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

