Howdy! My name is Erin Morrissey and I arrived in Strasbourg, France on May 28th, 2022. When I first heard about the France Business program, I didn?t know the true depth and value that the program would provide. Before arriving in Strasbourg, I had a general idea of the places we would go and the businesses we would visit but I didn?t know much about the importance of these places. After only a couple classes and hearing more about the program in detail, I came to realize the significance of what we will be seeing and it?s only made me more excited to be in this program.
When I first arrived in Strasbourg, I was overwhelmed, and I realized that this was the first time in my life where I had ever felt like I was in the minority. Walking around and hearing people talk in French to each other everywhere has been quite eye-opening because I have no idea what people are saying around me. After having this experience, I?ve become more motivated to learn another language because I think that communication across cultures is very important. Even though I am in no way fluent in French, I?ve learned that at least trying to speak French at first to people here is a sign of respect, even if they can speak English.
On a complete side note, I love how much people utilize public transportation here! Trains can be taken to get almost anywhere in Europe, and locally in Strasbourg, the main form of transportation is biking, walking, or taking the tram. It?s been such a fun experience to be able to take advantage of this type of transportation and to be able to walk most places locally.
Overall, after being here for only a few days, I feel like I?ve been able to learn so much about French culture and language. Being able to submerge myself in the culture the last couple days has helped me gain so much perspective on the world that I didn?t have before, and it?s only been a few days! I can?t wait to see how much more perspective I gain within the next month.
