When you travel to a different country, for the first time by yourself it will always resonate as a trip to remember. In my case I made the decision to study abroad for two weeks in Paris for my Fashion-Merchandising Major. We had a business, education, and activity packed two weeks where we worked with a fashion school called Mod Spe, worked with Haute Coutures, met the Louis Vuitton Visual Merchandising Manager and so much more. We began our trip in the early morning, deporting out of Norfolk, Virginia to Atlanta, Georgia and through the night to France. Once we got there I had been up a total of 32 hours and we already had a full day to get through as we started our journey. After some much needed sleep our busy two weeks had no end, everyday was similar, yet everything we experienced was extremely different. Although it wasn't recommended, I went some places on my own, but mostly with people in my program that I had just met. Exploring Paris with people I barely knew made the experience so much more worth while because I was still able to go and do everything I wanted without having to feel pulled behind. After my two weeks in Paris, it came to feel as home to me, aside from the language barrier and not being able to afford designer jeans, I knew how to get around the city, where I still had yet to visit and where I liked to eat. It became a place that I knew I could come back to and know I would have the time of my life again.
Upon coming home I soon realized was the hardest part of my journey. Only because i came back to a place I had known my entire life.
No where to explore the unknown. In Paris, although I had become acquainted with how to get around and became comfortable, I still had so much to explore and learn about Paris, whereas coming home to the same town I grew up in didn't give me the same interest I had had while abroad. I knew exactly where everything was, where to go to "get away", and all of my go-to places.
Everyone you know asks how the trip was. Although it's great to feel that everyone at home cares about how your trip was, it becomes extremely draining to explain your entire trip to your family, friends, coworkers, etc. I know i might be sounding like an anti-social person right now, but I mean, take into perspective being asked the same question about how the trip was, to the "tell me everything"s, the "Did you have fun?" and whatever else was asked. After explaining your trip ten times over it begins to take the magic away from your trip alone.
You keep almost using your basic foreign language. After being abroad for two weeks, you begin to become acquainted with the culture, the places and even the language. When I got back home anything from saying thank you, hello to passerbys, and goodbye to customers at work, I kept catching myself speaking my few sentences in French that I knew.
The culture at home becomes foreign. In Europe, the culture is extremely different than in America. In public people do everything from greet, to dine, to travel differently. When I cam back to America, I was so surprised when the waiter took my friend's plates away when I wasn't finished with mine yet. In Europe they had a very strict way about dining, most was paid in cash, tipping was not expected and everyone finished their food or called the waiter after a three course meal and hanging out for over an hour and a half. When using public transportation, shopping or dining as well, parties kept to themselves and spoke in soft tones and never raised their voices, especially on the metro aside from the homeless man played the saxophone. All in all in was a lot to take in once arriving to Europe, but coming home became more of a discomfort because I had become accustomed to the modest lifestyle.
There is no place like home. Although there is so much to explore in the world in Europe and abroad, there is truly no place like coming home. Exploring a new place abroad or next store is always a great idea to expand your knowledge and experience, but nothing is like coming home to your own home, bed, family and friends and knowing that exploring the unknown can make you just as happy as spending time in a place you love.
