Alyssa Watts (MAFLP French 2015)
There is a big, wide world out there, just waiting to be explored! It's easy to forget that. We get used to a routine and a way of life; it is less complicated to do the same things day in and day out. In the end, however, the mundane details of daily life are easily forgotten. The "OMG" moments are the ones that stick in your mind.
I have been fortunate enough to have lived in France for an extended period of time three times so far in my life—once as an undergraduate on a study abroad program, once at the ripe old age of twenty-five, and last year as a wife and mother. Three very different experiences brought about a multitude of "OMG" moments, but also some small pieces of wisdom which have proved to be true no matter what the circumstance.
First of all, in order to appreciate your life and everything you have, you need to leave it. Take any opportunity to travel and see the world beyond your backyard. The people you meet will change you as much, if not more, than the things you see or the museums you visit. Go off the beaten path (safely, of course!). Find a restaurant on a street where you hear no English being spoken, or walk or take the bus from place to place instead of being stuck underground on the métro (don't forget to look UP when you walk! so much to see!), or ask about local specialties for activities or food.
Second, you have to take chances and go with the flow if things don't work out. Sometimes (okay, often) traveling has its glitches—a missed train, a late-night panic when you have no hotel room, a hungry-as-a-horse moment when you can't find a single place open to buy food. But, they also bring about wonderful opportunities to make memories. Planning is good, but it is unrealistic to think you can plan every second of every activity of every day. Make the most of times when you need a rest—find a park bench and people-watch while you recharge. Try to stay "well-fed and watered" by carrying around a water bottle, granola bars, nuts, and other easy snacks. Remember that grocery stores make great places to grab lunch and they are so much fun to look around and compare to home! If something happens to your plans, make the most of your day and see something else. Sometimes the best things you find are not things you plan ahead to see.
Third, look for experiences different from your daily life. When I studied abroad, I lived with a host family in Avignon, France, for five months. It was full of challenges and amazing experiences that I never would have had if I had just stayed home, or if I had come to France for a two-week vacation. I was fortunate to be in a family with young children who included me in their activities as much as I wanted—from sitting on a stool while my host mother was cooking dinner, to setting the table and doing other chores, to going with them to the mall, restaurants, or the movies. When I lived in France at the age of twenty-five, I lived in Lyon, a large city—completely different from my suburban life back in Pennsylvania. To live in a world full of museums, restaurants, cafés, bars, parks, and—most importantly—public transportation, meant endless opportunities for cultural experiences unlike those I was used to, and these are experiences for which I will be forever grateful.
Finally, even when things seem unlikely, opportunities for travel and exploration of the world are abundant. Last year, I lived in Caen, France for ten months, thanks to an opportunity through the University of Delaware, following the completion of my masters degree in French language and pedagogy. This time, it was complicated by the fact that I was married and the mother of two small children. But, the stars aligned, and the whole family tagged along with me. We spent a travel-filled year getting to know Caen and many other European countries (the baby is almost three and has been to more countries in Europe than to states in the USA!). We explored daily life in a different culture, complete with sending a child to the local French-speaking school, buying (and selling) a car, shopping, apartment-living (at its finest... in an old chateau, parts of which dated back to the eleventh century!), getting groceries home and up to the third floor, and countless other wonderful (and sometimes challenging) experiences. The fact that my family has those memories, and that I was able to put the language and teaching skills that I had developed at University of Delaware to use is something I wouldn't trade for anything in the world.
