Lessons Learned From My First Month

This week marks one month in France, and I’m not sure how that’s even remotely possible. It feels like just yesterday I was wasting 10 hours in JFK waiting to fly across the ocean (to be fair, I did that three times in the last 12 months, so the feeling isn’t that unnatural).

I guess it’s time for an update, right? I guess I haven’t actually told anyone what I’m doing here.

I’m still in classes, and so far, I finished the first two rounds of class, the first class being on the history of political France and the second on French sociology. Today, we started our class on art history, which is refreshing to learn about and incredibly interesting since we can visit all the works of art we’re talking about.

Outside of class, I do the typical study abroad things, like visiting museums, exploring my city, and (some) studying. In my first blog post, I described my idea of study abroad as “a semester of running carefree around a city, drinking wine, reading political theory for fun, and showing off my perfect French.” Honestly, that’s what it has been so far: carefree exploring after class, having wine and cheese nights with my friends, and practicing my French with the locals. It’s far from perfect, but it’s getting there- the cashiers at my local grocery store no longer jump straight to English.

Here are some lessons I’ve learned in the first four weeks of living abroad:

-It’s okay to do things by yourself

I was really concerned about going out into the city by myself, but I’ve found that it’s really easy to navigate the city and the Metro system. And the time by myself is actually pretty nice. This week, I’ve really worked on that- I’ve been doing the things I wanted to do in Paris, regardless of whether or not I’ve had someone to join me. Last weekend, I went out to the Eiffel Tower to see it sparkle because I’d been in Paris for three weeks and I still hadn’t been to see it, and it was so worth it. I was doing something for myself- I stood on the street corner, in the cold, my head tilted back in awe as I watched all 20,000 lights flash. Yeah, it was kind of touristy and a little bit of a cliché, but I don’t care about any of that. Which brings me to my next point…

-I’m not ashamed of doing the touristy things (for the most part)

I know that I am extremely lucky to be here doing what I love. I know that there are some people who never even leave South Carolina once in their lives. So, given the chance to live in Paris, I will visit the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame and the Louvre and all the other famous places and buildings in this city. And I’ll try new French foods (within the limits of keeping Kosher) and take pictures of the French flag. And I’ll get excited about these things, and I will not be ashamed of it.

-I don’t want to waste my time

It’s a kind of obvious point, but it took me a few weeks to get the hang of it. There were days when I would come home from class and be so mentally exhausted that I just laid in my room staring at the ceiling. It was a complete waste of time, and I really regret it. I live so close to so many amazing museums that not going to them (especially because they’re mostly free for students) feels like I’m throwing away my time. I’ve decided to explore a new place every day- and so far, so good. Last week, I went to the Orangerie and the Musée d’Orsay, which blew my mind and left me breathless (I’m a sucker for Impressionist art). Yesterday, I went to the Louvre (again, because the last time I went, I only saw one hall of one wing and it took me about two hours). Taking recommendations for the weekend.

-Walking a mile in Paris is like walking 100 miles in Towson

In Towson, walking places seems so time-consuming and exhausting, but in Paris, I’ll walk for hours (sometimes just wandering around). I decided that I’m not going to bother buying the monthly Metro pass because I love walking places here. (To be fair, I don’t necessarily need the pass- I walk to class every day and my internship, and I live close to all the best museums and landmarks and neighborhoods.) And the city is just so beautiful that I don’t mind the walk- I’m distracted by the buildings and people that walking no longer feels like the act of getting from one place to another.

That being said, I have taken the Metro enough to learn that my line is far superior to all the other ones. I’m very grateful to live on the best line in Paris, ligne 1, and I am prepared to debate its superiority with anyone, in English or in French.

-The foyer life was a good choice

I live in a foyer, which in my case is an international dorm for women, students and workers, under the age of 25. I share a suite with someone who has been here since August, and getting to know her means getting to know her friends. If you’re reading this and thinking about studying abroad, stay in a dorm for this reason: the people you meet will teach you more about the city than you’ll ever learn on your own. I’m sure host families are nice, but the community I’ve found in my foyer is unexpectedly wonderful.

-Culture shock is real

I’m going to say it once, but don’t expect me to say it again on this platform. Prepare yourself. Here it comes…

… I sometimes… miss… being in America.

Yeah, it shocks me as much as it shocks you. For those of you with the misfortune of having spent the last semester listening to me complain about how much “I just want to be in France already!”, I’m sorry that I admitted it, but I did, and now we can move past it. What exactly about America do I miss, you ask? Not the lack of good public transportation in Towson or the stress of school. Not the unpredictable Maryland weather. I don’t even miss hearing English everywhere I go (question: is it rude to eavesdrop on someone’s conversation for the sake of learning the language? Please respond so I can sleep easy tonight.).

However, I miss my family and my dog and my friends and my physical contact and my grits and my sunshine and understanding everything all the time.

I think I’m experiencing culture shock, but it might also be seasonal depression from a constant lack of Vitamin D and the overload of snow. And it’s not like this culture is so different from my own! France and America are both Western cultures, so why am I having such a hard time adjusting? I’m doing everything right: wearing a black jacket, not smiling at anyone on the street, and drinking tiny cups of coffee that I’m not even sure I like… and I still feel strange. And you want to know the worst part? You would think that something like seeing French flags draped everywhere or something obvious like that would be the thing to push me over the edge. But, alas, it’s the little things that get to me, like the fact that the corner grocery store has five hundred types of cheese to choose from or that the ambulance sirens sound different. I KNOW. I sound insane, and I wish I could just get past it, but I can’t, and I HATE it.

I know I’m overreacting and that I’ll get over it soon, but it’s something I’ve been thinking a lot about. I’ve been dreaming for so long about coming to study here, but now that I’m here, it’s very hard to be so separated from everything at home. But I’m making the most of our WhatsApp family group chat, keeping everyone in the loop of the cool things I’m doing in this incredible city.

It’s hard to wrap my head around the fact that I’ve been here for a month. Every morning, I get up and think about how lucky I am be waking up in Paris. As cheesy as it sounds, I’ve noticed that the feeling of shock and joy never really leaves. Every time I see the island I live on, I breathe a sigh of relief that I’m home, which is quickly smothered by the realization that I just walked home without a map… in Paris!! Even after a month, I’m amazed every time I think about this place as home- I can recommend places to people and get home on the Metro without a map, and I have a little neighborhood patisserie that I always get quiche from on Sundays when everything else is closed. Even the Seine, which looks disease-infested and like the home to many a mysterious river-creature, is strangely comforting in ways I can’t explain.

I’m definitely changing here, becoming more independent and confident, and it's strange to see how I'm adapting to a new culture. This month has impacted me greatly, and I'm looking forward to what comes in the next one.

#february