Author Archives: Gina Aguirre Lopez

Just a Sète Week…

First things first; France is awesome! I have to say I am really getting the hang of living in France. Whether it’s eating a baguette with cheese and coffee for breakfast, using public transportation to go everywhere, or even traveling, I am definitely very happy with the trip so far.

This week was the first week of classes. It was actually really similar to “Syllabus Week” since what we mostly did was go over syllabi and introduce ourselves. My schedule consists of 5 classes: grammar, methodology, French conversation, Contemporary civilization, and writing. I actually do not have class on Wednesdays and Fridays, which gives me a bunch of free time.

Yesterday (Friday), I decided to go on an adventure to a neighboring town called Sète. This town has a decent-sized port and is very mountainous. I went with 7 other students in the program (making friends has actually turned out to be pretty easy since everyone is on the same boat). I took tons of pictures and videos that I will display below:IMG_6718

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I am currently scrambling to catch up on all of my homework for next week. I am also trying to plan a weekend get-a-way to Rome in the next few weeks. What I think is absolutely fantastic is the fact that traveling in Europe is so cheap. I found tickets to Rome for about 30 Euros, which is not too bad. Traveling is definitely something I look forward to doing in the next four months that I will be spending here.

À la prochaine!


Location: Sète, France

Montpellier I have arrived!

So it is 10:10AM Friday January 8th and I am waiting to take the tram to the office. All of the students this week have been meeting up at the office before going anywhere else. I have learned so much this week through orientation. First of all, the students I came with are mostly from the University of Minnesota, although there are a few others from Penn State, University of Massachusetts, University of North Carolina, and so on. I have made a bunch of new friends already from all over the country. My goal is to now meet Native French people so that I can practice my French.

I am currently living with a host family, or a host mom, as I should say. Her name is Christiane and she is the sweetest little French lady I have met. When I first met her, she made it very clear that she would not be speaking to me in English, nor in Spanish. This is good so that I can keep practicing my French, which I have. Not only do I have to keep up with French at home, but also everywhere else. There are a few people on the program that are doing different tracks such as business, education, and so on that do not need to know French since all of their classes are in English. So, I tend to help out a bit to those in need of someone that can speak French.

I also had to purchase a tramway pass, which is the main way of public transportation here. Furthermore, I purchased a French sim card that I could easily put into my own phone, which is very convenient.

Today, we are all set to go to a big shopping center named Odysseum. I just hope I do not spend too much money. All of the sales have started, and everything is pretty cheap (this is so tempting since I love to go shopping) for the entire month of January.

Tomorrow, I will be going on my first excursion to Nîmes and Pont du Gard. I will be posting pictures soon!

So far my entire experience has been wonderful, and I hope to continue making everlasting memories throughout my journey.


Location: Montpellier, France

Before I leave…

My name is Georgina Aguirre López and I am currently a junior at Penn State majoring in Communication, arts & sciences with a double minor in French and Spanish. Currently, I am scrambling to get everything ready for my exciting study abroad experience in Montpellier, France for the spring semester.

I live in a very small town outside of Gettysburg, PA that has a population of a little over a thousand people. I live in a rural area with an abundance of agriculture, especially the apple industry. There are orchards and mountains all around me, which I suppose helped in deciding where to study abroad. Montpellier is a culturally rich city in the Southern part of France, just a few miles from the Mediterranean Sea. I chose this area because it is geographically different than what I am used to. Imagine going from a rural, mountainous area to an urban, populated city.

One of my main goals in studying abroad will definitely be bettering my French language skills. I have taken French since I was about 14, and I have continued in college. At Penn State I am almost finished with the requirements for my minor, but that did not stop me from pursuing an international experience in a French-speaking country.

It is 2:35PM on December 30th, 2015, and I am currently rushing to get all of my stuff done before leaving. I am scheduled to depart Sunday January 3rd at 6:25PM, arriving in Paris at 10AM the next morning. From Paris I have to take a train to Montpellier, which will be about 3 and a half hours. Once I arrive to Montpellier I will have to go to a youth hostel where I will meet up with other people studying abroad. I am going through so many emotions as these last few days go by. I am absolutely excited that I will be able to be apart of this trip and such a wonderful experience. At the same time, this moment is quite bittersweet since I will be leaving friends and family behind for such a long period of time. I am sure to meet a lot of new people and gain many new experiences abroad.

Days until I leave: 4


Location: Biglerville, PA 17307