Author: mmurinov

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Second Post

As expected…there is so much to learn, so much I hadn’t anticipated, and so much I have been fortunate to experience already. I have to admit that I thought picking up a language I had studied for four years already would be a lot easier. Among other incidents, one night at the dinner table, I embarrassed myself with a comment that showed I had totally missed the gist of the conversation. It also shocked me when I was met with a blank stare after delivering what I thought was a clear request. But the most humbling experience occurred with the 4 year-old grandson, Gaby, of my host family. Children require practically perfect pronunciation because they don’t know words any other way. I asked him a simple question, merely 4 words, at the breakfast table one morning, and he didn’t understand what I was saying until my fifth try…

The situation is really more comical than distressing though. It’s hard to feel bad when a little boy, with nutella smeared over his face, sincerely asks what on earth you’re saying. I think the most important thing is to embrace the moments of discomfort and not let them make you discouraged. While I never thought it could be so stressful to simply order a menu item at a restaurant, these small incidents help me to appreciate just how much culture contains. Despite all the bumps in the road along the way, so far the high points have far outweighed the lows, and I know the gap between them will continue to widen.

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First Post

Even after spending my first full day in Tours, I still can’t believe it’s finally happening.

I’ve always grown up split between Europe and the United States. While I was born and spent most of my life in my mother’s hometown in California, the rest of my heritage keeps pulling me back to the other side of the Atlantic. Ever since I can remember, I’ve always wanted to learn more about other languages, cultures, and ways of life, particularly in Europe.

This desire probably stems from my childhood, and my continued exposure to international influences. My experience abroad began immediately, as my parents lived in Italy for the first two years of my life. While I don’t recall anything, they told me I learned to walk in the square in front of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Slovakia, my father’s native country, holds my first memories. We remained there until I was six, so I grew up speaking two languages. Unfortunately, I retained very little Slovak when we moved to the United States, but the passion for recovering it has remained with me. I’ve always been so excited to incorporate Slovak traditions into our family life at home. Perhaps my interest in language and culture stems from my ingrained wish to get back the knowledge I lost.

Since my early years, I have traveled to Europe several times. I have visited Slovakia, Ireland, Poland, Bosnia-Herzegovina, northern Spain, and a few cities in Italy. Technically, I can also claim the airports in Amsterdam, Munich, Frankfurt, Zurich, Brussels, and Split. Despite the lengthy list, these trips never provided the full immersion into language and culture that I am about to experience in the next six weeks.

After studying French for four years in high school and renewing my interest in it at Notre Dame, it’s a dream come true to be able to live and study in France. One can learn about through reading or in a classroom, but I don’t think it’s possible to come to a true appreciation of a place and its people without a first-hand, lived experience. I hope to develop a thorough understanding of French language and culture during my time in Tours, and I can’t wait to see what this summer holds!