by Christina Socci
Studying abroad is not for the faint of heart. During our pre-departure orientation at Dickinson, we were told that this period of our lives would be one of the most challenging in our entire lives, which is not the most encouraging thing to hear when you’ve just been accepted to the program of your dreams. And yet (there is always an “and yet” in this type of story) we were also told that studying abroad can also be one of the most rewarding experiences in our entire lives. A double edged sword, but the way it cuts depends entirely on us, the students, and the way we navigate a new culture and new language.
For me, the hardest part about this experience so far is not being able to understand everything. Before coming here, I feared that this particular characteristic would reduce me to a quivering mass of tears and frustration on a daily basis. If you’ve seen Paroles gelées, you can probably guess where this is heading…
However, even though I understood practically nothing after the wedding scene (and not a whole lot before it), I walked away from the experience with a newfound appreciation for the artistic qualities of water, awe at the stamina and acting ability of the cast, and even a bit of insight into why I wanted to study abroad in Toulouse. The fact that I was able to enjoy myself at all during Paroles gelées made me realize that this experience can be a lot like dancing to music in a foreign language. Even if you only get a sense of the lyrics, sometimes the beat is enough to keep you going. For me, watching the amazing innovation in this retelling of Pantagruel’s adventures was, surprisingly, enough. And maybe that’s the point.
No matter the failures and difficulties I will experience during my semester in Toulouse, especially on a linguistic level, I know that there will always be a bright side if I’m willing to look for it.