Upon arriving in France, I was scared. I was afraid of the language, the culture and my new home.
Now that it’s time to leave, I’ve been hit with an abundance of new fears. I’m afraid of losing the language that has grown so familiar to me, the culture I’ve adjusted to and learned to appreciate and the comfort I’ve found in a country other than my own.
It’s amazing how something that takes so long to prepare for can go by so quickly. What took years of studying, months of preparing and days of packing and traveling is now coming to an end. Now it’s the countdown to the end of classes and exams, leaving Avignon and then leaving France.
It’s been a very conflicting time for the group here in Avignon. We can’t decide if we want to be swimming as fast as we can back to the states, or if we’re going to have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, through airport security.
It’s not that I’m not looking forward to being home; on the contrary, I’m really looking forward to seeing my family and loved ones again.
But here’s the difference: When we started this experience, we all knew we’d be going home. We left with a round-trip ticket, and always planned on going back.
Traveling this time, that won’t be the case. Although I know that I want to return to France and visit other parts of Europe, I don’t know when that opportunity will ever arrive.
There’s also the question of what one is accustomed to doing. I’ve grown accustomed to being able to walk to anything I need, being able to explore the country and being more adventurous.
I don’t want to give up the experiences I’ve had here. I spent the anniversary of my high school graduation in Barcelona. I spent Easter at my first French mass. I saw the Mediterranean Sea for the first time and took my first train ride. I’m afraid that going home, back to everyday routines, will make it difficult to hold on to those experiences.
We’ve all learned a lot about ourselves here. What’s important is to make sure we don’t forget what we’ve learned. I personally want to remember to be more adventurous and explorative in my own country, and to keep many of the good habits I’ve picked up here.
This opportunity to study abroad has changed me. I came to learn a language, but I’m leaving with the language, the culture and a new appreciation and understanding of not only France, but of the U.S. as well, because it takes leaving the comfort of home to realize how much one takes that home for granted.
I will be sad to leave, but I won’t say goodbye. I’ll say à bientôt — see you soon.
Danielle Limon is a freshman studying journalism and a columnist for The Post. Has this column changed you? Email her at dl119510@ohiou.edu.
