Well… here we are, second-to-last week in Paris already over! The days are flying by, and I cannot believe this summer is coming to an end. Before getting into what I did this week, I want to quickly discuss how success is defined in my internship, especially the difference between France and the United States.
At my internship, the definition of “success” differs significantly from that in the United States. I have had to adapt to what is expected of me and what the measures of success are to my boss and my team at large. Usually, I would define a project or task as successfully done if it’s done thoroughly, efficiently, and quickly, with zero confusion and interference in the process. In Paris, their version of success is quite the opposite. My boss is constantly telling me that it’s okay to ask questions if anything is unclear, and always gives me more than enough time to complete my work. She believes that more time provides a better output, and I am now adapting to this expectation of taking more time and detail on my projects rather than completing them as fast as possible. I’m also forcing myself to ask more questions and be more open with my boss and my team, to clear up confusion and make the final product of my work as closely tailored to their expectation as possible. In the B2B beauty marketing industry, I believe what makes a successful/effective employee is the people who aren’t afraid to put themselves out there and express creativity, even if it means taking risks and going outside of their comfort zone. Throughout my internship, I have done everything possible to make sure my boss was impressed with my work, whether it was showing her that I was willing to take on different projects, getting back to her quickly, and doing my projects with detail and precision. Even though there were times when I wasn’t needed on certain tasks or projects, I still reached out to my boss to let her know I was willing to work on anything she gave me. Overall, during my internship in France, I’ve learned that success comes with determination, flexibility, communication, and creativity.
Okay, let’s just dive into this week, shall we? Starting on Monday, I had to say goodbye to my roommates (genuinely devastating), but to end their trip with a bang, we had a proper French meal at L’Officine Paris in République. It was one of the best dinner experiences I’ve had in Paris so far, from the food to the service to the atmosphere… everything was simply perfect. Also, for those who have experienced French dining culture, you know service is not what it is in the US… you gotta track those guys down to get some water! Our night was lovely, and though it was sad saying goodbye, I was grateful I got to show my best friends around Paris for the weekend.
Tuesday was back to work, but because the heat wave is officially over (fingers crossed), my commute was bearable this week. After work, I decided to take the metro into Centre-Ville to walk around and enjoy the nice weather before heading home and eating dinner. I honestly didn’t do much Tuesday night, I needed some rest before making the most of my week! I did end up working on my trash journal, though; lots of new additions from the weekend with my roommates.
After our internships on Wednesday, my friends and I decided to venture to Vincennes, around an hour outside Paris. Once I got there, I walked around the Chateau de Vincennes, which was unfortunately closed, but was really cool to see from the outside. I then got dinner from the supermarket and walked into Bois de Vincennes, a huge park that is very easy to get lost in. I swear I walked around for an hour trying to find a place to sit. Eventually, I found a beautiful open grassy area, where my friends met me and we just hung out for the night. It felt like I was in a completely different area, with trees and fields surrounding me… it was very peaceful to be outside of the city for a little while.
On Thursday, my boss gave me the afternoon off, so I decided to aimlessly walk around the 14th arrondissement and take in the area before I had to leave! After I felt like I was going around in circles, I started walking toward the Seine and eventually made my way to Musée d’Orsay and all of the little shops along the river. One of my favorite activities in Paris has been walking along the Seine, watching the boats, and looking at the little book sellers along the way. It was beautiful outside on Thursday, so I walked for hours and hours, just taking in the scenery. I eventually met up with my friends at this video game bar called The Good Game bar à jeux in the 2nd Arrondissement, where you pay three euros an hour for unlimited board games, with the option to order drinks and food while playing. It was so much fun. Though I would say the French version of The Game of Life (otherwise known as Destins) was a lot less exciting than the real deal (maybe I’m just a tough critic because of my addiction to that game). We spontaneously decided to go see the new movie Materialists, and it was fantastic. Personally, I think any movie with Dakota Johnson, Pedro Pascal, and Chris Evans is going to be good, but maybe I’m just biased. It was also the nicest movie theater I’ve ever seen (pictured below). Despite having to sprint to the metro before it closed at 1:15, it was a really fun night spent with friends!
The weekend was absolutely packed, from morning to night. My boss gave me the day off on Friday (I really truly love this woman), so I took advantage of the free time and walked around for hours. Around the 14th and 15th, through the 6th up to the Seine, then ended at the Latin Quarter for a delicious lobster roll and gelato. Walking through the streets of Paris, listening to music, and finding food along the way is my favorite activity here. I headed back to my apartment to get ready for the night, where my friends and I met back up in the Latin Quarter for some happy hour and karaoke! Yes, our bucket-list item of serenading the Parisians with Vienna was completed, and they even joined in! The next day, I slept in to recover from the loss of sleep the night before, and eventually headed to Chateau de Fontainebleau for the day. It was insane, and I honestly think I liked it better than Versailles. This visit was definitely one of my favorite things I’ve done in Paris; walking around the gardens and the chateau, seeing the statues and fountains, and all of the history there. It felt magical! Though it took 4 hours round-trip, it was worth it. By the time I got back, I was so exhausted that I fell asleep at 7 pm (apologies to my friends who were expecting me at Bal de Pompier… a girl needs her sleep!).
Rest was essential on Saturday night, because I had to wake up bright and early Sunday and head to Parc Asterix, a big amusement park outside of Paris based on the famous comic book characters Asterix and Obelix. Though I’m not familiar with these comics, my friend who recommended the place insisted we needed to go, and I’m glad we did! For 12 hours straight, we walked around the park, rode roller coasters and water rides, and ate greasy amusement park food that I’ve missed oh so much. It was a perfect day spent with friends, and though it took 2 hours to get home, it was worth it being with my friends all day and having fun on our last weekend in Paris together.
That’s it for this week! Don’t worry, I still have one more blog post coming, and it will be packed with all of my adventures from my last week in Paris! It’s going to be a wild ride. As always, thank you for reading along!
À bientôt!
Hailey Krawczyk