I am a human physiology major and aspire to attend medical or nurse practitioner school; and second, since I was a little girl, I have always dreamed of seeing Paris. This program is actually perfect for me. I am receiving credits and am enrolled as a full-time student; my internship is related to my major and counts toward my C-tier elective credits required for graduation. I am only 19, and this is my first time ever leaving the States. I was really scared at first, but now I know I have no reason to be!
Image
Paris is a beautiful city. The architecture is magnificent, and the city is extremely walkable. I love walking past the cream-colored buildings; it feels like I am living straight out of a movie! On my first day here, I got to my apartment at 4 PM, then got ready for dinner. I had a delicious steak frites with tiramisu as a dessert. After dinner, I walked to the Eiffel Tower with friends I had made. We got to see it sparkle at night, definitely my favorite way to end an evening!
On my second day, I saw all of Paris. I visited sites such as Notre Dame Cathedral and the Louvre Museum, which is the biggest museum in the world! I didn't go inside the Louvre though. I am saving that for another day. I ended the day off by trying a Thai restaurant. This is where I had the best mango sticky rice of my life! Then I sat on the Seine River and watched the Eiffel Tower sparkle until 1 AM.
With that being said, I have had to navigate through many challenges. For example, as someone who only knows a little French, ordering food can be difficult with the language barrier. Luckily, almost everyone here speaks English. As long as you are polite, they will have no issues helping you.Another difficulty I have faced was the time change. Being eight hours ahead is very hard to get used to; in fact, now nine hours ahead. In Europe, daylight saving time changed on March 28th. I hope I am used to the time change by tomorrow. Nonetheless, this has been a wonderful experience so far!
While I am here, I hope to improve my French, visit the Palace of Versailles, learn a lot about the French healthcare system, and compare it to the U.S. healthcare system.
A bientot
Giana Eddy, Diverse Ducks Ambassador