Aix-en-Provence
While sitting at home over Christmas break my freshman year of college, I decided I did not want to take classes or get a job the coming summer. Inspired by a few years of French classes in high school, I began to research summer study abroad programs in France. While my own university offered a program in Paris, I wanted to explore other regions of France. Eventually I came across CEA (Cultural Experiences Abroad). They offered a six-week liberal arts adventure in Aix-en-Provence, a tiny town in the Provence region of France about a two hour bus ride from the Mediterranean coast. The pictures of Aix were charming and inviting, and before long I was submitting my application to CEA.
When I found out I had been accepted to the program, it truly hit me that I was going to be living in Europe for six weeks in a town where I did not know anyone. I was going to have a random roommate, live in a random apartment, and take French classes (Advanced French I and French Literature) at a random university. In retrospect, my decision to go to Aix could not have been better.
By going somewhere new completely on my own, I was forced to leave my comfort zone. I made friends with new and different people while exploring new and exciting places. The trip immersed me the French culture, improving both my language and people skills. I became much more confident in my abilities to communicate without English. Even when I was at a loss for words, a smile and a pointing finger went a long way. From this study abroad experience I gained new friends, new culture, new language, and a new way of thinking. The world is wide and our minds should try to encompass the vastness. I believe an open-mind is an important part of being a good communicator and an effective writer. It allows a person to have many different perspectives and to figure out the best way to present these perspectives to a wider community.
When I found out I had been accepted to the program, it truly hit me that I was going to be living in Europe for six weeks in a town where I did not know anyone. I was going to have a random roommate, live in a random apartment, and take French classes (Advanced French I and French Literature) at a random university. In retrospect, my decision to go to Aix could not have been better.
By going somewhere new completely on my own, I was forced to leave my comfort zone. I made friends with new and different people while exploring new and exciting places. The trip immersed me the French culture, improving both my language and people skills. I became much more confident in my abilities to communicate without English. Even when I was at a loss for words, a smile and a pointing finger went a long way. From this study abroad experience I gained new friends, new culture, new language, and a new way of thinking. The world is wide and our minds should try to encompass the vastness. I believe an open-mind is an important part of being a good communicator and an effective writer. It allows a person to have many different perspectives and to figure out the best way to present these perspectives to a wider community.