Submitted by Elizabeth Dickinson on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Paris, France sponsored by the Department of Biological Sciences…
I have discovered that there are very many differences in the way things are done in Paris as opposed to the United States. My biggest challenge this week was adjusting to the language barrier. I have only ever learned how to speak Spanish, so in France, I have no prior education on the French language. I’ve found it very frustrating not being able to read or understand anything. For example, where it would normally take me 30 minutes to run in the store and grab groceries, it takes me over an hour to find where and what certain items are. It is interesting, however, to see that the produce at the markets are all labeled with where they were harvested from! Below are pictures from the local market, Corossol, of fresh fruit. On our food tour on Friday, we got to sample the clementines from Italy.
Despite these struggles, I have had many triumphs as well. I am normally very bad at directions and often rely on other people to figure out modes of transportation or how to get from point A to point B. I feel I have really improved in this aspect over the last week by figuring out how to use the public transportation systems. Sometimes I will take initiative and lead a group of us to our destination. In this way, I feel my confidence during traveling around an unfamiliar place has overall increased and my outlook on city life has greatly improved. I never would have imagined life in the city after college, but I am actually enjoying the hustle and bustle and the unity the city seems to bring.
