In Transition

“Oh my gosh, you’re back! Tell me about it.”

I open my mouth, I hesitate, and no words come out. How can I succinctly explain what being abroad was like? Where do I start? How do I talk about France and the trips I took and the friends I made? Create a chronology of events? Make a list of big events and thoughts that I will not-so-systemically spew when someone asks. Thus far, I have done neither of these things. I have stayed quiet. I have so much to say that I just can’t find a place to begin. So I don’t.

When someone asks a specific question or looks at a photo, I come alive with little details and anecdotes. With thoughts about the experience, the food, the people. But it’s like it takes a prompt to sift the necessary words from a dessert of sandy thoughts.

Adjusting back to the food and the time schedule were a breeze. My Iowa roots were tingling with delight at the thought of a burger made with real Jefferson County beef from the restaurant just off the square in my small town. (Even though cheese in the US now makes me sad – and my ancestors were dairy farmers!). I even started to work again over break, and the 8 a.m. start-time was less than daunting as my body roused me around 5 am every day anyway. My flight home was cancelled two hours before I was supposed to take off – pushing my arrival back by 10+ hours, and that was still nothing compared to the struggle I have felt in trying to find some way to adequately sort out everything that I experienced during my first time abroad.

I will be returning to Georgetown’s campus on Monday and I couldn’t be more excited. However, I also couldn’t be more nervous. Will I experience reverse culture shock? How would I even know if I did? Is it normal that I still can’t remember certain words in English? Or that I edit the grammar of a menu that thought it could use a couple of French phrases to spiff it up? I certainly will have to re-adjust to the large reading load. My free time this break has been spent scouring syllabi, filling out planners, and surfing Amazon for deals on my books. Anything to make me feel like I am prepared to come back to Georgetown’s academics. I yearned for the American-style of learning while sitting in French lectures. But am I wearing rose-colored glasses?

While I prepare to readjust to the academic pressure at Georgetown, I take comfort from the fact that I know what I am getting myself into. I know how I to take lecture notes and annotate readings, how to find friends in the class and have Lau 2 cram sessions. But, being speechless? That is new. I don’t have an approach. No experience. No plan. So I will wait. I will keep answering the questions that I can and working through the ones that are overwhelming. I know the words will come with time, and people will eventually stop asking. But I do hope that someday I will be able to say all that I want to about study abroad because it was magical and disenchanting, stressful and relaxing, rewarding and frustrating and so much more.


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