Name:
Simon Goettl
Major/Minor at ISU:
Major in French Language, minors in Apparel Design and Linguistics
Where are you studying abroad and for how long?
Aix-en-Provence for my Spring semester
What has been one surprising thing about your current location?
The most surprising thing about my current location is the how extensive and easy-to-use the public transportation is. I live about 20 minutes by foot from the city center, but the buses run frequently so I am never far from the action. In addition, students here (and anyone under age 26, I believe) can get what’s called the “ticket treize” (ticket 13) which provides unlimited trips between Aix-en-Provence and close-by Provencale cities (like Marseille) for the day for only 2 euro.
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What has been your favorite thing so far about your current location?
My favorite thing about the city is its diverse offerings. There are so many options of things to do, places to see, restaurants to eat at, etc. Not only that, but I play club soccer for Iowa State and I am lucky enough to get to play for the university team here in Aix!
What is one thing you look forward to doing before your return to ISU from your study abroad program?
I am looking forward to exploring some other countries in Europe. I’ll be visiting Portugal and Spain during my late February vacation, and I have trips planned for Monaco, The Netherlands, and Italy. And of course, I have a weekend trip planned early March for Paris!
If you could give current WLC students one piece of advice regarding the planning of going abroad, what would it be?
Cultural differences are very real and they can easily take you by surprise, even if it’s something that you’ve discussed in your classes or studied on your own time. Keep and open mind, try new things, make new friends, and try to savor every moment you have abroad because when you get back (I imagine that) you will miss it like crazy.