Author: sarahblaiser

Hello! My name is Sarah and I will be studying in Aix en Provence, France for the semester. I will be doing my best to navigate a new culture with new people, join me for the ride! :)

Exploring Your Study Abroad Country

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One important tip I have for studying abroad is exploring the country you are studying in. Before I came here I had many grandiose ideas of all the countries and places I was going to travel to. Since being here I have realized that a semester is a relatively short amount of time, and visiting every country in Europe is impossible. While I will definitely be traveling to a few different countries, the school here really emphasized our travel throughout France.

The school offers about one field trip in France per class. There could be more or less based on the class and what it is centered around. In the early start week they also took us on a few trips around the south of France. With the school, we visited La Ciotat, L’île de Porquerolles, Le Tholonet, and Gréasque. Each of these cities was just as beautiful as the next.

With some encouragement from friends I have spent a few weekends exploring the French Riviera. Once I finished classes during the week I headed out to Cannes and Saint Raphael for the past two weekends. The train rides provide much entertainment and memories. Learning how the transportation systems worth within the first few weeks has been very helpful. The added part of practicing French with the workers and people along the way has helped in boosting my confidence with the language.

Fully submersing yourself in a different culture is a very difficult task, but I have found that exploring and learning about the region really helps in finding some comfort. There are so many different people, foods, and sites to see in all of this region. Take advantage of your time in Europe, but also in your country of study.

Adjusting to a Different Culture

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During my second week here, I couldn’t stop the overwhelming feeling of homesickness. Our school gave us a list of things to not do in order to try to fit in, but assured us that we would stick out as Americans no matter what. This thought really started to weigh on me. I didn’t want to stick out, in the United States I never really worried about this, which made me much more grateful, but also more homesick.

In order to protect ourselves from being pickpocketed or followed they assured us to be aware of our surroundings. This was great advice in my opinion, but as the tips became more detailed I felt less and less secure. They advised us it was best to be quiet since Americans being loud is a stereotype, that is also a bit of a reality. The way I understood if you were walking somewhere, pay attention, keep your eyes ahead of you, and try not to draw too much attention to yourself.

While these are all very smart and safe tips, I started to feel my chipper habits slipping away. I am from the Midwest and I feel as though I am very social because of this. I love to smile at people on the street and make conversation as I pass. Here, I felt like I couldn’t do any of this because I had to focus on not looking like the over friendly American. This adjustment really started to take a toll on me. I didn’t feel fully like myself. I felt very lonely in my little bubble in public.

As this week came to an end, I stopped caring. I was trying to hide and pretend that I wasn’t an American, but that is just a fact, and one I am not ashamed of. I have started smiling at people on the street again, with caution to my surroundings. I am not able to make as many conversations with others due to the language barrier, but I’m hoping that as my time progresses here I will be able to. It is very difficult to adjust to a new culture and there are so many ups and downs that go along with it. I’m sure there will be many others along the way, but I am very grateful for this amazing experience to understand how another culture lives. I feel that if I continue to be respectful, then there is no mishap that I can’t overcome.