#leanhvong

Blog 8 | June 2025

Bonjour!

Studying abroad in Paris has been one of the best opportunities I have ever taken. I am beyond incredibly grateful to have called the city my classroom this summer. It is wild to think that just six weeks ago, I was scared of traveling to a new place by myself and nervous about adjusting to an unfamiliar language and culture. While I wouldn’t count myself as a local, I feel much more confident in navigating the city mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Moving Out

I am a bit late posting this final blog, but let me say that leaving Paris happened so quickly that it felt like a blur. On the final days that I was studying for exams, buying souvenirs, and packing away the apartment, I had not realized how rare it was for me to be experiencing Paris at nineteen. 

Now that I am home, I look back through my camera roll and feel eternally glad that I applied to study abroad and stepped out of my comfort zone. To keep an open mind during my journey, I often reminded myself, "I am never going to be nineteen in Paris again.” This mindset motivated me to say “yes” to things I wouldn’t normally reach for.

WOW Reflection 

Looking back on my first blog, I have come to realize how quickly I progressed towards my goals and focus areas. My “loose bucket list” ? Yep, that was just the icebreaker to the city. The real test was how well I would do in the six weeks I was given in Paris. Six weeks ago I wanted to focus on my independence, exploration, and career development.

“Independence - This is my first solo international trip, so I want to learn how to navigate and quickly adapt to difficult situations with confidence.”

I think that I am much more confident in traveling and navigating by myself. I honestly believe that if I was given the opportunity again, I would do more solo-traveling in order to truly see how I adapt completely on my own. One thing that definitely helped me through this journey was not being afraid to ask for help, even with an existing language barrier.

“Respect and Explore - I am ready to expand my curiosity academically and globally. Being in France, I can take this time to jump out of my comfort zone, but gain experience in a reasonable Parisian manner.”

Studying abroad presented an amazing opportunity to chase my curiosity and learn outside of what I am used to. I got to discover my new favorite things, learn about a whole new country while I was living there for six weeks, and keep up with my academic career by earning college credits. I’d like to say that I made the most of my time while studying abroad as my free time was dedicated to exploring new things, places, and monuments.

“Discover and Grow - I applied to this program before I declared civil engineering as my major. I am hoping that this experience, especially the architecture class, will help me reflect on what I like, whether that's civil engineering or not. Who knows, maybe I’ll even find a new passion here!

I am so grateful to have taken my humanities 300-level course abroad. I think that learning about the History of Paris: An Architectural Perspective has allowed me to see how influential society and civil engineering is when it comes to the beauties of Paris and the world in general. I am excited to keep studying in this field and use the knowledge that I picked up from this course in my academics.

Advice

Before I even landed home, I was ready to study abroad again. I’d recommend studying abroad to anyone and everyone! I’ve listed some practical tips in case you study abroad in Paris as well:

Do the things you want to do earlier rather than later. Tourism gets quite crowded in the final weeks or even during the day so I recommend planning ahead. I found it to be less overwhelming when I woke up a little bit earlier to get shopping or sight-seeing done as the streets are pretty empty at 9AM-10AM.

French pharmacies are amazing! Although I didn’t get sick much during my stay until the final day, my friends have told me that the pharmacies are very stocked and educated. Some US medicines aren’t legal in France so consulting in the French pharmacies are very helpful when you want to quickly recover from an illness.

Be flexible and compromise. While six weeks feels like a long time, you cannot achieve everything while you’re there. Many events will conflict so you’’ll just have to be able to adapt on the spot and be intentional with how you spend your time.

Social and spatial awareness are key when you’re in a new place. I’m not saying you have to blend in with the crowd or locals, but it is important to recognize your behavior in public places. For example, many French metros and restaurants are relatively quiet.

Bring the vacuum sealed bags when you pack! I probably overpack but these were very useful when I started buying random souvenirs that had to go into my luggage. Other packing essentials: portable charger, outlet converters, some spare Euros cash (Most places take cards so I didn't even touch my Euros, but I’ve been told they are useful in emergencies), a hand fan, and a tote bag. 

I hope you consider studying abroad! Thank you for reading my last blog of the summer. And merci beaucoup to this lovely city for hosting my summer of 2025!

LeAnh Vong

Civil Engineering

Blog 7 | June 2025

Bonjour!

The last full week abroad is over! I am genuinely sad that my time here is almost done, but I am also ready to go home. My final week in Paris is technically next week, but I thought I’d share some of the concluding moments that this week has brung along my journey. This week I felt like a local and occasionally acted as a tourist, but what’s wrong with being a tourist?

Finals

We ended our History of Paris: An Architectural Perspective course this past Wednesday with a presentation of our choice that related to an urban system in Paris. My group presented on the Roland Garros Stadium. It was interesting to dive into the history of Paris and the French Open while the tournament was recently held here in Paris!

Afterwards, we said our final farewells to our professor. I honestly recommend her course to anyone interested in learning about the city’s history as you are not sitting in a classroom 75% of the time. Thank you Madame Tilly! You are an incredible professor! This course first caught my eye as I love architecture and it fulfilled my humanities 300-level requirement, but later I found that it continued to peak my interest as I was able to physically explore the city during class. We walked all over Paris and truly used our observational skills to understand why Paris was built the way it was. I am grateful for the opportunity to take this course abroad, I don't think I would have had the same experience elsewhere!

As for Differential Equations, I end class this upcoming Tuesday with a non-cumulative final that’s worth 30% of my grade. I probably should be studying soon but this weekend has been very eventful that I’ll start studying after I post this blog. Wish me luck!   

Souvenirs 

Of course I am bound to purchase more souvenirs this week! I have picked up things here and there but if you don’t know what to get, the Galleries Lafayette Paris Haussmann 6th Floor is a level designated for just souvenirs. There, I was able to pick up little keychains, memorabilia, and gifts. I am still missing gifts for my siblings, so please send recommendations! Otherwise, getting gifts is easy in Paris as shopping is all around you. 

Fête de la Musique

What are the odds that Fête de la Musique and Summer solstice fall on the same day? Summer solstice is the longest daylight period of the year, which was perfect for Fête de la Musique! Fête de la Musique originated in France in 1982 as a celebration for music and is celebrated annually in the evening on June 21st.

On this night, musicians, small artists, and DJs scatter about the cities and large crowds form to dance and enjoy the sound for free! It is very beautiful to experience and very crowded as the scale of this street music festival is huge. I had so much fun with my friends and hope to experience this again in Paris!

 If you experience this, make sure to stay safe, stay hydrated in the heat, and bring a fan and portable charger. It truly is an enjoyable night for all ages. On a more serious note, safety and social awareness is important as any event comes with its dangers and chaos. 

Logistics-ish

To cover some bases, I wanted to share information about the program and/or Paris. I have listed some general topics, but don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

Transportation

The metro is the fastest mode of getting around the city. You are given an unloaded Navigo Pass by CEA/CAPA at orientation and advised to purchase a monthly pass for all zones of Paris. This allows you to take any metro (subway) and RATP bus in the city until the end of one month. The pass costs €88.80 (≈ $102.34) but will be worth it. 

Other modes of transportation are walking, biking, and ride services just like any other big city. Paris is walkable but I would not recommend walking if you want to save some time. As for ride services (Uber, G7, Taxi, Bolt), the fees can and will add up so the Navigo Pass is the best option in my opinion. 

Housing

The shared residence is included in the program fee and was a perfect accommodation for the past 6 weeks. You can choose other options such as the apartments and home-stays for a bit of an added cost, if you prefer, but most participants choose the residence. A lot of things are included in the residence so we only had to purchase cleaning supplies and groceries. 

Laundry: There are about 4 washers and 4 dryers in the basement of the residence. A load costs €7.50 to wash and dry. 

A/C : Air conditioning isn’t common in Paris. You can open the windows to circulate air and also rent a fan from CEA/CAP, but be prepared near the end of June for Paris summer heat!

Weather

I made sure to pack somewhat lightly (just kidding). The good news is that I never ran out of clothes here. When we first arrived, Paris was around high 50°F to low 60°F temperature ranges. Now that we are about to leave, Paris is mostly sunny with high UVs and 80°F to 90°F temperature ranges. I survived the weather by having layers like cardigans and light jackets/scarves. When it got really hot, a foldable fan became my most prized accessory!

Academics

Both of my classes were pretty manageable. The professors are very understanding and offer many resources. To do coursework, I had a pen and paper (sketchbook and notebook), but I also brought my iPad and laptop when I needed to type an essay or take notes. I found that for my architectural history class I learned towards my laptop and sketchbook as the assignments in this class were many sketches, a couple of essay reports, and a slide presentation. As for my math class, I started out with a pencil and a small notebook, but I eventually converted to my iPad as I found it to be more convenient. 

Other purchases:

Technical Course: For my math class (differential equations) were required to purchase the eBook which turned out to be about €30.

Humanities: My class (History of Paris: An Architectural Perspective) had no additional purchases but I know for the photography course you are required to have a scrapbook journal and a certain camera. 

Obviously to each their own, but to get a good idea of what you need for each class, I recommend skimming through the syllabus.

Useful Apps

Calculator: There is a way to convert currency through the calculator app on iPhones! Otherwise any converter will work just fine when you want to get a good idea of reasonable prices.

Uber: I found Uber to be useful when the metros/buses weren't running. 

Google/Apple Maps: Any navigation app will be useful but me and my friends used Apple and Google Maps as they are both reliable.

Bonjour RATP: This app is like M-Bus and allows you to track transportation (Metro or Bus) and you can reload your metro card from your iPhone.

Eurostar: When travelling outside of the host country, trains are an eco-friendly and affordable option. The Eurostar is one of the best trains that departs from Paris. We used the Eurostar app to scan our tickets and change our seats.

UK ETA: If you want to travel to the UK, make sure to do the Electronic Travel Authorization prior to leaving. The cost varies but through the app I paid $22.

Too Good To Go: I used this app in the beginning but I wished I used this more as the food is cheap! I mainly bought groceries and once tried it for a meal, definitely recommend it if you're on a budget.

AirBnB: Self-travel can be confusing if you’re doing it for the first time, so I found AirBnB to be user-friendly. My friends split an AirBnB for weekend trips but I heard good experiences from people using hotels and hostels as well!

This was a long blog, but I hope much of the information was useful! Au revoir!

LeAnh Vong

Civil Engineering

Blog 6 | June 2025

Bonjour!

Hi! This week went by so fast that I had to look back into my camera roll to just remember everything we did! Being abroad makes me feel incredibly productive, as I am always booking an event or working around an itinerary and then completing assignments for school. It can be very fun and jam packed, especially near the end of my study abroad experience when we’re trying to squeeze every monument in. This week was filled with activities because the weather was warm and everything was perfect on a sunny day. Here's a quick highlight for each day of the week:

Monday: Dior Gallery

The Dior Gallery isn’t free for students but they did offer a discounted rate with a valid student ID. If you have an hour or two to spare, this gallery is absolutely perfect! It is gorgeous inside and you get to see the legendary name of Dior.

Tuesday: Carnavalet Museum, Famous Chocolate Mousse

The size of the Carnavalet Museum was deceiving, it was huge inside. We went there because we had a small assignment on the history of Paris, but got lost so many times.

Wednesday: Museum d’Orsay, Bingsu, How to Train a Dragon

The Musée d'Orsay was converted from a train station into a beautiful museum. It holds many works by Van Gogh, Monet, and other big names. Later that evening, I went to see the movie How to Train Your Dragon. The whole movie theater experience was fascinating compared to the theaters in the states.

 The tickets were relatively the same price at around 9.9 Euros, but the snacks were way cheaper. A large bucket of popcorn was only 6 Euros here, while at my AMC it would be double the price. All the snacks were displayed differently as well, and you served yourself the popcorn. Sadly, there was no butter to top the popcorn. 

The theater was huge, in terms of seating and screens, the theater I went to (UGC Ciné Cité Les Halles) was the largest in Europe. For the movie we were watching, we sat among 500 seats!

As for the movie itself, it was all in English! There were French subtitles but the movie was shown in its original form. This is such a great way to learn a new language! I almost skipped out on going to the movies here because I figured we have the same movies back home, but this experience showed otherwise. I’m glad that I went and saw how the locals watch their films.

Thursday: Park & Centre Pompidou Museum

The Centre Pompidou sits right outside of the CEA/CAPA study center so I walk past it almost everyday. Going inside, a lot of construction went on and we only saw one exhibit; however, I'm glad to find out that the building was interesting both inside and outside. The structure is being renovated for five years, so I am happy I got a chance to see it before its closure. 

Friday: Train to London, Borough Market, Yoshitomo Nara Exhibition, 4 Monuments, etc

My friends and I left for London at 6 AM and started the day there at 9 AM. Our itinerary was packed to the minute. These are only some of the things we did! Our hotel was such a good price at about $50 each night per person and was located right across from Borough Market. This whole food market is delicious, but you have to try the Black Pig sandwiches and the chocolate-covered strawberries! After we ate, we went sightseeing and exploring the city!

Saturday: National Gallery London, Portobello Road market, Notting Hill, etc

London was such a treat! It was comforting to be surrounded by familiar sounds, but also felt odd hearing English again after 5 weeks of hearing French. Compared to Paris, London felt much bigger and spread out. The public transportation system isn’t as efficient as Paris, but still fun to navigate. I enjoyed experiencing the iconic double-decker bus and fast tube (their metro). I am still getting used to the different roadways, especially since they drive on the left side.

Sunday: Half London, Half Paris

Paris and London are split by an hour time difference, and a two and half hour train ride. Navigating both cities were quite similar where you quickly got the hang of it. Since both London and Paris are huge capital cities, there were lots of things to do, see, and shop. Looking back this week, I cannot believe we visited a museum/gallery everyday. I thought Paris had a lot of galleries, but London did too. When you're in Europe, there truly is a museum on every street! 

Souvenirs

Nearing the final two weeks in Paris, I am starting to fill my luggage with trinkets and souvenirs. For each place that I visited, I picked up a gift, postcard, or a scrap. 

Once I returned from London, I dumped out every piece that I picked up from the touristy shops  and tried to organize them all into my bags. The word ‘tried’ because I set the large pile aside since I knew that this upcoming week I'll be compiling more gifts that I’ll need to shove into my bags home. I guess that’s a problem for later!

If you should learn anything prior to studying abroad, it should be the art of packing lightly. Unfortunately for me, I did not learn that so I apologize if any gift is a tad squished on the way home.

Well, that is all for this week! I’m happy with how this week turned out and hope you enjoyed my week as much as I did. Thanks for reading!

P.S. As for last week’s blog, I not only passed both of my midterm exams, but even did pretty well. But next week is finals week :)

LeAnh Vong

Civil Engineering

Blog 5 | June 2025

Bonjour!

Hi! I can’t believe four weeks have already gone by so quickly. I’ll have to admit that I am feeling a bit homesick lately. Don’t get me wrong, Paris is s beautiful, wonderful, and everything you could ever want for a study abroad experience, but this has been the longest I have ever been away from home. While I am having fun here, sometimes I’ll miss the comfort of my routine back in Michigan.

Home

Luckily, France doesn’t feel too foreign. I love that I can still do the things I enjoy doing while I am here in a new setting. Paris is packed with activities, shops, and restaurants that I am bound to face a familiar scent or sound, but also discover some of my new favorite places, people, and things.

Since Paris and Michigan have a six-hour time difference, it can get tricky to check in at home. I’ll text and call, but nothing beats telling my family and friends about my experiences in person. With that said, this week I took it upon myself to update them on my journey through snail mail. 

I picked up cute post cards from a touristy boutique and some stamps from a local tabac shop. Pro tip: If you want to send mail back to the states, make sure to ask for a ‘timbre monde’ which is a purple stamp that ships internationally. A post card costs about 1-2 Euros and an international stamp is about 1.20 Euros. The whole process of sending a postcard seemed surprisingly easy so I’m crossing my fingers that they make it home to Michigan!

Midterm Exams

This past week has been a bit busy with midterms. I had no idea what to expect for an exam abroad, but I knew that I just needed to pass. CEA/CAPA understands that students choose to study abroad for the travel experience and to earn credits, so the courses aren’t meant to tire you out and are designed for you to pass, which I am super grateful for.

I haven’t gotten results back from my math nor architectural history exams, but I feel pretty confident that I passed both midterms. Compared to Michigan, exams here are not as complicated where they aren’t trying to trick you. Not to mention, I probably overstudied, but I guess I’ll know if it was worth studying for when I get my results back.

Overcoming Language Barriers

With all honesty, I have not been practicing my French much this week. I’m still using the basic manners and greetings, but for the other conversations, I have been translating through my phone or playing charades. 

Before I arrived in Paris, I learned phrases I could use so I could try to order food or find a bathroom, but it never occurred to me to prepare for locals to ask me questions on the street or at the metro station. I’m honored that I could pass as a knowledgeable local, but I feel a little bad that I am not much help here. A way to go about this situation is obviously finding a common language to communicate with, but if that doesn’t work I think translating through Google could also do.

Although many people here speak English, having a second language can be really useful. For example, this week I went to the nail salon and my nail tech didn't speak English and I couldn't speak French, but we found common ground through a different language: Vietnamese. I wouldn’t say I’m fluent in Vietnamese, but it came in handy when I wanted to ask her for recommendations in Paris. I noticed that she was glad that we could find a way to communicate, especially since she admitted that her French wasn’t good either but I couldn’t even tell. This interaction motivated me to improve my French so I can better communicate with the locals. 

Paris is starting to become my second home, even with some moments of homesickness and slight confusion, I already know I will miss this city when I return to Michigan. For now, I still have so much time here and I cannot wait to see what’s next!

LeAnh Vong

Civil Engineering

Blog 4 | June 2025

Bonjour!

Halfway through already?!? I cannot believe it is already June and I’ve been in Paris for a little over three weeks. This past week was technically my first full week of having both of my classes so this blog will focus more about balancing school and exploring Paris. I say technically because there was a French holiday on Thursday so our school week was only Monday to Wednesday instead of the usual Monday to Thursday. 

STUDY…

Classes through CEA/CAPA have genuinely been interesting. I have both of my classes four days a week, sometimes three if I get lucky with a French holiday. My math class is from 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM every Monday and Tuesdays, and then Wednesdays and/or Thursdays depending on our instructor’s availability. From what I understand, teaching is his second job and engineering is his first, so our schedule shifts to accommodate his responsibilities. That usually means that we meet three times a week. On the other hand, my architectural history class is from 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM on Mondays through Thursdays.

CEA/CAPA hosts several programs at the Paris center. In addition to the engineering programs, there are programs for liberal arts, fashion, and French language. I don’t often see students from those other programs in my classroom since our coursework doesn’t overlap much. Our program requires us to take a technical course and a humanities course, whereas other programs have different requirements. From the orientation, I learned that there are over 60 engineering students here, mostly from the University of Michigan or University of Kentucky. 

Each class session is about two and a half hours with a ten-minute break in between. My math class started on week 1 and meets for twenty sessions. My architecture class started on week 2 and meets for fifteen sessions. The fourth week is our midterm exams and our last week is our finals and presentation week.

Math

Our math class is pretty straightforward with a lecture everyday in the traditional classroom. Because we have so much material to cover in the short time that we have, the pace is very quick. The workload isn’t too bad since our instructor only assigns about 6-10 problems a week as graded homework and provides additional problems as practice. Since the lecture pace is quick, practice is definitely needed, however, it is challenging to practice every so often when all we want to do is explore Paris right after our class.

Architectural History

My architecture class has been one of my favorite courses I have ever taken. The majority of the sessions are outside of the classroom on sites that evolved Paris’s history. So far we have been to many landmarks, cathedrals, and fortresses. I like the way that the course is set up because it feels like I am on a guided walking tour of Paris and I get course credit for it! For coursework, we submit labeled sketches of the things we learned from each site and then we occasionally have a short essay for specific topics. The class is very engaging and a wonderful way to experience Paris academically!

… ABROAD

I have had so much fun navigating Paris outside of class. My camera roll is filled with so many art galleries, gardens, monuments, and food! CEA/CAPA really tries to involve all aspects of France during your stay. They organize many day trips, activities, and tastings. At the center, they lay out a spread of treats to taste in between classes.

My favorite has been the brioche rose cake this week!

Reims

This week CEA/CAPA organized a day trip to Reims, a region known to have lots of champagne and churches. We were able to explore a cathedral, basilica, and a champagne cellar. There was also a medieval festival in Reims, which is a bit different from the states’ festivals but still very fun to walk around.

Amsterdam

Because Europe is easily connected by trains, my friends and I decided to do a day trip in Amsterdam. The train ride was surprisingly three and a half hours, which sounds long but felt really quick. 

Compared to Paris, Amsterdam is peaceful and relaxing. I’ve noticed the people are very friendly, happy, and active there. Amsterdam is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world and the city is very walkable. When we arrived in Amsterdam at 10 AM, the streets and canals were practically empty so the city was calm to wander.

We explored three museums, tried famous foods, and did lots of shopping while we were there. After a day in Amsterdam, we left for Paris around 7 PM. 

Studying abroad truly requires balance between academics and adventure. It can be easy to get caught up in exploring the city so I found that designating a weekly rest day to catch up on homework and study for midterms helps make both traveling and studying manageable. I’m really enjoying my time here studying and traveling, hopefully you are too! Merci beaucoup for reading! 

LeAnh Vong

Civil Engineering

Blog 3 | May 2025

Bonjour!

Hey there! Paris is so lovely right now and I get to walk around with the biggest awe on my face every time I cross the street or hop off the metro. From my residence, everything is within a 20-minute to 2-hour journey, so I took full advantage this week and visited many landmarks, museums, and shops.

Art Everywhere

It’s no surprise that I would find so many pieces of art and history in Paris. This week I also began my second course besides the math class, but since I only had it for one session, classes won’t be a topic for this week’s blog. I will say though, History of Paris: An Architectural Perspective, will have me running around with fascination over Paris and I cannot be more excited! 

As a student, I’ve been able to explore so many exhibits for free with just my CEA/CAPA student ID. As long as you’re under 26 years old, you’ll most likely get the same opportunity to access art museums and landmarks for free or at a discounted rate. 

Louvre

We were a bit skeptical on the free access to the Louvre, so we were prepared to pay at the entrance if they didn’t accept our student IDs. Luckily, the people were nice and we had no problem entering the museum. On Wednesdays, the Louvre stays open until 9 PM (instead of their usual 6 PM), so we enjoyed almost five hours at the Louvre before deciding to come back another day to finish the rest of the museum. 

I think that it is very easy to get lost in the Louvre so make sure to grab a map. With that said, you will not need a map to find the Mona Lisa as she is the center of a massive room with signs all over the museum that point to her showcase. Not to mention, a large crowd surrounds her barricade. You really cannot miss her!

Musée des Arts et Metiers

The Museum of Arts and Crafts was a required visit organized by CEA/CAPA, but was still really cool to see. It mainly holds inventions and scientific instruments, so walking around it made me feel like I was in the movie series Spy Kids exploring a large gadget room. 

Never in my life, would I think I’d see an iPod be on display in a museum! 

Delacroix’s Life

CEA/CAPA also offered walking tours, so my roommate and I signed up for a tour focused on the French artist Eugène Delacroix. We learned about his life by visiting his latest apartment, the French Academy, and the Church of Saint-Sulpice.

Other times, the exhibits are already free to the public and you just have to wait in line. For example, most churches and chapels are free as long as you are respectful and dressed appropriately. Another example is when one evening in Paris everyone would have free access to many galleries and museums (for those nights you just have to look for but it’s called Nuit des Musées which directly translates to night of the museums).

Notre Dame de Paris

The Notre Dame Cathedral just reopened last December after years of restoration, so it was beautiful to see in between class. The line to enter can be intimidating on a sunny day, but the wait is worth it.

Wes Anderson Exhibition 

Our Nuit des Musées took place at the Cinematheque which held an exhibition on the incredible filmmaker Wes Anderson. There, we were able to watch some of his films, look at his storybook sketches, and be up close to many props and costumes from his award-winning works.

Some places won’t advertise this opportunity for students so make sure to do some research or ask if there are any student perks when you’re there. 

Versailles

For the Palace of Versailles, our student cards would not work as we were not European residents. Since we had to book a time slot online anyway, we chose to just pay the full price,  which wasn’t a terrible deal for access to the entire palace and gardens. 

There are plenty more museums and galleries on our list to visit, but these were all the stunning ones that we’ve been to this past week. It's insane that all of these galleries were just a train or metro ride away!

Noticeable Differences

After two weeks of living here I’ve noticed some differences or culture shocks:

Pedestrian Crosswalks do not have a countdown. You really have to look both ways when crossing the streets as the crosswalk light will turn red just as a bike speeds towards you.  

There are water fountains everywhere, including fountains that dispense sparkling water. Check out the map: www.eaudeparis.fr

No matter the weather, the locals are dressed in many layers and will still look put together. (Even when it’s really hot outside, almost everyone is in a trench coat)

All the food looks and tastes healthy here (including the McDonald’s). Fast food and fruits are a bit more expensive than compared to in the U.S., but everything else is reasonably priced.

The store hours of operation depend on each owner so be prepared to change your plans. Sometimes there will be a note on the door indicating for you to come back another time due to a small break or a longer vacation.

The vintage shop, flea market, and farmer’s market scene is huge here and so fun to explore.

The metro and bus aren’t as busy at 9 AM which surprised me only because many shops and cafes open at 10 AM.

This is not a shock to me but I wanted to include: The Eiffel Tower is beautiful at night with lots of people by the Seine, so enjoy it and be careful!

Thanks for reading, à bientôt!

LeAnh Vong

Civil Engineering

Blog 2 | May 2025

Bonjour!        

Hi! This first week in Paris has felt like a month’s worth of living. I’ve met some wonderful people and I feel like we have already done so many things in terms of sightseeing and running around, yet there's still so much for us to do. Writing this makes me a little sad that week one is over, but I'm so excited for the weeks to come and to share my time abroad with you!

Arrival

I flew from DTW (Detroit) to CDG (Paris), a long 8-hour flight. Since Paris is six hours ahead of Detroit, I made sure to sleep on the plane to beat the jet lag. The wifi on the plane was cut out early into the flight, so I would’ve fallen asleep anyway. Midway through the flight, it finally hit me that I was really studying abroad instead of just getting to say ‘I will be studying abroad.’ The thought made me so nervous that I fell right back into my nap!

Once my roommate arrived, we settled in before roaming the city. Our apartment was semi-stocked with essentials so we ventured out to purchase cleaning supplies and snacks. She also had to call her phone service because her international plan didn't work in Paris so we cancelled her U.S. service and bought a local SIM card. After resolving her phone troubles, I misplaced my phone in an uber and lost my phone for three hours. That was not a fun experience especially being in a city known for its pickpockets! Luckily, I got my phone back, but this experience definitely humbled me and reminded me to be more cautious of where I keep my belongings.

Week One Lessons Learned

This week being my first week, I’ll admit that I have struggled in order to navigate this city. I am definitely not living like a local just yet, but I am less lost than I was prior to this trip. Some things I’ve learned that helped me get through this rough week:

Be polite!: Always greet a hello (“bonjour”) and goodbye (“au revoir or “bonne journée”) when entering or leaving a place. When a service is done, a please (“s'il vous plaît”) and thank you (“merci”) is always appreciated.

Read the signs: Public transportation isn't widely used in the small town that I came from so it took me a bit getting used to. After a while, I found that navigating the metro has gotten easier by simply reading the signs, paying attention to the routes, and having directions on my phone. 

Know your pace: Not every sight has to be seen in a week. After an eventful Monday through Wednesday, my roommate and I decided to take one rest day to recharge. This was incredibly helpful as we were still adjusting to our first week of class. 

Food Journal: Week One

My roommate and I ate out two days this week and cooked at home the other four days. We found it so easy to find a place to eat as every street is lined with some sort of restaurant or cafe. Ordering in French was a bit intimidating at first, but the reward of tasting the food was well worth it. We have such a long list of foods to try while we are here, so we can continue to practice our French when ordering out.

Surprisingly, one of the most confusing parts was ordering a pitcher of water, “carafe d’eau,” with our meals, but I think we are starting to get the hang of it through practice.

This week CEA/CAPA also gave us a food tour! We walked along Marche Montorgueil, a historic street known for its markets, and tasted many cured meats and cheese. Along the way, we learned how the French truly value their dining experience. It is not like what I am used to in America as meals here are at a slower pace and quieter, yet still social. 

Despite the temptation to eat out all the time, my roommate and I decided to also make use of our kitchen in our apartment. While grocery shopping, we noticed that the foods are much fresher and healthier than back home. Meal prepping and cooking has been a fun part of our new routine especially with the app Too Good To Go. Through the app, we were able to purchase a large bag of fruits and vegetables for only six euros! 

New Scenery

This new scenery has been such an interesting adjustment. I feel like I have adapted so much from living in a small town to studying in a big city, especially a big city that speaks French! I love finding something new to do or learn in Paris and I cannot wait to explore more next week!!

See you soon! Au revoir!

 LeAnh Vong

Civil Engineering

Blog 1 | May 2025

Bonjour!

Hello! My name is LeAnh and I will be writing to you every week from Paris! You can read my weekly blogs if you'd like to 😊

📍La Seine [Boat Tour with CEA/CAPA Post-Orientation]

Although it is only day 2 of my program, today’s blog will mainly cover my goals for the trip. Come back next week for a recap of week one!

Bon Voyage DTW ✈️CDG

For context, I will be a sophomore studying civil engineering this upcoming fall term. This summer I really wanted to travel and take some of my general engineering classes abroad so I applied to Engineering in Paris through IPE and CEA/CAPA. Here, I will be taking two classes: Differential Equations and History of Paris: An Architectural Perspective, which will transfer as MATH 216 and a Humanities 300-Level credit.

Although my classes are taught in English, I’ve been practicing some French phrases to better immerse myself in the culture. I highly recommend learning a bit before you go because the effort to speak French truly counts even when it doesn’t feel like it does. French people are nicer and understanding when you try to speak French, plus once you leave the Charles de Gaulle (CDG Airport), you will want to learn more than the basic ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ phrases in order to confidently venture out on your own.

Early Days

It is still early days but I am very grateful for CEA/CAPA and IPE for arranging my summer. I love the organizational structure of this program and I cannot wait to plan my days exploring this city. My roommate, Hazel, and I are currently drafting our summer itinerary as I write this!

In just two days (Day 1: Arrival Day & Day 2: Orientation Day), I have checked off quite a lot on my loose summer bucket list that I created prior to the start of the program. 

Loose Bucket List: 

Eat a croissant 

See the Eiffel Tower 

Order a meal in full French 

Visit a landmark (Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, etc)

Visit a museum(Louvre + smaller galleries)

Learn the metro system

Explore the city (exploring the neighborhoods of Paris)

Explore the country (planning weekend trips within France)

Explore the continent (planning weekend trips throughout Europe)

Try something new every day (e.g. new song, study spot, food, or interaction with a stranger)

It is so easy to find something new to do here in Paris, so this list will definitely be done in no time. To accompany this list, I decided to set three focus areas so I can guide my experience. My goal by the end of this time abroad is to grow in each focus area.

Independence - This is my first solo international trip, so I want to learn how to navigate and quickly adapt to difficult situations with confidence.

Respect and Explore - I am ready to expand my curiosity academically and globally. Being in France, I can take this time to jump out of my comfort zone, but gain experience in a reasonable Parisian manner.

Discover and Grow - I applied to this program before I declared civil engineering as my major. I am hoping that this experience, especially the architecture class, will help me reflect on what I like, whether that's civil engineering or not. Who knows, maybe I’ll even find a new passion here!

This was a short blog but I hope you enjoyed it! Next week, I cannot wait to share some of my struggles and photos with you. For now, merci beaucoup for reading! 

 LeAnh Vong

Civil Engineering