3B
Wednesday, September 7, 2016 / The Statement

T

his summer, I had the wonderful opportunity to
study abroad in Grenoble, France, for six weeks,
take classes in French and live with a French

family. Considering my prospects for internships after
my sophomore year were low, I thought it would be
something to do. I spent the last three summers working
in a restaurant in my hometown, and I knew I couldn’t
do that for another summer. This seemed like a compro-
mise: Yeah, I’d have to take classes,
but at least I wouldn’t be home for
the whole summer, and — as an added
bonus — I’d be in France.

Little did I know how much this

“compromise” would change my life.

Upon arriving in Grenoble, the tran-

sition felt shocking. Born in Belgium,
and as a citizen of the United King-
dom, I grew up moving around the
world. I was used to being a foreigner
and addressing home as somewhere far
away. However, being completely alone
in a foreign place seemed odd and out
of place. I hadn’t slept very well on the
plane and hadn’t had a proper meal
in more than 12 hours. Fatigue was
setting in and now I was required to
speak to a family I’d never met before
in a language I hadn’t spoken since fall
semester.

The first few weeks went by, and

the language started to settle in more
naturally. Rather than thinking and
rehearsing everything I was going to
say beforehand, the words started to
roll off my tongue and my comprehen-
sion of everyday language rose dramat-
ically. Instead of feeling uncomfortable
and embarrassed about every social
interaction, I started to become at ease.
I was learning every day, and watching
my own progress was inspiring; I knew
I had to be brave, initiate conversation
and accept the fact that sometimes I
would mess up. With this realization,

and some practice under my belt, I began to fall in love
with the French culture. A cheese plate every day after
dinner? Sign me up.

The six weeks flew by, and the program ended before I

was ready for it to be over. After taking classes in French,
I was ready for a break from homework and studying.
However, leaving France and returning to Michigan left
me feeling sad. This great adventure I embarked on had

gone by so quickly. I was learning so much every day, and
now that was over and I’d be returning to my normal life.
I love my life in Ann Arbor, but closing one chapter and
starting another made me feel a small and tugging sense
of grief.

As I sit here writing in Ann Arbor, I’m aware of how

constantly I think of the differences in culture, the
things I learned, and I notice the ways that I’ve changed.

Grenoble surprised me, as I found myself
outside of my comfort zone in a really cool
way. Going abroad not only allowed me
to gain insight on a new way of life, but it
also gave me a lens through which I could
observe my own culture. I am appreciat-
ing things about Michigan that I never
noticed before. For example, we will strike
up a conversation in any setting with any
person. In the grocery store and picking
up a certain brand of orange juice? Some
nice lady next to you will probably tell you
that’s her favorite too. We like to connect
and communicate, which is something
unique to American culture I never really
noticed before.

If you have the opportunity to study

abroad, do it. No questions asked — just do
it. It’s expensive and difficult to squeeze
in, but find a way to make it work. In our
busy lives, we rarely take the moments to
expand our understanding of the world
and experience it in a different way. We
are so focused on school, working, get-
ting good grades, staying active, eating
healthy, socializing, maintaining accept-
able levels of social media presence — all
while trying to stay sane. Studying abroad
is scary, and that’s awesome. It gives you
the chance to put your routine on pause
and see how you can cope in a foreign set-
ting. And finding out that you can is pow-
erful and motivating. As I move on to my
junior year after Grenoble, I feel so blessed
to have had this opportunity to grow and
learn more about the person I strive to be.

All Around the World: Getting to Know Grenoble

B Y I S O B E L F U T T E R

“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a
flag for a country that oppresses black people and
people of color. To me, this is bigger than football
and it would be selfish on my part to look the other
way. ”

— COLIN KAEPERNICK, San Francisco 49ers quarterback, who has decided to
protest the national anthem by kneeling when it is played.

on the record: colin kaepernick

“I am disgusted with the way he has been treated
and the fans and hatred he has receives in all of
this. It is overtly racist ‘Stay in your place, black
man.’ We need a more substantive conversation
around race relations and the way people.”

—BRONSON KOENIG, University of Wisconsin guard, after hitting a game-
winning three-pointer against Xavier University in the second round.

“Colin Kaepernick — he’s not Black. He can not
understand what I face and what Black people face,
or people of color face, on a every single day basis.
I think his heart is in the right place, I just think he
was going about it in the wrong way.”

—RODNEY HARRISON, NBC analyst and retired NFL player, who criticized
Kaepernick’s methods.

ILLUSTRATION BY EMILIE FARRUGIA

EMILIE FARRUGIA / Daily