There are so many benefits to studying abroad, which I have had the pleasure of experiencing first hand and hope to continue to take part in such a unique experience. Last summer I spent a month in Nice, France with a host family in hopes of improving my French and experiencing a new culture. My trip did just that and more. My French improved drastically, I eventually became comfortable in a foreign environment with people I had just met and I was completely immersed in a very fascinating culture.

This was my first trip abroad without my family, so I was not really sure what to expect and was a little nervous. However, after about a week into my trip, I became completely comfortable with my friendly host family and really started picking up on new French words and phrases that I had not learned in school. To me, my eight years of taking French prior to this trip could not measure to actually living in the culture and language that I had heard about in school. While I had learned grammar in school and written French, this opportunity allowed for me to learn what real French people actually say in everyday lives, which I believe made all the difference in my French improving.

Spending a long period of time in a new culture is sure to
give you a whole new outlook on how different your culture is. While I have travelled a lot with my family before this exchange trip I had not truly been able to be immersed in any culture, like I had when I lived with my host family. When I first arrived, I greeted my family by hugging them not knowing that everyone there kisses on both cheeks, which I soon mastered after meeting many new people. I also noted that they start their days much later than North-Americans do and have dinners (always with bread, cheese and tapenade) much later as well. While their culture was hard to get used to at first, I very quickly got comfortable with their routine and was able to appreciate a different culture.Studying abroad is an amazing opportunity to improve a language, get fully immersed into a culture and to simply become a better-rounded individual. I believe that everyone should experience studying abroad if they have the chance.