Three years ago, when I was 18 years old, I decided to go to America to continue my studies. I remember how excited I was — until I got to the airport.
The fact that I would live more than 8,000 miles away from my family and we would not see each other often anymore scared me. However, studying in America had been a life-long dream for me. So it was a mixed feeling.
Here we are: last week of school and last article of my journey writing for SDSU Be International. It has gone by so fast!
I am leaving full of memories, to give space for new international students that will come next semester. So, in order to sum up my journey here in this last article, I will give them a hint of what they should look forward in their semester abroad, from super legit to incongruous:
9 a.m.
I wake up because of my phone vibrations.
It may be 9 a.m. here, but it’s 7 p.m. in France. My friends and family may have sent me messages during the night, but I always wake up to the last vibrations of my phone.
Maybe it’s because my subconscious knows that I only have few remaining hours to talk to them before they go to bed.
Continue reading “Live a Day in My Homesick French Girl Life!”
In another article, a few weeks ago now, I talked about the phases I was experiencing here in the USA as an International Student. Indeed, first, I experienced a honeymoon, then discernment, and finally, conscience. In this last phase I was in at the time, I was talking about the fact that I still liked it here, but that I realized that I do not belong here, because I do not feel 100 percent connected to the culture.
Well, there is more now. At the end of my article, I was asking myself if there would be more phases, and I am now right in the middle of a new one. Which is commonly called homesickness.
As you read in my previous articles, I am struggling quite a bit with the whole flirting process here in America compared to France. After few weeks of living here, I started to come up with some individual assumptions, and I was really starting to wonder if I was right or wrong. In order to be sure, I made a form asking American and French people their thoughts. Today, I am really happy to share the results with you!
I have never felt more spoiled and understood why people have this love-hate relationship with the United States until I walked into a classroom in the country of Georgia. I came with a group of about 18 other students from various majors for a two-week immersion on the geopolitical importance Georgia in the South Caucasus region. Yet I found myself in “classroom shock.”
Continue reading “Post-Soviet Universities and the American Perspective”
Mental health is a subject that is highly taboo in America. There is little to no discussion on the topic which creates a culturally accepted climate of ignorance surrounding the issue. This post is a means of showing the impact mental illness had on my time studying abroad.
Two weeks ago, my brother and friend flew close to 6,000 miles across the world to visit me in Maastricht and I’ve been excited for them to come since the beginning of my time here. However, during my first few months in Maastricht I felt as though I would never be able to remember how to get around and wouldn’t be able to be a show my family around because of how bad I am with directions.
Continue reading “My family visited and Irish they could stay forever”
I am in awe of how quickly my first week has gone by. Currently, I am writing from Grindelwald, Switzerland. Just a couple days back, we were in Barcelona, Spain. Throughout my trip I will have the opportunity to visit five different countries, and we are quickly approaching our half-way point.
Since the flight for my weekend trip was out of Brussels, Belgium, it seemed only fitting that we try the famous Belgian chocolate that everyone has been raving about. We contently indulged upon waffles the size of our faces smothered in gooey moist chocolate. This slice of heaven was the clear confirmation that Belgian chocolate surpasses any Sees, Godiva or chocolate bunny I’ve ever eaten in the states.
Continue reading “Three Countries, Two Continents, One Outfit”
The global experience, as told by SDSU students 