This is first in a series of blogs based on a trip to Paris with DePaul University.

I visited Katie for a long weekend before joining the Depaul University group in Paris on December 1.  Visiting with Katie was a true inspiration—it made me ponder what I really want out of life.  While Katie wants to help African governments develop public-health systems, I want to move to Paris and develop my global marketing career.  I have loved the French language and culture since I was 13—speaking French makes my brain change color.  It makes me feel alive. So, I am moving to Paris in February.  I aim to get a full-time marketing/PR/social job there, or secure freelance assignments.

“You like going to meetings when you are on vacation,” my mom joked when I told her I was going to Paris with DePaul and would be meeting with French companies and government ministries.  Indeed, the trip to Paris with DePaul was part work (I took massive amounts of notes for my blog), part networking (in hopes of finding a job) and definitely part pleasure (as photos on Facebook will demonstrate).

Marketing Professor Steve Kelly, Ph.D., took 20 undergraduate students and MBA candidates on a two-week visit to the city of lights, serving as an intense course in European marketing.  It’s Christmas Day as I write this.  In the coming days, the students will be finishing their own papers on a business or cultural topic based on their experiences.

Stay tuned for more posts on this fun and educational trip–a milestone for all of us.