It has been about two and a half weeks since I arrived in Paris with no idea where I would be working and a lot of anxiety about my living arrangement. So much has changed since I stepped off my plane and I can tell that things will continue to change moving forward. Coming in to this, I knew that I would face culture shock at some point, but I did not expect to experience it so immediately. However, that was the case for me. For the first 5 days or so, I was almost constantly feeling anxious about my interactions with people, nervous for my internship to start, and uncomfortable in my new home. However, this soon began to fade and I found myself feeling more comfortable in my new environment and more confident with my interactions.

Now, as I am writing this, it is hard to believe that two and a half weeks have already gone by! In that time, I have learned a lot about French lifestyle and culture, and I am able to blend into the environment much better. Interactions can still be awkward at times, but I have gotten much better at conversing in French. It also helped that I have just accepted the fact that I will sometimes make a fool out of myself and find myself in uncomfortable situations. Instead of trying to avoid these situations, I have been trying to learn from them. I am looking at them as growing pains.

Two weeks into my internship, I feel much more comfortable with my coworkers and I have begun doing more meaningful work. Although it can still be difficult to follow the conversations at lunch, I find myself feeling helplessly lost far less often (but not never). Now that I feel more comfortable and confident, it has been much easier to appreciate being here and taking advantage of this opportunity.

Although I am sure that the effect of culture shock will continue to come and go, I feel much more confident in my ability to handle it with a positive attitude and learn something from it!