Abroad

In a few short days, I head off to Brattleboro, Vermont for training with the Experiment in International Living folks for a three-week foray to the southeastern part of France with twelve high schoolers from around the country. I am very excited for the opportunity to lead a group and look forward to meeting all of them and helping them expand their knowledge and understanding of the larger world beyond the one they call home.

The funny part is, I participated in a longer version of this program when I was in high school, and the experiences set my thinking apart from the normal, domestic mentality that pervades our society. I can directly attribute my year-long return to France while in college to the EIL experience. There is nothing comparable to abandoning your life in the United States, a comfort zone, and heading into the unknown without any friends or knowing anyone to mee t a host family, other Americans, and other students like you from all over Europe and the world at large.

I can remember when I began my study abroad, I met my host family and for the first month or so, I could only catch pieces of their speech. I would understand the gist and respond as necessary. This process, however, was extremely draining. I would get home at the end of a school day, talk to my family during dinner and a bit after dinner, and crash for the night. The experience was as if the extra neurons organizing my brain to understand this completely different language was draining me of all extra energy, and I am certain that this is actually the case. After the first month, though, speech and comprehension became easier, but far from fluent.

After many experiences and many months away from home, I left as I discovered that last bit of every student abroad hopes to achieve: fluency. Being gone for so long, I was a bit homesick, but I also knew that my French would suffer upon my return. And it has. Upon my return, I continued to read LeMonde.fr daily, but that habit withered long ago. I have found maintenance of my secret French identity difficult to keep up give the lack of interest shown by those around me. Still, I have kept a few ways: reading French books and writing letters to my host family.

Amazon is a wonderful thing when you are a French-speaking American living far from France’s borders, as I can call up Amazon.fr and order any book I like. While living in France, my youngest host sister would pass each Harry Potter book to me after reading it. I enjoyed them thoroughly as the difficultly was more in the vocabulary than in the language structure. To top it off, the Harry Potter series are quite entertaining. Upon my return, I anxiously awaited the release of the French translation of the fifth book in the series. I have it sitting on my night stand, but still have yet to pass page 50.

Perhaps, I will read it on my flight to Brattleboro.