A Year in France or a Globe-Trotting Adventure?

I have just been watching some of the video essays that students who participate in the ISEP Program (International Student Exchange Programs) have made in previous years. While I find it all very compelling, some of the essays have given me the impression that a lot of the students spend more of their time travelling than going to uni.

This is something I am a bit confused about. I know for a fact that I want to take advantage of the opportunity to travel around, but I also have this desire to stay in France and pick up the language. It is a bit of a conundrum. I am sure I will be able to do both, I just thought it was amazing that these students found the time and the money to go to several different countries when the academic year is actually quite short. That being said, I was really impressed with the essays, I thought they were really interesting.

One of the great things about Amiens, is that it is very near Paris, which in turn, means that it will be easy to travel. Amiens is in the North of France, almost right between Paris and Lille. I, as many other francophiles I know, love Paris. I am sure that I will be spending a lot of time there. A new experience for me will be travelling up through Nord-Pas-de-Calais, and seeing Lille, along with getting the chance to see Belgium. This of course, will only feed my love, and slight obsession with 'les bandes-dessinées', otherwise known as French comic books. Tin Tin and other famous titles have originated from Belgium and the northern part of France.

Speaking of Bandes-Dessinées, and totally off topic, Luc Besson, legendary director of 'Nikita' and other films from the 'Cinéma du Look' genre, has recently put out a new film in France. I saw the trailer for it in Paris, and it looks absolutely fantastic. The film is called 'Les aventures extraordinaires d'Adèle Blanc-Sec' and is based on the famous French bandes-dessinée of the same name. I desperately hope I can see it on the big screen, but if not, I will probably buy it at the start of next year.

Finishing Up

So today, as I scrawled out the last few sentences of my English to French translation exam, I realised how close I am to actually picking up and moving to France next year. The last few minutes of a three hour translation exam is not the best place to have a profound realisation, but it happened nonetheless.

I should probably explain why I had this realisation. I am currently a second year student at the University of Central Lancashire. I am pursuing my degree in Modern Languages, namely French and Spanish. I have a soft spot for all things French...cinema, literature, what have you...Therefore, I am going to l'Université Picardie Jules Verne in Amiens next year, to study both the French language, and experience the French culture firsthand.

I am very excited for many reasons. First and foremost, I am eager to improve my French. Secondly, I am thrilled to be going to France and experiencing the culture without being a tourist. I have been to France several times, as a visitor. While this is always enjoyable, it will be very interesting to understand the nuances of French culture when actually living there.

This is also an opportunity for me to keep in touch with friends from the States and from England. They will be able to see what is going on in l'Hexagone, and Amiens in particular.

I will update this throughout the summer, about the visa process (fun fun fun!) and about preparing to go, as well as the year abroad.