Encore une fois, bonjour à tous! Before departing for France with this program at the College of Charleston, professors and students will tell you to be prepared for certain emotions you might experience. There’s the honeymoon phase, the cultural shock, and homesickness; maybe not specifically in that order nor just once! But I’ve been here for three months already and feel like I am forever in my honeymoon phase with France. 

Admittedly, it is incredibly easier to express yourself when you can speak the language of the country you are visiting. That is one of the many things professors warned us about. I am not fluent, however, I understand and can speak well enough to fully express how I feel and what I think. This is very likely the reason I am so in love with my experience here. The French are eager to help me better my skills and comprehension, and they almost seem proud of me when I refuse to speak English with them. It’s amusing, they speak English to me so that they can practice their skills, and I will do the same in French.

After some time here, I was waiting for my destined culture shock, but truthfully it was an inverse shock. One of my favorite things about France and the French is their attention to the environment. I wasn’t surprised at how well they maintain the eco-friendly lifestyles, I was more shocked how in America it is not so easily maintained or executed. Here, I take the bus or bike to school every day, and I am not the only one by any means. Yes, there is public transportation in the states, but it isn’t as reliable nor plentiful. The French are much more aware of their consumption, as well. So yes, there was a cultural shock, but it was completely reversed to cultural back home in the states.

Truth be told, I do not want to come back home. I feel like I belong here more than I do in America. It is very strange. I am scared to come back because I feel like cultural shock will be heavier. With that being said, I am already excited to return to France next summer! There is no experience like a study abroad with a wonderful host family. I have learned so many things (big and small) from my family or fellow french students that I would have never learned in a textbook, and I am so grateful.