Cory Goldman, NU in Paris, Fall 2014
How could one NOT think about this everyday?
As of today, I’ve been back in the United States for around two and a half months. It’s weird. I feel like I’ve been back forever, yet at the same time it feels as though I just left Paris. The memories are still so real and my thoughts are still almost entirely consumed by them. Whether it’s a long drive, a walk down Sheridan between classes, or a daydream during a lecture, my mind is constantly wandering to memories of Paris and my experiences abroad.
I can’t deny it – the transition from one culture to another was difficult at first. The first few weeks being home were confusing and frustrating, knowing that my time abroad was over and that I would likely never feel as happy and free as I did over the past few months. I felt stuck. I felt like I had lived and my friends and family at home had not. I felt like I knew something that they didn’t, and life in my hometown suddenly felt so monotonous and meaningless.
The view from the top of the Arc de triomphe. Tip for students studying in Paris in the future: it’s free to go up to the top with your student ID!
As time went on, and I was able to reflect on my experiences abroad, I realized that I was wrong. My life in Paris was incredible, but I simply can not rank it with my life in the USA. The two are so vastly different that trying to compare them is futile. As time elapsed, falling back into life in America became surprisingly easy. Sure, I miss the fresh croissants and the long walks through the city, but I found that I missed peanut butter and watching Netflix in my bed just the same. Paris was an incredibly transformative experience for me and I will always look back fondly on my time spend abroad, but as time has passed and the distance between now and then has increased, I’ve come to realize that study abroad was not an end-all life experience. It was just one part of the story.