Pre-Departure Feelings:
My main concerns before coming to Paris were that I wouldn't have time to do everything that I wanted to do and that time would absolutely fly by! Also, I was a little apprehensive that I wouldn't be getting a very well rounded working experience out of my internship. While its true that I am not having enough time to do everything that I would like (haha), I am pleased to say that I have been having a very positive work place experience! I am very engaged at my job, never doing any busy work, and I'm getting to make strategic marketing decisions here that actually have an impact on the business. I've been very impressed.
The Parisian Experience:
I love Paris, and despite the rain, the city's charm continues to amaze me. There have been some struggles here. I got sick, and I have been hopelessly lost trying to find my way back to the apartment late at night at least once or twice. Other than that everything has been going pretty smoothly! I've had great luck with my colleagues. My host is an absolute gem. She just leaves food out on the kitchen table for me to eat whenever I want which is very generous of her.
Outside of the office I have mostly stayed in Paris for now. I've been going out at night, going on dates with Frenchman, attending festivals, and I went to Mont Saint Michel last Saturday. It was gorgeous and so worth the struggle it took to get there.
Working in an International City:
My typical work day consists of me getting up at 7:00am and having to get to work by 9:30am. I work from 9:30am - 5:30pm each day and my boss is pretty lenient about taking a day off every now and then. I have many tasks. I'm creating blog content, getting good with SEO, designing and creating web pages, creating packages and products which are sold to clients, and I'm going out on the field for various assignments as well. All and all there is never a dull moment.
My office is great... It is a very relaxed and informal atmosphere. We are working out of a studio apartment and all sitting around the same table with the boss. There are six of us aside from the bosses. We are mostly from the US however France and India are also represented. English is the official working language although French is used for topics unrelated to work often. So far I haven't noticed that many cultural differences between our office. I think is largely because the office is dominated by Americans. I have noticed that Americans tend to be much more open about there personal lives than the French though.
