fall 2013: france

Fall 2013 was a semester of firsts. It began in August 2013, when I packed my bags and hopped on my first-ever solo flight ... an eight-hour transatlantic trip to France! It would be four months before I retraced my steps and came back to the USA. During those four months, I traveled through dozens of cities and ate more baguettes than I could possibly count!

I tried to restrict my travel to francophone -- that is, French-speaking -- countries. With the exception of a short detour to the Christmas markets of Heidelberg, all of my travels were limited to France, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

In my blog (previously named "Montpellier et Moi"), I chronicled all of my other study abroad "firsts" ... from the most exciting (my first visit to Versailles and my adventures in the Christmas markets of Strasbourg) to the least glamorous (my first trip to the grocery store and the student strikes that kept us out of class).

You can find all the posts about my semester abroad here. In the meantime, here are some of my most popular posts about my semester in Montpellier:

     -- June 2013: "Bonjour et Bienvenue!"
     -- July 2013: The Visa Application Consulate Visit
     -- August 2013: A Historic Tour of Montpellier
     -- August 2013: "A Typical Day of Pre-Session Life"
     -- September 2013: "First Week of School? Check!"
     -- September 2013: A Guide to Journées du Patrimoine
     -- October 2013: Helpful Hints for a Weekend in Paris
     -- October 2013: "Two Down, Two to Go!"
     -- November 2013: A Day Trip to the Luxembourg Castles
     -- November 2013: "A Word on the French University"
     -- November 2013: A Day Trip to Annecy
     -- November 2013: An Academic Update
     -- December 2013: A Quiet Sunday Morning in Montpellier
     -- December 2013: "Celebrating at the Capital of Christmas"