Jenene
Psychology Major

It's hard to believe that our time here in Guadeloupe is coming to a close. Just as the streets, sounds and faces of Ste. Anne truly become familiar, it's time to finish class and pack our bags to travel home.

My time here has been quite the adventure. For those of you who are up for a good challenge, I have one to propose: travel to a country where you do not speak ANY of the native language and just throw yourself with open arms into the culture. I promise you will develop some mighty fierce mental muscles.

I came here not being able to speak French, so attempting to be a part of the culture, my classes, and my host family has been a challenging and grueling process, but one of great reward. While studying for three weeks hasn't brought a vast improvement to my French-speaking capabilities, it has brought me the incredible opportunity to live in paradise among the friendliest of people, not to mention being dramatically humbled while laughing endlessly at my inability to communicate. I must admit that I firmly believe it to be true that humor is what holds us together. While my French vocabulary is strictly limited, many, if not all, of my connections have been made through laughter, and it is through being able to laugh at myself that I have enjoyed the encounters of each day.

I have been lucky to share my time in class with only two other students -- one from Germany and the other from Switzerland. I have been thankful for their patience and sense of humour through the four-hour class sessions each day. With them I have encountered intriguing conversations, including topics surrounding beliefs in religion and war, politics and life in America.

I will miss falling asleep to the sounds of the European beach and awakening each day to the abundant French culture that has been so welcoming to us. But I promise that I'm coming home with those mental muscles...so watch out.

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