Assignment #3 - Ellis Padgett - It's a Small World After All

At the age of six, I took on two big parts of my life: elementary school and Spanish immersion.  The school I went to offered an amazing experience; from elementary and so forth, students spent at least half of their day in classes taught in Spanish.  The teachers were from varieties of Spanish-speaking countries, and they enriched us with their cultures as well as the county's curriculum.  I am very grateful for that experience; that being said, I dropped out in fourth grade.  

I instead hopped into the gifted and talented program, along a path that would reintroduce Spanish class to me.  Five years of Spanish immersion in my pocket, and I still turned it away (the teacher was not to my liking).  Little did I know, that day when I turned down Spanish class had a huge impact on my life.  I put my check in the box next to French class.  Five years later, I would become an exchange student.  

The summer of 2019 I participated in the Lexington Sister Cities trip to Deauville, France.  And I had absolutely no idea how unprepared I was.  Practicing sentences in French in the shower was not nearly enough!  When I hopped off of the eight hour overnight flight without even a second of sleep, all of my sense of readiness disappeared.  Immediately, my exchange student (Julie) and her family approached me and attempted to do the "bisous" (a kiss on each cheek).  In a sense, French culture literally hit me in the face.  

I realized quickly how alone I was.  I sat at the dinner table with people who I didn't know and couldn't understand, thousands of miles from a home I had never left.  What was I doing?  I didn't know it yet, but I was growing.  That first week taught me independence; I observed and participated, living with what sometimes felt like only myself.  The second week taught me confidence; I tried new sentences, guessed at words, played games with french friends, spent late nights with Julie.  The third and final week taught me the joy of freedom.  I was now close to these people, comfortable and at home in a place very different from what I knew.  I wanted to interact, to explore, and to continue learning.  A little town on the English Channel that was once just a name had blossomed into an entire place I loved.  And I still do.  

In the beginning of the trip, I will admit I was a little intimidated.  My reaction was to stay quiet and observe.  If they wiped the plate with bread, I did too.  But there were conscious moments where I told myself that this really was my once in a lifetime chance, and that's where I lived the most.  That attitude got me days on the beach with friends, a tour of Monet's garden, and two days spent sailing the ocean.  I always valued politeness; but I allowed myself to let my personality come out.  

I interacted with the culture as a two way street- they showed me theirs, I showed them mine.  Overall, this experience let me return to America with a different worldview.  I know now we aren't as different as the ocean is big.  In terms of educational environments, I returned to the classroom knowing that our classes are really teaching us in terms of the real world.  We complain about doing listening activities in French class, but I know that they really do talk that fast!  The trip also fed my hunger for learning.  The culture, though indeed shocking, was one of my favorite parts.  Seeing how they actually lived and being able to point out the differences was amazing.  Those were the parts I wanted to carry home with me.  

In my life experiences with both Spanish, Latin American, and French cultures, I have learned that the fact of being human is far bigger than our divisions.  I have seen people from all of these cultures laugh, cry, and learn.  They have all accepted me with open arms, and I want to create a world where we do the same for them.  I am forever thankful for these opportunities; as for Julie, we will always keep in touch.