Alexandra-Debora Negru spent nearly two months of her summer in the magical Paris, France attending a fiction writing course at the American University of Paris.

Blair Waldorf once said, “If you are sad, you might as well be sad in Paris” She was so right.

Going to a summer school in Paris was one of the best decisions I have ever made; it was beyond my expectations and certainly, a life-changing experience. When I first heard about the opportunity to go abroad for the summer, I instantly thought of Paris as it felt closer to my home country. I knew that I wanted to write more this summer, so I found a placement at the American University of Paris. They had a fiction writing course and the option to stay at their dorms, which I found very helpful in making friends and meeting new people.

My everyday life in Paris was an absolute dream, we would have classes from Monday to Thursday, from 2:30 to 6:00 pm and it was the perfect balance between sightseeing and schoolwork. I didn’t feel it was school as it was so fun, and the assignments were so enjoyable. We had live readings every week with authors from all over the world and on the last day we had a live reading of our work, which was scary, but the best feeling in the world. The weekends were pretty laid back and filled with caffeine, croissants, and sightseeing. The museums, the libraries, the parks, and the walks around Paris were such an inspiration and meant a lot for my writing. Living in Paris for 6 weeks was amazing, but I think that something that I found challenging was feeling safe as a solo traveller. I avoided late nights out and the suburbs because of the strikes that took place around June. Apart from that, my experience with Parisian people and Paris was overwhelming in every way.  

Paris was the place to be for me, I met people from all over the world and made connections that will last a lifetime, I created and have been inspired to pursue my career as a writer and to pay

 attention to the world around me. I can’t express my gratitude for being able to feel all those kinds of feelings that I could never have experienced elsewhere. I can not help but include

the fashion experience I had in Paris, we all dream of being Blair Waldorf, and in Paris, that’s how I felt, from the macarons and coffees to the luxury shopping at Galeries Lafayette. This experience has changed me as a writer and as a person. I learned that fairy tales are at every corner, they are just waiting to be found and shared. That’s what Paris thought me, to share my fairy tale with others. Therefore, I encourage you to take a leap of faith and go abroad even for the summer, let every detail and everything you learn inspire you and guide you. It will change you forever, I promise!