A hike up to the Chêne de Venon overlooking the city
Author: Emily Roberts | Majors: International Studies, French | Semester: Fall 2022, Spring 2023
January 11th , 2023, I said goodbye for a second time to my friends and family to embark on part two of my study abroad. Deep down I quietly wished to stay in Arkansas: to be with my loved ones, my favorite foods, my car, my gym membership… all those things that make a place feel like home. Despite myself, I repacked my bags and set out for round two in the Alps of Grenoble, France.
Knowing what to expect, I hopped right back into the action. I didn’t have the honeymoon phase or the jarring culture shock or feelings of isolation and homesickness. In fact, I came back and quickly realized how I much I had adapted to my environment over the first semester. The academic and emotional heavy lifting I did in the first semester truly paid off, allowing me to have the study abroad I had hoped for all along. Looking back on my experience, I have learned that adjusting to a new life in a new place simply takes a bit of time. In August, when I arrived, I was under the impression that within 4 months I would have most of the connections and experiences I wanted. As it turned out, it took about 3 months for me to adjust, so that by the time I went home for Christmas I was just beginning to settle in. It’s for this reason that I recommend students study abroad for the whole year if they have the opportunity. As someone who is seriously considering an international job/lifestyle, a whole year has allowed me to experience the stages of cultural adaption in its fullness and be in a country long enough to imagine living there without the pure high of study abroad coloring my point of view.
When I go back home, I will miss being classmates with people from all over the world. All of us have our own reasons to be in France, but each of us desires to learn the language and find friends in our new environment. This has given us many commonalties, leading to quick, genuine connections. I have truly enjoyed getting to hear people’s person stories and learn about so many countries through the eyes of its people. Though at times we may struggle to communicate everything we want to say in French, I have found that relationships are much more than the words we string together but a shared sense of understanding that touches at something deeper than spoken language.
As my time in the city comes to a close, I am taking in all the small things that will no longer be there once at home: opening the shutters each morning, the ding of the tram arriving, adults biking to work in their yellow safety vests, the spring flowers growing on street corners, the mountain ranges that cradle the city, sounds of church bells in the distance, homemade jam for breakfast…the list goes on and on. It is these things that give a place its special sense of self. After 9 months, I recognize that there is so much more for me to learn about this city and this country. It is humbling yet amazing to realize that that no matter how long I stay here, I could always be challenged by something new. Though there is no denying that the French really do love their baguettes, going on strike and complaining about n’importe quoi, the country deserves to be recognized for its incredible beauty, deeply held values, rich language, and interesting people.