Meeting people from all over the world taught me so much about myself. I grew up and I was raised in France. I spent most of my life (if not to say my entire life) with people that share the same culture as mine. Therefore, it has been incredible to hang out with so many different people, to talk about our similarities, our differences, to realize that each of us grew up in a different part of the world, some in a tiny village in Latvia and some others in a building of hundreds floors in Hong Kong, but that at the end, we had so many common ground.
In France, I had the chance to meet people coming from different kinds of backgrounds, whereas it was through my student jobs, school or even carpooling. Living in such an international environment was a step further. In fact, I think that it was the natural step in my journey to discover the world. In my opinion, life is just a succession of experiences. Or, maybe it is more accurate to say that living is. This exchange year permits me to realize so many things about society, and about myself. Each of our actions or our decisions is a life changer. Well, doing this exchange has been a huge one. I allowed myself to dream about things I would have never even thought of if I did not come here. I had a lot of fascinating discussions with people I was simply sharing former experiences and point of views with. For me, some things were so natural and logical, and for them, they were crazy because they were so far away from what they were used to. And, obviously the opposite situation happened as well. I faced people who experienced a life that was so different from mine, and even though I was aware of it, it really showed me how privileged I was to grow up in France. I was used to debate, to express my feelings, my opinion. Talking to people whose notion of liberty does not have the same scope as mine (with my friends from Taiwan and Russia for example) made me become fully conscious on how living in a real democratic state is precious.
There are no trigger elements where I really told myself that it was a life changer. To be honest, I knew that I was not going to be the same way before coming here. People tend to think that doing an exchange is going to be full of amazing moments all the time, each hour is going to be iconic. Well, I am sorry to disappoint you but it is not. In the end, we are living in a different country for a year, that is the reality. We still have to study, do grocery shopping, and do laundry. We go for walks, sit in some cafés, and party with our friends. All those moments are priceless because when we are experiencing them, we do not have the feeling that something is changing but, in fact, something really is. I discovered something new each time I went out of my room. I learned a fact that made me see the world with a different perspective, like I was looking at the world with a different pair of glasses.
If I had to choose one significant news item, I would say that it is the war in Ukraine. When everything burst, I felt European from the top of my head to the end of my toes. The fear of my Russian friend, his worries about his family, his friends, his country, showed me how life is not white and black. Maybe if I would not have been in an international environment, I would have criticized Russia, and not Putin's government as I did here. Talking to my East European friends coming from Romania, Hungary, Poland also made me realize how big this crisis is and how necessary political alliances are.
I discovered a new type of management, which is relying on respect and trust, and I now know more about what kind of working environment I want. I improved my English, discovered that I was able to do a lot of things, and having international friends is one of them. Culture and language are not obstacles but only challenges for building friendships.
Now, I will set my life standards higher. Realizing how big the world and my opportunities are, is definitely putting me in a mindset where I know that I am free and that I can do everything I desire to be fully happy.
So a big thank you to the teachers of the DUETI jury of the IUT who gave me the chance to live this incredible experience.
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