Romain Sinclair, Sciences Po Exchange, Fall 2013
Traveling as an adult is very different than doing so as a child. During our weeklong break at Sciences Po, we went to The United Kingdom. It seemed like a whole new place to me. This was weird because I had lived in the U.K as a kid, in the small town of Oxford. Now as a 19-year-old, I had very different experiences. The idea that a child and a young adult would have vastly different experiences is obvious, but it’s something I couldn’t help but think about. My basic theory is as follows: Children and kids aren’t aware of their surroundings. Therefore, the world they live in depends less upon the outside world, but more on their “immediate” surroundings. These surroundings would be places like the home, where there is TV and Xbox; the classroom, where schoolmates are playing; and maybe also the local soccer field, where one recognizes fellow players (or other sports facility). So, a kid would be very aware of any change in these areas, but not really be aware of anything beyond that scope. At least, that’s how I’d say I was.
When I returned to the U.K. last week, I confirmed my theory. I didn’t have a few “comfort” zones that I really familiarized myself with. Yet, what I did have was a more general sense of the British vibe. Through interactions with lots of different groups, I began to understand how people behaved, how they “were”. This wouldn’t have been possible as an 8 year old because, I was always supervised and confined to these few zones.
What’s interesting about the contrast between young me versus adult me is that it also elicits many parallels between my study abroad experience and my Northwestern life (this does not reflect anything beyond my personal experience). My time at NU is in any ways centered on a few central things. There is a set of midterms that I must complete and there are a few social events that I should try to attend. There are things that need to be done, and there is a very standardized way of life.
Study abroad has been eye opening in a few senses, but mostly because it gives one time to reflect. In a linear path, like at NU, one learns how to work. On a more open path, there is a lot of room to think about things that might otherwise not have gotten attention, though they are deserving of it. I’m not saying that I trap myself in my room and mediate for hours. It’s all about the interactions with others. It’s been really nice to “feel” the Parisian vibe via speaking to many of the young people that live in Paris. In that sense, one learns a lot about others. But, more importantly, one also learns about what one wants. This is especially interesting because I think that for most individuals their wants and needs are only those they’ve accidentally adopted from others. This is something I definitely would not have realized if I were by myself.