By Adaeze
I can't believe study abroad is coming to an end. In a few days, I'll be off to America. It honestly feels like such a dream! How does time fly so fast?? In honorable of the end of study abroad, I'll tell you a little story about my time here.
Before I left GW, I felt really cramped even though the campus is huge. I just really disliked being able to hear every conversation, and I'm not that good at tuning people out. So one day, I was sitting on the bus in Paris, going to school as usual and I realized that I've felt so much peace and so much lighter (figurately, definitely not by pounds) since being here. I thought about why that was and I realized that it's because I couldn't understand anything. I can definitely get by here and there but I'm not fluent in French and the locals speak too quickly so since I've been here, I've been able to zone out and get a lot more peace of mind. I've realized that as much as I am extroverted and gregarious, I needed some peace and quiet. I needed to be somewhere where I couldn't understand anything that was being said and get some space for my own thoughts instead of constantly being bombarded with everyone's conversation. I liked being able to watch an encounter and rely on body language to figure out the situation instead of being able to listen to the conversation. It's like playing a game without the cheat code: it's more challenging, but so much more fun. I can say that being in France has definitely helped me slow down and just listen to my own thoughts. You'd be surprised at how much you learn about yourself when you pay attention.
I'm going to miss Paris so much, and I know this won't be the last time I come back. Paris has made such a lasting first impression on me, and I'm so grateful to have had this opportunity to come here through GW and to share my experience through this blog!
A Bientot!
Adaeze