As the title says, au revoir et à bientot, which means means "goodbye, and see you soon." Being able to write for Reach the World about my experiences in France, an opportunity made possible by the Gilman Scholarship, has been incredible! Before this experience, I was worried I would never have the means or ability to study abroad. However, I had a dream, and thanks to special financial aid from the Gilman Program, my dream was made possible. To be here, and to have experienced France in this way, has been life changing for me.
Unfortunately, my time in France has come to a close. Living here for the past four months has exposed me to many new cultures, languages and even new parts of myself. Here, I was able to not only find new cultures and new experiences, but also find myself within it. During this experience, I have had lots of challenges in which I struggled to tackle by being away from my family and friends. Nonetheless, despite being so far from home, I managed to create a support system for myself, make friends and rely on mentors to guide me. I was able to transform my ways of thinking from once being negative and world-ending, to having a positive attitute and being more hopeful. If there is one thing that is important to remember, it is this: just breathe.
