Acclimating, Adapting, and Appreciating a new Home in Strasbourg France

Hi everyone!

My name is Antaraa Anandan, and I'm currently a junior studying Operations Management with a minor in Engineering and Business Analytics. I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to spend the semester studying at EM Strasbourg, located in Strasbourg, France. I will be taking a mix of Business and French culture/language courses during my time here. I have been here for about two weeks now and I can definitively say I've been through a wide array of the good, the bad, and the ugly. I arrived in Strasbourg with a lot of misconceptions and an unclear understanding of how my first few days in a completely foreign country would play out. I was a mixture of nerves, excitement, and eagerness. However, these past two weeks have been one of the biggest and best learning experiences of my life.

Prior to departure, I was jaded by the picturesque ideas people have about study abroad. I thought it would be a perfect experience every day.  However, I hadn't even considered the strong feeling of loneliness, sadness, and anxiety I suddenly felt my first few days in Strasbourg. It hadn't even crossed my mind that I would have to learn to work through obstacles on my own, ones that I had never faced before. My journey from Paris to the Alsacian city close to the German border was long and tiresome, filled with language confusion, waiting 4 hours in the freezing cold for my train, two very large checked bags, and one small girl. I've never done a trip like that alone and that to, with no one to greet me on the other side. My first night in Strasbourg, I was too nervous to ask the front reception for sheets and a pillow for my bed, so I slept in my winter coat and used my scarf as a blanket. My anxiety was through the roof, and I had no idea how to make it stop. I consulted a few of my friends who have studied abroad and they gave me extremely helpful pieces of advice that got me through the days before my orientation program began. They've influenced so much that I would love to pass them on:

1. Make yourself a list of things you would normally do in the U.S. that, for some reason, you're too anxious to do while abroad. For me, this was going to the shopping mall, grocery shopping, or sitting in a cafe reading a book. I chose one of these items on my list every day and overcame the unconscious fear I was holding on to. It made the days seem so much more normal, and I found myself acclimating to the city.
2. Write in a journal. My journal has become my prized possession these past few weeks. I'm able to verbalize all my emotions I'm feeling and track my growth. It can be hard without your best friends waiting for you at home to vent. I've found myself taking time at the end of my day to clear my head and write down all my thoughts -- good, bad, and everything in between. It's also a great memorabilia item!
3. Take a walk and explore your city a little bit at a time. My first two days in Strasbourg were spent cooped up in my dorm. This was probably my biggest mistake and one that I regret the most. I realized that a lot of my anxiety was coming from the confined space I was trapping myself in, due to my fear of being alone in the city. On my third day, to put it in the simplest terms, I got over myself. I spent plenty of time alone in Columbus. If Strasbourg was going to become my home, I would have to learn to do the same. I walked around the city and realized how beautiful my new town was. Every day, I walk into town and think of how grateful I am to have such a beautiful view.
4. There will be good days and bad days. Studying abroad doesn't mean your problems go away or you won't have days where things just aren't going your way. However, these only add to your experience and your ability to overcome the most foreign situations thrown your way. You're just adding armor to your artillery.

These four things kept me sane and allowed me to settle into Strasbourg. Once our orientation program began, I found myself actually missing some of the time I spent alone. I definitely think Fisher offers very unique exchange programs as they are extremely independent and require a lot of effort in order to make the most of the experience. At first, I was extremely hesitant. I had many friends go through exchange programs through their schools and their process seemed so easy. It was almost like a four-month vacation with a few of their best friends from school, and who would not want that? I was going into this exchange knowing only one other individual from Ohio State. However, after just two weeks I am so grateful for the opportunity to have met people from all across the globe. The EM Strasbourg program is extremely unique as American students are outnumbered by those on Erasmus exchange (European exchange). On my first day of orientation, I sat between students from Ireland, Mexico, and Scotland. I have never been in a room with individuals from such drastically different backgrounds. I've also realized how little I know about the world around me and how much more cognizant I need to become about various cultures, traditions, and values. In a short amount of time, I've learned about the Finnish government, the Norweigan school system, and the effect of the bushfires on Australia. Sitting down and hearing an individual's first-hand experience is absolutely incomparable to any book, movie, or TV show.

Gratuity. This is the word I am now using to describe my study abroad experience. Every day, I make it a point to wake up and remember how grateful I am for this opportunity. Traveling on the weekends and exploring beautiful new cities are definitely defining perks of study abroad. However, I'm constantly leaving my misconceptions at the door and soaking in as much information as possible about new cultures and countries.