Salut!!
A very warm welcome to the first edition of my blog! In case you’ve forgotten, my name is Johanna, and I’m here in Lyon, France for one delightful semester at Université Jean Moulin 3.
It’s been just over three weeks since I arrived in Lyon, and in the most wonderful way possible, if you told me it had been three months I would believe you. I am sitting in my cosy dorm room and may or may not be eating a cookie-brownie-cake straight out of the box – a french delicacy (it’s not). I’m feeling a little like I’m in an early 2000s rom-com.
Anyway, I am absolutely loving life in Lyon – like I could break out into song right now. However, this is my first time living out of home – ever, so as you might guess, it hasn’t always been so magical. I’ll take you on a recap of my wee little journey.
When I arrived three weeks ago I was recovering from being sick, I was carrying my 10 million bags on the metro (okay it was 4), it was 32 degrees, and in all honesty all I wanted was for my mum to make the super quick trip over here and come sort my life out for me.
Not to get all soppy, but I don’t think I have ever been more proud of myself than I am for setting my life up in those first few days.
A little admin info for you: I am staying in off campus student accommodation – for any students at any university in Lyon – run by an organisation called CROUS. I’m up on the third floor (very exciting taking the elevator everyday, I do pretend I’m in Gossip Girl), and I share my apartment with two other wonderful people. Housemates are totally luck of the draw, so I feel extremely lucky to have ended up with the most lovely two people (bonjour Mila and Kenan)! We share a kitchen, dining room, and two bathrooms – honestly so ideal.
Getting checked into my accommodation was a very easy process. Université Jean Moulin 3 has an international association – an absolute lifesaver – with people who help you organise documents for accommodation, set up a French bank account, and can answer almost any admin question you could have. I was soon up with my bags, ready to make my room my own (which, for an embarrassing amount of days, meant one sheet on the bed, a towel pillow, and all my bags open on the floor).
After the 15-hour sleep that my poor body desperately needed, I very quickly discovered that Lyon is simply stunning. I still genuinely can’t believe I actually live here – more on that soon.
I started my orientation the next day (talk about cutting it fine), and gosh, I couldn’t have asked for a better set-up to jump right into. We had an orientation period of around 10 days – welcome tours, a cocktail evening, information lectures, and of course your classic o-week events: 4 days of 4-hour French intensive classes!!! In all honesty, though, those intensives have given me my closest friends – nothing like 8am starts for some rapid bonding!
There is yet another association for international students: ESN – one for all universities. They organise social events to meet other internationals, hikes, craft evenings – everything you could need when wanting to get out and about in Lyon. They also organise ‘object fairs’ which are essentially a borrow/return system for all things dorm related! Once you are a member of the organisation (literally costs 2 euros) you can borrow pots, pans, bedding, kettles, the kitchen sink (almost), and all you have to do is return it when you leave for the next round of exchange students to use! Such a wonderful system that definitely saved me a few bucks.
Before I keep rambling on forever and ever, I’ll give you a rundown of favourite things about living in Lyon so far – in no particular order:
1 – The public transport oh my GOSH I can’t stop talking about this. The metro stop right by my apartment comes every 3 minutes during the week, and every 6 on Sundays – I love life. And on this topic, my literal most prized possession is my TCL (Transports Commun Lyonnais) card. It gets me on every form of transport, and it costs 25 euros per month for students – absolute BARGAINS. A single trip would be costing me 2 euros – so I honestly almost use the 25 euros in a single week. So pretty much transport is free and if I ever lose that card I’m flying home.
2 – The BUILDINGS. Just every street being filled with the most wonderful, detailed, beautiful french facades. And you can be walking home from drinks with friends and bump into the most intricate little church or fountain. It’s so dreamy.
3 – The friends I’ve made!! I feel so lucky to have made such wonderful friends – and friends who are always on the same page of wanting to experience everything we can – in Lyon and out! The SELF (Study English in Lyon) programme at Lyon 3 (my university) is honestly such a well set up programme for meeting people, and it turns out everyone back home was right – I wasn’t going to be a massive loner for this whole semester!
Not to pull out some clichés, but these last few weeks really have been the biggest roller coaster, with the highest of highs and a few low lows, and nothing that a 3-hour phone call with mum when it’s 6am NZ time can’t fix. I just keep learning more, and it just keeps getting better!!!
Bye bye for now!! See you all for episode 2,
Johanna xoxo