Bonjour à tous! My name is Will Beach, and I am a Junior studying Supply Chain Management, Business Information Systems, and French. When I was applying to universities back in 2020, I knew that I wanted to study abroad during my college experience, and that’s what ultimately made me choose Pitt. I am in a Pitt Recognized Program with CEA CAPA, where I am studying at l’Institute Américan Universitaire (IAU) in Aix en Provence in the French Riviera, or la Côte d’Azur. When I was choosing my program, I wanted to go to France because I have spoken French since middle school, and I love history. The south of France is a crossroads of Western Europe, with Roman, Spanish, North African, and Italian influences which make it a unique place that I cannot wait to explore. The second reason is the beauty around Aix. Paul Cezanne had his studio here and his art cannot capture the wonder of the landscapes and buildings in town.

I was fortunate enough to arrive early to my program and explore Aix en Provence before my classes start this week. Even though I study French, the Aixois were saying words that I did not know, but everyone here is so welcoming and willing to teach me, the language barrier is very minuscule. Life is slower here too. Everyone takes their time to enjoy what’s going on. I see the locals sitting at a café on Cours Mirabeau talking and people watching. Meandering down the medieval streets reveals squares with farmers markets, handmade clothing, and fromageries. My tour guide pointed out that Aix has a feeling of being left behind by the modern world because the industries moved into Marseilles, but that allows Aix to become a sleeping beauty of the region, which I am eager to explore.

While in France, I have some academic and personal goals that I would like to achieve. Firstly, I want to improve my French. By the end of this semester, I hope to be completely fluent in the language, and that can only happen if I immerse myself into the culture and speak as much French as I possibly can. My second goal is to explore and see other European cities. Because Aix is a crossroads, it is very easy to take a train or bus and get to other major cities, like Paris and Brussels. My last goal is to make new friends. I am the only person from Pitt who is on this program, and my average class size at IAU is 8-12 people. To make the most of this experience, I will have to push myself out of my comfort zone and make lasting friendships.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and I cannot wait to share the rest of my experience here! À la prochaine!