Life in Nice, France

It’s hard to believe that I’ve been in Nice, France for 9 weeks now. During the first few weeks, time passed so slowly that I thought I’d never leave, and now, with only 3 weeks left, things are moving too fast. Yet, even though I’m not logistically ready to begin the next leg of my adventure, I’m definitely ready to leave France, especially Nice. While it is a truly beautiful city, with the Mediterranean Sea on one side and the French Alps on the other, it’s not for me. There’s not a lot to do here, and the layout of the city is very constricting, with buildings close together. I feel like I can’t breathe here; everywhere I look, there are walls of concrete and few open areas. Even the beaches seem odd to me, but that’s mostly because I think of them as large, open, and covered in sand, which is not the case in Nice. I also don’t associate beaches with cities, as in the beach literally next to the city. It strikes me as somewhat strange that I would feel this way, considering that my friends, who have already been here, loved it. But, I guess this just shows that everyone is different; what works for my friends doesn’t work for me.

Yet, that doesn’t mean I haven’t enjoyed my time in Nice. When I’m not sitting in class, I’m usually enjoying the warm beaches or walking through the winding streets of downtown. Occasionally, I’ll go shopping, but I much prefer exploring the city. In addition, there’s the amazing French cuisine, which I have had the pleasure of eating for two months. Between bread and cheese and French desserts, it’s no wonder people love visiting France. I’ve certainly eaten well during my time here, and I absolutely love the desserts. My favorite is the cakes, particularly the homemade ones baked by my host mother. However, since Nice is extremely close to Italy, there are also quite a few gelato cafes here. Thus, I’ve had access to some very good ice cream (Blue Bell doesn’t stand a chance).

I’ve also done some traveling to other cities (and countries). I’ve been to Monaco twice and will be going to Cannes and Antibes soon. Also, I’ve visited Italy and Switzerland, particularly Milan, Geneva, and Interlaken. Each was great, but I think my trip to Switzerland has been my favorite. For starters, the country is just so beautiful, with its greenery, lakes and the Swiss Alps, but the favorite part was skydiving in Interlaken. It was such an amazing experience, and the view was phenomenal. I’ll definitely do it again if I get the chance. However, next on my list are touring Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, and Germany and visiting universities in England!