How Traveling Changed My Life

To be completely honest with you, this website and this organization wouldn’t exist at all if I hadn’t taken the opportunity to study abroad. My experience in Paris for the first time as a 20 going on 21-year-old student with a long track record of French education paid off as I was the only French-speaking student in our group. As a result, my experience in the city looked different than my peers. After years of studying this beautiful language and its culture, I finally had the opportunity to practice what I knew with people who speak this language natively. After my stay in Paris, my perspective changed in a lot of different ways

#1 Relationship with Food

I did a lot of culture-based research before I went which helped, but after applying that knowledge in real life, I really learned that in America our culture of fast food, eating on the go, eating while working at your desk is not really the best way to live. Oftentimes, meals are associated with social gatherings and centered around relationships with other people. The food quality was different which makes me more conscientious of the food I buy at the grocery store because the products we buy go beyond the shelf.

#2 Language Abilities Become a Super Power

After I returned from France, I was more inclined to continue my pursuit of French proficiency because I saw how I was able to communicate with people who didn’t speak my language. My listening skills weren’t the best, but each day I developed more confidence which allowed me to meet friends outside my English-speaking bubble. I did get to play the role of an interpreter and translator for many of my colleagues, make some friends, and got to wander around without haven’t worry about getting lost, or not being able to read things and whatnot.

#3 The Importance of Having a Life

While in Europe and even in Mexico, I started to see how their livelihoods revolve around their family, friends, and social interaction. While researching French culture before my trip, I discovered the 35 hour work weeks because life is not about working, but living! While in Mexico, meal preparation wasn’t something the women do while the men sit on the couch and watch the game, everyone had a part to play whether setting the table, cutting the vegetables and so on. One of my friends from church told me he planned to stop working on Saturdays and take more vacation time after his trip to the UK.

#4 Empathy Towards Immigrants

You never know what it’s like to be a foreigner until you are one. I’ve never had to live in another country for an extended period of time, but I’ve seen how not knowing the language can be a disadvantage. Having to read things, people talking to you as if you don’t belong there, and being expected to know this language right from the time you step off the plane! Fortunately, I’ve never had to experience these things directly (since I usually speak the language of the place I’m traveling to), but I’ve seen from others’ experience that it doesn’t feel good. So I can empathize with how they may feel when you’re no longer in your own territory.

International Travel, Culture, ImpactJazz Cole28 juin 2021French, foreign language, travelCommentaire