My Return to the States

By:

Marisa Vickers

Published:

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The University of Rennes hosted an evening where we could learn about wine and cheese in French.

Now that I have finally resettled back into the States, I noticed that I have been suffering from a severe case of withdrawals.

I miss absolutely everything about Europe.

Each day I think of the people, my friends, the food, my French classes, the old world architecture, the sunny beaches, the fairy tale-like forests, being able to enjoy the simplistic pleasures of reading a book outdoors or having a coffee and croissant at a café, always listening to the various languages spoken all around me, learning the historic content of the cities I am visiting, being able to walk everywhere, or waking up and knowing that each day would be different and filled with new adventures.

Fortunately, I do happen to live in Austin, Texas. Despite the incorrect views of many of my European friends, Austin is not a desolate city that is filled with cowboys, cowboy hats, cowboy boots, cows, deserts, and guns. (Well…okay we do have guns!) However, Austin is a vibrant city filled with music, art, festivals, food, local businesses, hiking, kayaking, swimming, and brimming with creativity.

Now that I have returned, I am actively trying to combine my two worlds by continuing with my explorations, immersing myself in cultural events, and staying active by going outside everyday despite the 100-degree weather.

After studying abroad in France for a month and venturing later on my own to other countries, I have regained my love for independence and confidence of going into the unknown. My wanderlust for traveling and adventure has been reignited so much that I am already in the works of planning my next destination.

This experience has been more than I ever expected, and I feel like I can carry forward my knowledge of French and the connections I have made into my future field of International Relations.

Thank you to Fund for Education Abroad for helping me achieve my dreams.

Marisa Vickers

Bonjour! My name is Marisa Vickers and I am currently a twenty-eight year old senior that is majoring in International Relations at Texas State University. Thanks to FEA, this summer I will be studying abroad for one month in France at the University of Rennes. I am extremely excited for this opportunity because I hope to improve my French speaking abilities and submerge myself in the French culture. I have chosen this program because I was particularly inspired by my experience volunteering and interning with a non-profit that services refugees from all over the world. After helping many of those families, I realized that with proper communication, the world can seem less large if we all take the time to try and understand one another. Thus, upon graduation, my dream is to continue my work in the humanitarian sector by directly assisting those in need. If possible, I would like to focus my career on French speakers from African countries, as they contain a large number of refugees, including many of which are oppressed women and children. These issues are of great concern to me, and I believe that in order to be impactful in my chosen occupational path, I must do all I can to achieve a masterly level of fluency of the French language. Even though I am a first generation, bi-racial student that is married to an Army veteran, I have always been determined to complete my education regardless of any circumstance. I know that by studying abroad, it will be a wonderful step for me to someday take these developed skills and pay it forward by aiding those in need.