I have been in France for only 11 days, but in that short amount of time I feel like I have learned so much and yet have so much to continue to learn.
Everyday is a new experience. I go somewhere different, I talk to different people, and I learn new words in this beautifully complex language. My main goal for this trip was to improve my french and to learn more about a culture so different from the culture back in small town Pennsylvania, USA (or Pennsylvanie, as the french say!). I’ve already made strides in my personal goals of having conversations with native francophones and eating as many macarons as possible 😋.
All in all, this trip has really provided me with a complete off the books experience of different cultures and marketing techniques used in France. As an international marketing major, I am always looking to find the differences between the wants and needs of foreign cultures. Everyday, I try to pick out one of these differences and observe why things are the way they are.
Academically, this trip is better than any classroom in terms of forcing one’s brain to switch into french and approach situations differently so that you are able to hold conversations and get your point across. My goal for this trip is to become more fluent in french by speaking mainly in french no matter what and working hard every day to understand this country I’m living in.
In Nantes, I am living by myself with my host family who have a mom, dad, two sons, and a daughter. I am very comfortable here because, coming from a large family myself, I love to be surrounded my children. I find the noise and constant fights very relaxing as it is what I am used to. My host parents both speak a little English, and my eldest host brother speaks a bit of English as well. But, as per the rule of the trip, I am not allowed to speak English with them so that I can better improve my language skills. I do face some challenges when it comes to the language barrier. The other night, I spent ten minutes trying to ask my host brother where the laundry room was. Eventually we got there, but it took a lot of embarrassment and mispronunciation.
Despite the embarrassment, I absolutely love living here. My house is situated only a 15 minute walk from my school, so I have no need to take the bus (which scares me a bit if I’m honest, those things always look so crowded!). Where I am located in Nantes, no destination is more than a 30 minute walk from where I live. I love this the most because I am able to take in the town during my walks and really appreciate the area I am currently residing in. For the first time today, I used my train pass (which triples as a train pass, bus pass, and boat pass!). It was very crowded as I expected, but it was very convenient and much like taking the bus at Pitt!
For any students thinking about studying abroad for the summer- Do it!! It is an amazing experience and you might not get a chance like it again!
Some advice for anyone coming to Nantes or anywhere in France in the future:
- There is no air conditioning here. Anywhere. You will be hot, but you learn to live without it and just drink a lot of cold water!
- Everyday should feel like a busy day. Whether you are just walking around town to get ice cream or visiting the museum, you should make sure that you are making the most out of your experience and doing everything you can. Even on a lazy day!
- The language gap gets easier. The locals are usually very nice with you when they instantly realize that you are foreign and are not fluent in the language.
- Have fun! Make the most out of everyday and don’t worry about back home-everything will be just fine until you get back!
Until next time!
