Bonjour from Aix en Provence! We are coming up on our last week here, and I am full of sentimental nostalgia. I’ve learned so much being abroad, not only about new cultures and countries but also about myself.
Study abroad has changed me in the most unexpected ways. I approached this semester with the mentality that everything would be perfect in France and that being abroad would somehow fix all of my problems. I had seen so many posts about how life changing being abroad was, and I assumed that every moment would be perfect here. In reality, my time here was fairly quiet, calm, and consistent. I had so much more free time than I did in Washington DC, and because most students were in homestays and had to spend evenings with their host families, I spent much more time alone than before. I thought that I would come to Aix en Provence and sensational things would just land on my doorstep, and that these experiences would be the most impactful. In reality, it was the space between the sensational experiences that taught me the most abut who I am. I learned how to make decisions that used to feel too scary to me, how to open my mind to other cultures, and how to remain positive despite being on my own in so many unknown places. I’ve learned to love walking, exploring every little street, popping in and out of shops, and ambling through museums.
In DC I tended to stay in Foggy Bottom because I was always about to go to rehearsals or meetings. Being in this city has made me want to break out of the Foggy Bottom bubble and explore new restaurants, neighborhoods, and study spots in DC. I’m much more curious and more aware of how big the world is and how little I know. For some, that might be a bit scary, but I find that fact incredibly comforting. Since I am a senior, seeing how little I know makes me excited for the future. There are so many places to visit, so many cities to look for work in, so many new people to meet! I will bring this newfound independence back to GW with me, so that I can truly be the master of my fate and the captain of my seas.
While I am excited to come home, I will miss so much here.
- I have a balcony extending from my room, and from it I can see the mountains and the sunrise in the morning. I’ll miss watching the magpies that like to land on this balcony and hop along the railing in search of a little treat, and I’ll miss the natural light that shines into my room every morning to wake me up. I’ll miss the sweeping landscape that I have had the privilege to be able to see from my home.
- My host mom’s neighbor has a cat named Caramel, who likes to sleep on the steps and soak up the sun in the mornings. I will miss giving him kisses on my way to class!
- I’ll miss how walkable (and hilly) Aix en Provence is. At first I was frustrated with how much I had to walk to get around, but now I have learned to love the slowness and culture of walking here. Nothing is immediate, and things take time, and that is ok!
- I’ll miss my classes. I so admire my professors; my classes were small and specialized and our professors were genuinely invested in our learning. I have never felt so engaged and interested in classes than I did this semester, studying representations of women in the mediterranean, linguistics, French cinema and culture, and intercultural developmental psychology. I will miss the academics here, which is something I never thought I would say about anything anywhere
I’m thankful for this time and for the way the city has held me up when I’ve struggled and beamed at me during every little success that I’ve had. I will miss it dearly, and I will remember my time here forever. Please feel free to reach out about this program if you have any questions at all!
Ammara Elsevier
Fall 2024
IAU - Aix-en-Provence, France
Columbian College of Arts & Sciences
Psychological & Brain Sciences and French Language, Literature & Culture Double Major