GRIP, Internships Abroad Not a Tourist, but Not a Local

US Embassy - Paris, France

Kushal Modi, a rising junior and PPE major, is spending the summer as an intern with the US Embassy in Paris. As he settles into his internship, he shares his tips for visiting the iconic city and what is different about visiting as an intern versus the experience as a tourist. 

Kushal's Tips:

1. Don’t get stuck in the stereotypes of your destination. Paris is a city known for its countless landmarks - cathedrals, museums, palaces, the Eiffel Tower, and perfectly manicured public parks. The city continues to blow me away by its nearly perfect resemblance to everything I’d been told about Paris and everything that I had expected. Of course, having the Jardin des Tuileries, the Louvre, and the Musée d’Orsay all within five minutes walking distance is a blessing that was not lost on me. The boulevards and bridges take my breath away every time. But I soon found that some of the most amazing experiences I had happened when I wandered out a little further from the tourist comfort zone. I bought a monthly public transport card and put it to good use, venturing out to find little pockets of international immigrant communities from places like Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Tunisia. Here, I met some of the most interesting people and had some of the most amazing food that I can remember. It’s not what I expected from chic and cosmopolitan Paris, but I found these areas to be as authentically Parisian in their own way.

2.  Seek out opportunities to learn and speak the local language Paris is a city swarming with tourists from all around the world. I found out very quickly that a very large portion of these tourists are American. This meant that during the walk back from work on the Métro and on the street, I often heard more American English than French. It’s often easy to spot an American -- the way we dress and carry ourselves is distinct even when we’re not trying. For me, it was discouraging to be constantly dismissed as a foreigner when I had come to immerse myself. Working for the State Department, most of my work is with Americans and in English as well. I found that the only way to consistently practice my French was to insist on speaking French. Local Parisians who are used to tourists often switch to English the moment they sense a bit of hesitation or any sort of foreign accent. I found I learned to most new vocabulary and was greeted most warmly when I kept the conversation going in French as best I could, even when I didn’t know exactly what to say.

3. Take your time abroad to explore by yourself. Unlike a study abroad program, interning abroad means that you might not live in student housing and you might not be surrounded by people your age all the time. I expected to be constantly accompanied by work friends the same way that you make friends at school. For me, the arrival process was a little less flawless than I had anticipated. I live alone, and I found out that I am the only intern in my department. This meant that I spent a lot of my first two weeks by myself as I got to know more people and make friends. While finding friends to hang out with was certainly a priority, I’m grateful for the time I have to understand Paris on my own terms -- sitting outside by the river and just people-watching, exploring a bookstore for two hours, even just watching French TV at home to practice my listening skills. I still feel a little bit “awkward” every time I sit down at a cafe alone, but I’ve found that those moments have taught me more about myself and about this city than I ever expected.