"Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life."
-Jack Kerouac
... My suitcase is not particularly battered at the moment.
Now, I've done my fair share of travel, of course. I've taken the train accross the Scottish highlands, stood in Times Square, and walked the magical streets of Disney World. I've sat in airports in London and Reykjavik, and devoured every moment of these adventures.
But still, I've never really had the chance to experience life (in Kerouac's terms) "on the road."
In seventeen years, I've never lived outside of my hometown of Hollis, New Hampshire, and never ventured too far from my comfort bubble of school, friends, and swim practices.
In a little less than four months, all of this will change.
This August, I'll be packing my suitcase (my shiny, un-battered suitcase :) ) and saying goodbye to America for a while. And from there, I'll begin a new life in a new country: France.
Through the generosity and coordination of Rotary International, I am becoming an exchange student. For a year, I will be leaving my home, family, and everything familiar and comfortable to go and discover a whole new culture - and maybe even discover something about myself along the way.
What will I be doing there exactly? Well, I'll be living in the beautiful town of Montbrison, attending local high school, and living with a few local families. Other than that, I really can't say. I'll more or less be following wherever the path leads in search of new adventures in my new country. My goals? To learn, to grow, to change, to discover, and maybe to bash a stereotype or two along the way. Truly, a youth exchange program is valuable because it allows students around the world to immerse themselves in a foreign culture, to understand and accept cultural differences, which will ultimately help to make the world a better and more peaceful place for everyone. Pretty great idea, isn't it?
As I live and learn in France, I'll continue to update this blog with my experiences and to share some interesting cultural differences that I discover (surely, there will be plenty!).
After all, I'm leaving America with a shiny, new suitcase... I expect to return with an old, battered, multicultural one!
