Paris, France 

Goals: Before & After

Before my trip to Paris, my main goals included improving my proficiency in the  French language, immersing myself in the culture, and just overall gaining new perspectives as I have a great appreciation for learning from cultures different from my own. 
While these goals did not necessarily change, they definitely broadened from the time I arrived and until after my trip. One of the first things I knew right away was how serious I wanted to take my improvement of the langage when I realized the vast difference between what I learned in the classroom versus how the natives actually spoke. It was exciting but equally challenging to keep up with conversations in public spaces. I left France with the goal of using one of my favorite hobbies, reading, to improve my language skills. I had researched and even followed social media personalities for book recommendations.

Cultural Differences

One of the very first noticeable things I encountered when I arrived in France was the difference in pace of life than I was used to. It was evident in the way people took more time during their day to enjoy a break to eat and converse with friends. For this reason, there are many spots located all throughout Paris for the purpose of only snacking and talking. In workplaces, employees are given a generous amount of time for lunch and.. Whenever my group and I were at restaurants, we took note of how much time we would spend there without feeling the rush of leaving. Long meal times were encouraged and there was no hastiness in the way you are served. I saw this dynamic as well in the home I lived in with a native family. Time with family was important in the household. Dinner was mandatory bonding time filled with lots of conversation and winding down. It was clear that in French culture, Leisure was valued more than what I am accustomed to in the U.S., where the pace of life is way faster and more focused on career success. Additionally, enjoying holidays was important for my host family. When I first arrived, the family was out of town for a holiday called Victory Day in France. This came as a little bit of surprise for me since in the U.S., there are only a select few holidays where time is given off work and where the entire family traveled. This way of life was one that I enjoyed a lot because I was able to do a lot of self-care that I would not give myself the luxury to do as much back home and it taught me the importance of slowing down and taking advantage of the leisures in life. 

Meaningful Experiences & Challenges

While in France, nothing amazed me more than the beauty of the castles, and in the museums I visited. One of my most memorable experiences was when I toured the Château de Versailles. Out of the other castles I visited, it was my absolute favorite. Château de Versailles is the former residence of King Louis XIV. Known for its importance in the history of France, it was beautiful to see in person. One of my favorite parts of the tour was seeing the Queen’s State Apartment where Marie Antointte lived . Visiting museums has always been something I enjoyed and it was a goal accomplished of mine to take in all the knowledge from places such as the Louvre. Another memorable experience for me was when I was able to travel to the south of France to visit the French Riviera and the country of Monaco. I got to appreciate the beauty of the things such as the lavender field in Marseille, beaches in Nice, and the vibrant energy surrounding the palace of the Prince of Monaco. 

As expected, living abroad does not come without its challenges. One of the first I encountered was using the transportation system in Paris. Coming from never having to use a train system to using it on my own was a bit daunting when I arrived. However, I learned pretty quickly how easy it was to navigate and pretty soon, I was acclimated to it, and even preferred it. I also found a new love for the amount of walking I had to do while there because it led me to discover many bookstores and pop-up flea markets where I spent most of the weekends. Another challenge for me was the rapid pace at which the natives spoke. Though this was a challenge I was grateful for because it forced me to develop listening skills I otherwise would have not gotten in the classroom. Although anticipated, I was not able to improve on my speaking skills as much as I wanted to because English was spoken in most public spaces in Paris and once I was recognized as an American, most people switched to English when speaking to me. I experienced the opposite of this while visiting the cities in the south of France where I encountered more everyday people who did not feel the need to accommodate tourists. 

Self-perception & Society

Living in France helped me understand the perception of me from others’ point of view based on the categories they put me in upon meeting me. One of the main things my program reiterated time and time again was minding our actions while out in public. The reasons behind this were evident in the ways we were sometimes treated based on the stereotypes of Americans. Through observations, I came to understand that we were perceived as loud, bold and individualistic. For the French, who favored tranquility and a more collectivism type of mindset, there can be an initial shock when exchanging interactions with us. Business places and restaurants were the ones accustomed to this due to the high level of tourism in Paris, and often tried matching our level of energy and enthusiasm. This experience made me understand that I can appreciate the culture of others and learn some takeaways from them and add it to my interpersonal skills while traveling in the future.

Academic Enrichment

One of the main sources of help in understanding French culture and more was the material I learned in the course I took on French language and culture while abroad. Our professor put a lot of focus on the differences in both cultures and provided us with key advice on assimilating better. In the classroom, I also learned the effect the norms of the culture had on some of the rules of the French language and formal and informal interactions. Through multiple presentations and skits in class, I received a lot of practice etiquette cultural expectations that I was able to use in my social interactions. Overall, the course and my experience as a whole was an immense help academically by building upon everything I studied prior to my time abroad.  

Conclusion

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This trip provided me with an opportunity of independence like no other. Living in France pushed me to explore many hobbies and in turn learn a great deal about myself. The cultural immersion introduced me not only to the way of life of the natives, but also the melting pot Paris itself is. With the different ethnicity groups I encountered, the different cuisines, and forms of entertainment I was exposed to, I left with an enriching experience that further expanded my global awareness. This equipped me with the knowledge and skills of cultural consciousness I can apply to many areas of life.