Students in my program have a choice between living in a homestay and living in the dorms. I was unsure about which one to choose–homestays, supposedly, would give me the best language immersion, but I’d be farther from the campus. I was totally undecided until my parents weighed in: “we don’t want you taking buses home by yourself late at night.” They’re paying, so I listened.

So far, I’ve had no regrets. In fact, I love the dorms. They are filled with students here to learn French like me, most of them Canadian. By simply hanging out in the lobby, communal kitchen, or university pub, I’ve made loads of friends. (And yes, the university here has a pub. Be jealous.)

Above is my best friend here, from Wisconsin. You know you’re friends when you have dorky photobooth picture-taking sessions. 

For a shy girl like me, this is big news. My number one fear was that I’d have trouble finding people to hang out with. I didn’t want to explore Quebec City all on my own! And speaking of exploring the city, a friend and I spent our free Friday afternoon walking around Vieux Québec, the historic (and gorgeous) downtown. The weather here is perfect for strolling. Here are some photos! I’ll blog again soon. 

Location: Pavillon Parent, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada