Le Début (The beginning)

As everyone is making their New Year's resolutions to be thinner, stronger, healthier - I'm making my resolution to take every opportunity I can to get to know myself better. To me, it seems there is no better, or more fulfilling way than studying abroad and traveling every chance I get. In a foreign environment completely free from the bias of norms I have come to know for the last 22 years of my life, I will challenge my comfort zone and broaden my perspective of the world around me beyond the US. As I start the packing process and check items off of my 'to-do' list (and inevitably add more to it), I think of the adventures I will have and the people I will meet during my months abroad. However, I know that no monument, sculpture or even the Eiffel Tower could replace the beautiful mountains of Colorado and not a single person I meet could replace the friends and family at home. It is important for me to remember (and remind all of you) that I'm not going to Europe to find replacements for what I currently have - I'm going to find experiences that supplement and enhance my life and allow me to grow into the person I want to be.

I plan to fully immerse myself in French society, to not only gain a greater understanding of their culture, but also my own. I've read many places that traveling is a way to become more acquainted with your own culture because you are constantly being reminded of the little differences that make you a foreigner. Recently, I've taken notice of the many people I've come in contact with whose first language is something other than English. I've noticed it, not as an annoyance, but more in a way that makes me think of how I will be in another country where my first language is their second (or fifth or sixth, as I've prepared myself might be case). This past semester, I have stressed a lot that my French is not as good as it should be or as good as it needs to be for me to seamlessly work myself into any conversational situation I will encounter in France. But, like the people I've met here who try to speak English with me because it is MY first language - I respect them for their efforts and the time they have taken to accommodate me and I know that my efforts to learn the French language will be appreciated by the people I meet in France.

Coming from a small town, even moving to a bigger city to go to school can cause a sort of 'culture shock.' I mean, I didn't even see the ocean for the first time until I was 20, and that was the first (and only) time I had ever left the country! Needless to say, this will be quite the adventure for a small-town girl from Cortez, Colorado. *Insert bad joke about Cortez, rednecks, etc. here* But I've been raised well with a lot of common sense and good lessons on being aware of my surroundings, and I've done quite a deal of preparing myself, so not to worry! I'm excited beyond belief and I look forward to sharing my pictures and experiences with everyone and I encourage you all to share with me what is happening here. Just because my adventures are happening in another country doesn't mean they are any more important than the ones you're having at home! :)

Dawn