Kamden – France
Pre departure
Hello everyone! My name is Kamden Wiggins and I am a rising junior here at East Carolina University. I am a communications major with a Concentration in Public Relations and I also minor in film studies as well as French. I will be studying abroad this summer with Dr. Larkin Murphy apart of the La Rochelle cultural immersion program. I am ecstatic to be apart of this experience and I would like to send the biggest thank you to the donors of the following scholarships: The Thomas W. Rivers Foreign Exchange scholarship, The School of Communication Study Abroad Scholarship, The Marguerite Austin Perry French Education, The J. Public Relations Scholarship, and The Charlie and Nancy E. Bedford Study Abroad Scholarship. The program will be just over a month long with a group of around 15 students. We will travel to various parts of France including Paris, Caen, Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy, and finally the primary city where we will be studying is the beautiful coastal town of La Rochelle. I’m writing this post from the first leg of my flight to France (CLT -> JFK). I’m flying with my friend who I’ve known from high school and into college, Giselle Glover, I’m sure she will be featured in a lot of my photos. The boarding process was super smooth and I boarded the flight with no hiccups! I even had a few fun interactions with the CLT airport staff as they recognized my sorority from my jacket (Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated). I will be completing coursework that will be serve as credit for FREN2003 and FREN2004. As an aspiring French minor this is perfect for me to complete my French pre-requisites before officially beginning my minor coursework. Also, as someone who holds a lot of interest in different cultures, I’m super excited to be able to stay with a host family, explore France, and hopefully some neighboring European countries during my stay.
I will make sure I take lots of photos to document this awesome experience!
La vie en France!
Bonjour! Salutations de la Rochelle!
I am officially settled in La Rochelle, and I have begun coursework. Here’s a recap of everything I’ve done so far, before La Rochelle and since I’ve been here:
-We stayed in Paris, France for 3 days! It was awesome, I love big cities, and this was one of my favorites. The metro was confusing at first but once I understood it, it was super easy to travel and explore the city.
-The moment we landed in Paris it was a race against the clock because we had BIG plans that night, those plans were to see BEYONCÉ for her final show of Cowboy Carter in Paris It was awesome! She performed so much of her discography, new as well as old, and even brought out Jay-Z! It was an incredible experience and a remarkable way to begin my time in France.
The next day started bright and early and for the rest of my days in Paris it was filled with sightseeing and touring. It felt surreal to see all the architecture and art that I so frequently see in textbooks or as picturesque images on the internet. We visited the Louvre, The Orsay museum, The Rodin Museum, among plenty other French monuments. And how could I not mention the Eiffel Tower! We got to visit it at night to see the light show that occurs when the sun sets (which is around 10:30/11pm :0 ). It was beautiful, there was even a street performer playing the trumpet which was la cerise sur la gâteau (the icing on the cake).
After our three days in Paris concluded we began what I’d call a road trip through France. We hit the road BRIGHT AND EARLY and headed to Caen, France. This place is home to one of the most pivotal points in World War ii, so our itinerary was focused on learning about the city’s history and honoring the sacrifices and losses that occurred in the war. We spent the night here and then the next place we visited was Mont-Saint Michel. Initially I was confused about this landscape on the bus, my professor made an announcement for everyone to look at the window. And when I did, I saw a big rock with a church on top but before that it was tons of flat land. To be honest, my thoughts were “oh ok another chapel” and proceeded to look at my location on my phone to see where we were in France. To my surprise Mont-Saint Michel was definitely a rock but surrounded by water, and so much more than a church, it’s an entire neighborhood that leads up to a humongous and beautifully designed church. I ended up visiting twice, once the night of our arrival to see the sun set and the next day to explore the church. After our visiting the church, we got back on the bus and departed for La Rochelle.
La Rochelle is an awesome city, it has a downtown which also is the area for the port, as well as a whopping 3 public beaches. It’s also a short boat ride away from 2 beautiful islands. There’s so many shops and restaurants to visit in such little time. But I can say so far, the ice cream here is top tier! From the soft serve you can get at small restaurants or cafes to the artisan ice cream shops; the flavors and quality are out of this world. As far as my actual class is concerned my professor is super cool. He teaches us French as the textbook would define as well as the French that is spoken on the streets (it’s a whole nother ball game!). He incorporates our passions, interests, and majors into his teaching and lesson plans. I always leave class with a multitude of new phrases, words, or a different way to form sentences or questions.
I have about 2 weeks left on the program yet so much to do! This weekend is Bastille Day (The Fourth of July of France) so I plan on going back to Paris to celebrate and watch the fireworks but there’s also a music festival going on this weekend in La Rochelle, so we’ll see where the French winds guide me.
À Bientôt !
-Kamden
Taken from a viewpoint of Mont Saint Michel
Taken from the bridge leading up to Mont Saint Michel in France.
The Eiffel Tower illuminated during its nighttime light show as the sun set in the background.
The painting “The Wedding Feast at Cana” by the artist Paolo Veronese.
The Louvre Palace and its glass pyramid.
Me in front of “The Bay of Biscay” or “Golfe de Gascogne” in La Rochelle, France.
En fin
Hi guys! I have safely made it back to Charlotte, NC and I will never forget this experience. I truly think that studying abroad is a life changing experience. Living in a new place and engulfing myself into a new culture has truly expanded my perspective on different ways of living and cultural aspects. The language immersion through day-to-day life (talking to people in the city as well as with my host family) has dramatically improved my speaking and comprehension skills. Also, the coursework we were assigned was very helpful in all areas of learning the French language. My professor Dr. Murphy was also very helpful and encouraging throughout the entire trip. I am truly inspired to study abroad again continue traveling and experiencing the world for the rest of my life. If you’re on the fence or have an inkling of consideration, take the jump, and study abroad. Who knows the things you will experience, the people you may meet, and the opportunities that may open up for you.
Best wishes,
Kamden Wiggins
Me and my friend Giselle outside of the cognac museum in Cognac, France.
Pet culture is very popular in France. As I was walking home one night, I saw a black cat sitting on a windowsill.
My friend’s host mom’s backyard patio area before dinner with friends and neighbors.
A picturesque neighborhood I walked through as I walked through my friend’s house.
Me sitting along the rocks at one of the three beaches located in La Rochelle, Plage des Minimes.
Both images were taken inside La Rochelle’s Aquarium. One image is of me inside the rainforest exhibit, and the other is an image of the exhibit itself.
Ferris wheel, pier, and building side in La Rochelle, France during the music festival: Les Francofolies de La Rochelle
Bastille day (July 14th, French Independence Day) fireworks over the pier in La Rochelle, France