The World Beyond My Lens || LOH #293

It is true that a lot of young people in academia or professional fields usually embrace exchange programs for a whole year without much hard thinking, but when one gets older and must have established themselves in their home countries, gotten great jobs, nurtured relationships, and built very strong bonds with their families, it becomes more difficult to make the decision to leave everything behind for a similar exchange experience. However, I find it a little different for myself.

I am an adult with full autonomy over my decisions, and every day I make a promise not to let my curiosity for exploration die. This same curiosity is the reason I will grab the opportunity to go live in another country for one year. I say this because a year away from home is not just a change in environment. It is an chance to become a different version of myself and see the world outside my own small lens. For this purpose, I will choose France to be my destination.

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I’ve always loved France while growing up. I read about its capital in books, I gained insights into their way of living from movies, and I found their language pretty impressive that I started learning it last year, and now I can make simple sentences and even read short paragraphs from books. Everything about this country does feel like art, and from all I know, it offers a perfect blend of culture, education, and captivating history. And unlike many countries, they encourage a healthy work-life balance, which will surely be a plus for someone like me with an exchange opportunity.

I believe spending a good year in France will give me a mindset shift on many areas of life. I’ll get to immerse myself in art, visit museums and galleries, and also attend workshops, all of which are limited in my home country due to lack of resources.

Another reason I’ll move to France is my personality. I love challenges, and I’m certain that living in that country will also teach me a lot about adaptation, being in a community with people of other races, and stretch me in ways that propel me towards self-development. I’ll also improve my French-speaking skills, try to fall into the daily rhythm of how things are done, and explore opportunities that may even keep me there for longer.

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I imagine that my host family would be the warmest of them all, ones who will help accommodate me into the French system of living, and equally cherish my presence in their home. I also envision them to be the kind who are willing to share their cultural experiences with me, learn about mine, and trust me to look out for them in my own little way.

I would wish that my immediate environment would be a peaceful countryside, with clean streets surrounded by beautiful meadows, traditional cafés, an artsy bookstore, a local church with an interesting history, and of course, hospitable people who are often curious to learn about who I am and my pursuit in their country. More importantly, I hope that where I live allows me to experience the simplicity of everyday living, and the excitement of discovering the little things that make life meaningful.

_{Thank you so much @irenenavarroart for providing such a wonderful prompt for every LOH member to reflect on this week. I thoroughly enjoyed sharing my thoughts on it.}

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