While the book series only offered a brief glimpse of Belly’s study abroad experience in Spain through one of Conrad’s letters, the television adaptation dedicates three episodes to her time in France.
According to creator Jenny Han, expanding on Belly’s time away from her family was essential for the character’s arc.
“There is so much that is going to surprise fans about how much we’re showing of Belly in Paris and the whole ending,” Han told Entertainment Weekly in September. “It’s not just an epilogue.”
She explained that her own experience in the city inspired the additions to the script, noting, “There’s just so much to living on your own, for the first time, in a foreign place, and that’s important for Belly as she’s growing up.”
In the series, Belly initially misses her study abroad deadline after choosing to skip the trip for Jeremiah. However, after their wedding is called off, she ultimately spends a year in Paris, where she takes online classes, builds new friendships, and has a romance with a character named Benito.
