Most of what I have to write about this time focuses on my internal battle with culture shock, and what I'm doing to fight it. However, I want to begin with a little flash back to Friday to tell you about my visit to Chartreuse!
API organized for our program to visit the little village of Chartreuse, and learn the history of the green liqueur of the same name. We hopped on a bus for a very very interesting ride through the mountains. Hair pin turns, swaying over steep cliffs, and constant lurching due to stick-shift bus has left me with the impression that nothing will ever be as terrifying as that bus ride. Ugh. Luckily, we made it to the cellars alive for our tour!
Chartreuse was created by the monks, who at the time were searching for a way to combine all the healing benefits of plants into one "magic" elixir. They worked with alchemists experimenting with extracting processes to create what was then known as the Elixir of life, and came up with Chartreuse. At the time it was used strictly for medicinal purposes. A long history of it's distribution was given to us in the form of a little video, but you may refer to Wikipedia if you really want to know all about it. What makes Chartreuse so interesting today, is that it is the only alcohol to get it's bright coloring from the plants it is made of, rather than artificial dye. (Did I mention there are over 100 plants involved in the making of this stuff?) Also, there are only two monks alive today who whole the recipe to Chartreuse, and they are responsible for the creation of every single batch in existence right now. Cool, eh?
After that we strapped ourselves back into the bus of doom for another crazy ride to see the monastery and the museum of Chartreuse. My audio guide was all in french and a little bit broken, so I ended up wandering around and learning very little about the place itself. =( Oh well, c'est la vie.
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| The scenery at the monastery was phenomenal, and the cows were fuzzy! |
That was a bit more to write than I expected! Whew. Even little adventures can take up a lot of space in your memories.
Now, time for a little chat about culture shock.
It exists. It is not a myth or a rumor. Not everyone will experience culture shock when they go abroad, but you might. Everyone has a unique relationship with their host country, host family, new friends, and overall new lifestyle. Unfortunately, I am one of those who has fallen prey to the beast, and it is not fun.
Finding myself in a big city is the first thing that's got me off-balance. I've always lived in rural areas and been taught to fear the dangers found in cities. Living in Grenoble has bee, quite frankly, terrifying. I have had no previous experience with city life and I've been a little more than timid to leave my room. Not to mention, all of my courses are with other foreign students and I have had very few opportunities to interact with french students and meet native friends. To top it all off, I just miss certain things about home that I thought I wouldn't (and shouldn't). Who craves Candy Corn so bad they dream about it? Me. I do. I could have any french delicacy I can dream up, but I want Candy Corn.
So what am I doing about all of this? At first, I cried. I sat alone in my room feeling sorry for myself, angry that I was being so foolish, and cried about it. Sometimes it's a necessary thing to do. After a day (or maybe two) of thinking about my situation, and talking with a few different people including friends from the states, I decided that I was just going to have to get over it. I wasn't getting anywhere with my tears, and time really is running out! 3 months isn't a long time and I didn't want to waste my dream vacation being mopey. Honestly, even on the hard days I know without a doubt, that I am going to return to the states and wish I were back here in France.
My first big step towards feeling better was to realize that I am not a visitor. I'm not here for a week or two weeks. I am living in France. This is my new home. I am not a guest, but a resident. Once I realized that, it helped me adjust how I looked at a lot of things. I felt more comfortable asking my host mom for certain things (like whether or not I could make my own lunch at home instead of dining out every day). I arranged my room the way I liked it, and felt differently about dinner conversation with my host family. My entire mindset shifted from feeling temporary, to feeling at home.
Next, I made myself 3 goals for the month. After an excellent pep talk from on my favorite people back home, I decided to motivate myself with a bunch of sticky notes and 3 accomplish-able goals for the month. Not only will they start me actively seeking out ways to complete them, but they will also help me feel more confident once I've accomplished them. These are very small, reachable goals, such as finishing a specific french book by the end of the month, and making one native friend.
Finally, I decided to research cool places to go, and mark them out on my map. Once I sat down and started visualizing where these places are in relation to my home, I realized that everything is incredibly easy to get to! Knowing my surroundings helps me feel much more secure in my new city, so that I am confident when I want to go out and explore.
So there you have it. My struggle with culture shock and how I'm conquering it so that I can fall head-over-heels in love with my new home. =)
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