What a difference a week can make! From that first day feeling of being thrown into the deep end of being in a foreign country and emerged in the French language to feeling comfortable in Tours just over a week later, the change is incredible. Of course, over that time there were certain challenging and trying incidents that tested my resolve (and my ability to deal with some subtle embarrassment), but in these moments I learned about myself, the language, and the culture more than ever before.
Full disclosure- I am writing and reflecting on each part of my journey a bit after the actual events, but I have been keeping a week-to-week journal of the events, feelings, and stories of my time abroad to be able to write these blog posts with the most accuracy possible.
At Charles de Gaulle airport, the realization of being in France began to hit as I waited at the airport train station. All around me everyone was speaking French! It was the first time hearing the language that I have studied for years actually being used into its natural context. That sense of excitement quickly turned to a bit of panic… I struggled to understand the people around me and missed all the information in the station announcements. My first instinct was self-preservation–avoiding conversations and only interacting when needed.
Arriving in Tours, I felt like I was in a completely new environment, especially living with a host family. Practicing my French with my hostess calmed my nerves about the initial language barrier of moving to France, but soon I became aware of all of the numerous other subtle cultural differences in French life–apartment style living, strictly scheduled dinners always served with dessert, and even just difference in water consumption (the French certainly like to savor their small amounts of water). For my first week in Tours, I adapted a “fake it until you make it” attitude: work to fit into the culture of Tours and France until can authentically live it out.
For my first free weekend, I decided to explore Paris with my Notre Dame classmates, Maya and Martha. Exploring the sites and works of arts across the city felt surreal, but the most impactful experience was an early morning trip to the boulangerie by myself. Stepping into a Parisian boulangerie for the first time, I was extremely nervous– I want to be impressive with my language skills and appear like a Frenchman to everyone there. I stepped up to the front of the line and confidently asked, “Trois croissant ordinateur, s’il vous plait.” I had just ordered three computer (ordinateur) croissant rather than the “trois croissant ordinaire” that I had meant to order.
This was certainly a humbling experience, but I learned an important lesson to guide the rest of my time in France: it’s not worth it to try to appear like a local, instead, accept that you are new to the culture and work to improve by acknowledging you have a lot to learn. By eliminating the need to be perfect, I will feel more relaxed in this new environment and absorb more knowledge both about both the language and subtle cultural connections. And with that growth, I can truly begin to feel like a local.
How I feel throughout my first week in France–trying to fit perfectly in the new environment, culture, and language, but JUST missing the mark. Time to keep learning!