Linda Hanes, WMU Study Abroad Alumna

Linda Hanes, Lyon, France, Summer II 2015. Photo credit: Sophie Cheung

During summer 2015, I studied abroad for the third time. I went to Lyon, France, where I earned a semester’s worth of French credits that I needed for my WMU degree program in just four weeks. During the program I lived with a French host, which was a great, although challenging, experience for my language acquisition. I was able to learn much more about French language in that one month than I would have been able to in a full year of classes since I constantly had to practice. I would in no way say that I am fluent in French now, but I definitely feel more comfortable holding a conversation with native French speakers. The homestay experience also helped me learn a lot about French culture and social norms and adapting to a new environment—it was very different than life in the U.S. The university program I attended through the Institut de Langue et de Cultur Française, was a summer program for international students, so I met people from many cultures and parts of the world that I have never been able to experience before.

Annecy, France

Summer in Lyon is a short-term, faculty-led program that has two components—language and culture. Each week we went on excursions to places in and near Lyon, including Old Town, a medieval village, a river cruise, as well as a visit to the town of Annecy in southeastern France. The best part was that all of these trips were covered by the program tuition!

My favorite excursion was to Annecy—the Venice of France—an alpine town located about an hour from Switzerland. The medieval architecture in Annecy was absolutely stunning juxtaposed against picturesque mountains and a big blue lake reminiscent of the ones I left behind in Michigan. The best part about Annecy is that it has a little bit of everything that makes Europe so special. The Swiss-inspired buildings sprawled out along narrow, cobblestone streets, with people sitting cafes lazily sipping lattes, while small boats navigated the canals running through the village like the experienced gondoliers of Venice. 

Fire dancer performance on Bastille Day

I was also able to experience the celebration of a national holiday while I was in France—Bastille Day. This is a fire dancer performing in a courtyard outside of the Basilique Notre Dame de Fouvriere, where hundreds of people gathered in Lyon on July 14 to celebrate the day French citizens gained their independence from the strict Bourbon monarchy in the late 1700s. I was surprised to see there were many similarities between the way Bastille Day is celebrated in France and Independence day— July 4—in the United States.  People have the day off work; families get together and have barbecues—with wine instead of beer; and in the evening there are amazing firework displays, known in French as the feau d’artifice. 

Typical French meal

Photo credit: Sophie Cheung

It may come as no surprise that food played a huge role in my study abroad experiences. I noticed that aside from the very traditional French meals, much of the food was similar to what I would eat in America, the difference though was the pride the French took in the ingredients and preparation that goes into cuisine. Everything my host made for dinner was fresh. I went shopping with her at the outdoor market on Saturdays and was able to meet the person who killed the pork we would be eating that night. When we had vegetables, we walked to her garden an hour before dinner and picked what would be on the table. 

Street performer in Avignon, France

Artists and musicians in French culture are very much respected and admired for their trade. This street performer is a guitar player I met in Avignon during the world famous Festival d’Avignon. Not pictured is the massive crowd surrounding this guitarist playing his obviously well-loved instrument. People were hanging on his every note and elbowing through to buy a CD from him or to throw money into his guitar case. This was a substantial contrast to the street performers here in America. I was amazed at how attentive and respectful the French people were to this man as he was playing, whereas in America people often walk past a performer without stopping to listen for a quick minute. 

I also took a post-study abroad trip to Amsterdam

During my college career, I studied abroad three times: in Montreal, Canada; Istanbul, Turkey; and, Lyon, France. Every trip was vastly different from the others for a variety of reasons besides geography. I learned more during my study abroad trips than I ever could have in the classroom. In addition to the academic learning, I picked up some life skills and a sense of confidence and independence that helped prepare me to graduate and to take on full-blown adulthood.

It’s hard to describe, but traveling teaches adaptability in a way that is both challenging and exciting. Although I went to Montreal to practice my French through the Study in the States Lee Honors College program in April of 2014, I was able to speak English with my peers because the trip was not primarily focused on language learning. In Istanbul, Turkey I studied in English at Boğaziçi University, which was founded as an American university, and spoke English all the time. I could totally rely on English to communicate and I was never forced to change my perspective because there were other people there speaking English to accommodate me.

In Lyon, France, I felt out of my comfort zone initially because it was my first experience living and studying immersed in a different language and culture. This was rewarding and incredibly difficult at the same time, but I learned so many lessons about myself and the world that I know will help me later in life. I remember thinking during my first day in France that there was no way I could possibly get through the next month. But, every day I could feel myself growing and I was able to make it through the program after all, getting a 4.0 for the summer II semester.

There is no easy trick to studying abroad besides just taking the leap of faith and going for it because now is the time to explore and challenge yourself. It takes a considerable amount of planning and effort to travel, but it is so worth it. People say that they’ll go somewhere when they have more money, when they graduate, when they get a better job and so on, but there’s no sense in waiting for everything to fall together in life so that you can see the world. Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans and it’s important to take risks and make your own opportunities now. During my time in France I learned the true meaning of, “dépaysement,” which is French for the state of being disoriented in another country, essentially a fish out of water. But I also learned, “profiter,” which is making the best of any situation and being fully present in every moment.