How will I carry each place I've called home with me for the rest of my life?

So, I’m officially back in the States. In the good ol’ U.S. of A. I’m back at home, my internship has started up, and I am picking up shifts at the hometown café where I work. Life has begun its annual Midwestern summer rhythm. And I love every moment of it.

One of the first things I did when I got back from my two-week EuroTrip (I did Paris, Dublin, and London with four of my college friends) was get in my car and drive out to the country. I had been talking about this moment for weeks, and it was just as perfect as I’d envisioned. With the windows rolled down, my custom Country playlist blasting, and the cornfields surrounding the country highway, I actually started to tear up. I had really missed my American countryside. As much as each European city thrilled me with it’s astounding history, culture, and architecture, nothing can rival the comfort and freedom of returning to one’s roots.

Taking in all of these changes from my European lifestyle back to my hometown, I couldn’t help but wonder…How will I carry each place I’ve called home with me for the rest of my life?

In France I reconnected nostalgically with America through my Friday Night Lights addiction with it’s values of small town America and the portrayal of the American Dream. (I sadly watched the last episode this week, withdrawal has already set in!) Of course I stayed in contact with my American friends and family, and was able to keep in touch with my two homes (St. Charles and Denison) through my weekly conversations.

Since being back in the Chicago area, I’ve continued my French connection through my internship. I am currently working with a team of 3 other interns, of which I’m the only American, for a French non-profit organization. Since the other three members are French, as is my boss, we communicate in French all the time: emails, phone calls, skype, meetings, etc. I’ve already completed two translations, and am working on my third. I’ve also found that most assignments I’ve been tasked with for the summer will call upon my French and English skills, since as the only American I am often bridging the cultural/language gap for the organization. While I’m still getting into the pace of the internship, I love the interns I work with, and feel so blessed to have found this pocket of French opportunity in Chicago.

Another, more "guilty-pleasure" way, that I’ve been maintaining my connections to French culture is through my fashion blog addiction. While living in France, I became very conscientious of how I dressed due to the cultural belief that one dresses for others, not for oneself. This translates into everyone looking chic, sophisticated, and put together at all times. Paris was the epitome of this lifestyle. Now that I’m back in the States, I’ve continued to check up on the three blogs I currently follow, and stay au courant with the latest fashion trends. I literally don’t leave the house for the simplest of errands (i.e. going to the post office or library) without looking put-together and cute. My go-to outfit consists of a summer skirt, blouse/tee, and some wedges or kitten heels. I hope I can keep this up all summer and into next school year, when I know waking up early to put together an ensemble will be the last thing on my mind with so many papers and research going on!

While I was in Beaune with my friend, before jetting off to Paris, I took some time to jot down my thoughts on leaving Aix. I feel that this list does more justice than me trying to bring it all together in a cohesive paragraph:

What I will miss

Sophisticatedness: translates into how people dress, act, talk, the general fact that they speak French

Hearing French on the streets

French children: the most adorable in the world.

Baguettes. Fresh. Every day.

Pain au chocolat. I love my pastries!

French wine. All the time, for about 4€ to get a decent quality.

More specifically, my Provençal Rosé. I will go through withdrawal.

Brie. So many types and for so little money!

My weekly marchés. My fresh avocats, salade, tomates et pommes (aussi des olives!) trois fois chaque semaine!!

Salade Verte. Ending every dinner with some salad, cheese, and baguette. Perfect.

Eating at 20h00. I’m really used to my late dinner time, and I don’t want to change!

Apéros. Why do these not exist in the States?? It’s the best time of the day: unwinding with family, friends, and a glass or two of wine.

Traveling around Europe at the drop of a pin. 7 countries in 5 months.

Sidewalk cafés. Just as charming and friendly as they seem in pictures.
The French philosophy “il y a un temps pour tout.” I love that people are so content to live in the moment and are not always thinking about the future or what they have to do. To cherish time with friends and family is what is important.

The boutiques. So chic. I might have to come back to France each spring just to do my annual wardrobe updates.

The quietness of public spaces: cafés, restaurants, the street. So tranquil.

What I will not miss

Instant coffee. Not espresso. Not good.

French showers. Cold, uncomfortable, and not relaxing.

The lack of peanut butter. I miss me some good ol’ organic crunchy American pb.

Tourists. The typical kind who are loud and annoying.

What I am afraid of

Readjusting to the American culture after living in France for almost 5 months. While both cultures are Occidental, and do have a lot of similarities on the surface, after living in France for a semester there are a lot of aspects of everyday life that I have become attuned to, and many new realizations that I’ve had about how I live my life. The style of life in France is much different in regards to time, family/friends in everyday contexts, and communication styles.

It is true that once one lives in another culture, it is impossible to return to your life “the way it was before.” My regard of how I live, and how the culture I live in functions, has forever changed. I will never live in America the same way; my experiences of how one can live and act in society have been broadened. I now understand that the American “mode de vivre” is not universal, and I have picked up on many aspects of the French “vie quotidienne.” While it is impossible to put all of my realizations into words, I know that many “aha” moments will be happening for the rest of my life in regards to where I choose to live.

In a conclusion of sorts: there is always more to learn, not just linguistically, but culturally, and personally. I still have many more roads to travel, and much more to discover about myself. I have many more epiphanies to come, many more life experiences to undertake, and many more dreams to fulfill.

Being abroad doesn't make me better than other people who haven't had this experience, but it has made me a better person than I was before. I can't compare my experience to others, just as I cannot say my life is better or worse due to events out of my control. Everything has happened in my life for a reason, every person I've encountered, every place I've visited, every memory I've had has made me who I am today. Being abroad will forever be a substantial part of my personal evolution. I will keep this time with me forever.

Bises et A+

SA