Third time's a charm...
Although I studied abroad in Madrid and Bamako last year and found out just how exhausting traveling can be, I have to admit that it did not stop me from doing it at least one more time. This year, for a fall semester, I will be standing and interning in Paris! Honestly, i cannot believe that I am doing this once again- and this time for four months! Excitement, anxiety, stress, a myriad of emotions embodies me in every moment until I get to my final destination. I will explain to you a little about the program and about the Visa process.
To begin with, I will be in France (thanks to Carleton of course) with the IFE program- Internships in Francophone Europe. This program is for a total of 18 weeks: 5 weeks of intense coursework, studying Parisian society as well as french history (exams, papers, assignments included), 1 week of vacation, and 12 weeks of and every Wednesday we have a class. I cannot wait until my internship begins. During my stay in Madrid, Humberto really taught us to observe everything around us- and not just the big évents, rather the small, unimportant, random things. I learned to appreciate the organization of space and how its organization affects the people living there. We learned about the two great thinkers of urbanization- LeCorbusier and Miguel Unamuno- a frenchman and a spanish man. Two completely different thinkers! It was that which insipired me to choose my internship. I want to do a research project comparing Paris’s and Madrid’s concpet of urbanization. I’ve already experienced one- why not the other? And what better way to do that than to intern with Le Pavillon de l’Arsenal? A place dedicated to Parisian architecture and urbanization- complete with a Library, a gallery, a bookstore- all demonstrating the past, present, and future of Paris. Now, what I will be doing there, I have no idea yet. But i can wait- for the moment at least. I will keep you updated on that.
Now for the Visa process- it was awful! There is so much that you have to do! I never realized what all we had to do in order to stay in a country from more that 90 days (which is why I needed a visa). You need your passport, an official document from your program in France (complete with a seal and a signature), documents that describe your Financial situation while in France, you have to register with an online website which charges you a fee and takes about 3 weeks to process, proof of college enrollment, 2 visa applications, another form that they give you, pasport pictures, proof of health insurance, your flight information, copies of everything including your driver’s liscence, and of course, an appointment at one of the French Consulates (and if you don’t live in that city) a prepaid envolope so that they may send you your passport… I believe that is everything- I may have forgotten something, considering there was so much to show.
Frankly, I do not know what else to say at the moment. There was packing and cleaning, and figuring out what all I need and what I don’t. There was so much, but I must say that it will be Worth it. How many times can a person say they interned in Paris? Not many right?
The last few days I will spend with my family, friends, packing, cleaning, organizing my documents. So much to do- so little time! You realize once you’ve left, there was still so much more you had left to do. The only thing I can say is that hopefully the things I did, I did them well and whole-heartedly. Now all I await is that day in which i depart for another continent.
Until very soon!
To begin with, I will be in France (thanks to Carleton of course) with the IFE program- Internships in Francophone Europe. This program is for a total of 18 weeks: 5 weeks of intense coursework, studying Parisian society as well as french history (exams, papers, assignments included), 1 week of vacation, and 12 weeks of and every Wednesday we have a class. I cannot wait until my internship begins. During my stay in Madrid, Humberto really taught us to observe everything around us- and not just the big évents, rather the small, unimportant, random things. I learned to appreciate the organization of space and how its organization affects the people living there. We learned about the two great thinkers of urbanization- LeCorbusier and Miguel Unamuno- a frenchman and a spanish man. Two completely different thinkers! It was that which insipired me to choose my internship. I want to do a research project comparing Paris’s and Madrid’s concpet of urbanization. I’ve already experienced one- why not the other? And what better way to do that than to intern with Le Pavillon de l’Arsenal? A place dedicated to Parisian architecture and urbanization- complete with a Library, a gallery, a bookstore- all demonstrating the past, present, and future of Paris. Now, what I will be doing there, I have no idea yet. But i can wait- for the moment at least. I will keep you updated on that.
Now for the Visa process- it was awful! There is so much that you have to do! I never realized what all we had to do in order to stay in a country from more that 90 days (which is why I needed a visa). You need your passport, an official document from your program in France (complete with a seal and a signature), documents that describe your Financial situation while in France, you have to register with an online website which charges you a fee and takes about 3 weeks to process, proof of college enrollment, 2 visa applications, another form that they give you, pasport pictures, proof of health insurance, your flight information, copies of everything including your driver’s liscence, and of course, an appointment at one of the French Consulates (and if you don’t live in that city) a prepaid envolope so that they may send you your passport… I believe that is everything- I may have forgotten something, considering there was so much to show.
Frankly, I do not know what else to say at the moment. There was packing and cleaning, and figuring out what all I need and what I don’t. There was so much, but I must say that it will be Worth it. How many times can a person say they interned in Paris? Not many right?
The last few days I will spend with my family, friends, packing, cleaning, organizing my documents. So much to do- so little time! You realize once you’ve left, there was still so much more you had left to do. The only thing I can say is that hopefully the things I did, I did them well and whole-heartedly. Now all I await is that day in which i depart for another continent.
Until very soon!
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