A New Semester
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Notes From Abroad
January 25, 2008 - 12:00amSeveral weeks ago I found myself in a very familiar situation. For the second time in four months I stood at Logan Airport’s International Terminal in Boston, preparing to board a transatlantic flight from the United States to Paris. In some ways, nothing had changed since September, when I first arrived in Paris as an American student on the Educo (Emory, Duke and Cornell) in Paris program: though I was certainly more familiar with my European destination, waiting in airport terminals always conjures uncertainty in me. I inevitably fall into asking myself banal questions. Now, instead of asking “Am I really ready for life in France?”, I wondered if returning to Cornell next semester would be better than staying in Paris another five to six months, or if I would manage to pass my exams in the upcoming week.
It was not until my arrival in Paris’s Charles de Gaulle airport that I noticed all that had changed in the last four months. For example, though I knew taking a taxi from CDG would be much more expensive than the metro, I didn’t dare take public transportation when I first arrived in Paris in September. For all I knew, I may have ended up in Belgium (which would not have been terrible considering their excellent waffles, but unfortunately I don’t speak Flemish). This time, however, I knew exactly how to navigate the metro and fearlessly yanked my bulging bags onto a train, not even considering taking the 55-euro taxi ride to my dormitory.
Indeed, it did not seem as though I was entering a foreign country. Though during my two week break in the United States I had not felt the “reverse culture shock” that many returning students feel, I also failed to experience any significant culture shock upon returning to Paris. In fact, hearing French bounce off the walls suddenly appeared much more natural than the English of the States. It now seems as though I have returned to a newly acquired second home: this semester, I know what awaits me in Europe and have come to understand more aspects of a once seemingly bizarre culture.
At the same time, much of French life still remains a mystery, and these next months will bring about numerous surprises, lessons and changes: at the Educo center, 30-something new spring semester students have already replaced the familiar faces of last semester, and several of my friends at the foyer have returned home. Though I am sad to say goodbye to some pretty cool kids, I am excited for the new relationships to come. In addition, I will see if the French have the willpower to continue striking, hopefully acquire the ability to understand the speech in French films (which, as a rule, is mumbled as quickly and quietly as possible), and — as always — explore the nooks and crannies of Paris, unveiling brand new streets, allies and boulangeries (bakeries) in the months to come. Before I first departed for Paris, many friends and family members told me that they felt 10 months was too long to be away from America. However, last semester passed in a flash and if I plan to reach all my goals by June, I may need to hurry up.
(Special note to fall Cornell Educo students: Paris misses you.)