Hi! My name is Ellie Vasko and I am a third-year student at GW, double majoring in International Affairs and English. I am also a part of the Global Bachelor’s Program at GW. I studied abroad last spring in Singapore at Nanyang Technological University. This semester, I am about halfway through studying abroad in Paris at Sciences Po.
When I first got to Paris, I was so busy meeting new friends and participating in orientation that, three weeks in, I realized I had not been to a single museum yet. A large component of why I wanted to study abroad in Paris was for its culture. After discussing with my friend Cami, we found a solution to my dilemma. Every Tuesday afternoon, we decided we would make time to explore a different museum in Paris.
Our first Tuesday, we went to the Musee D’Orsay. I had gone to the Musee D’Orsay once before, when I was fifteen, and remembered that it was best to start at the top floor where all of the impressionism is located. We admired paintings by Degas, Cezanne, and Monet for hours. It felt surreal to see such famous artworks in person.
While I cannot go in depth about every museum we have been to, another highlight was 59 Rivoli, which is a studio that has several artists in residency. Visitors walk through the six floors of the studio as though it were a museum. As we explored, certain artists were working on their compositions. The studio was calming and inspiring; watching artists paint and draw made me want to pull out a sketchbook of my own.
Most recently, we visited the Palais Garnier, one of France’s national opera houses. The interior felt similar to a palace. The extravagance of the ceiling and walls made me feel like royalty. Cami and I stood together by a window, wondering what our lives would have been like if we lived in the 1800s, when the Opera House was built. After touring the Palais Garnier, we decided to purchase ballet tickets for this Saturday. I fear that no matter what I wear, it will stand dully in comparison to the ornate nature of the opera house.
Besides immersing myself in French culture, my experience visiting at least one museum each week has taught me that exploring Paris does not have to be expensive and seeing a new part of the city can also be done within a couple hours. I now realized that I do not need large sums of money and time in order to learn something new. I cannot wait to see what the second half of the semester has in store for me and to learn even more lessons about both Paris and myself.
Ellie Vasko
Fall 2024 – GW Paris - Sciences Po (GW Study Program)
Spring 2024 – GW Global Bachelor's Program - Asia-Pacific Semester
Elliott School of International Affairs
International Affairs & English Double Major
The Global Bachelor’s Program