This study abroad trip was my first time outside of the country ever. While I tried to not have too many expectations early on, I knew that it might be a hard slap in the face of culture shock. Myself and my travel companions arrived around 9 am in Paris and we were faced with the task of staying up to fight jet lag until the end of the day. At first it was not hard to be excited about seeing the city and the adrenaline kept us up for a while. We hit a wall going through the Musee de Orsay and had to stop for a coffee before we were able to keep going. My first jolt of culture shock started because I was so thirsty and there was no free water anywhere. I did not know that people in Europe don’t necessarily drink water like Americans. I also didn’t know that I would have to buy water everywhere I went and that it might possibly be sparkling instead of still. This seemingly minor aspect of life in Paris was the straw that broke the camel’s back for me. After one day in Paris, I felt like I already wanted to go home, and I also felt bad that I was feeling this way because I should have been excited for this new experience. Ultimately, I had to fight through the next couple of days and got used to a new routine of making sure I had water with me and adjusting to life in Europe. I was surprised that the so called "magic" of being abroad was not enough to settle into the trip. I was glad that I went through the phases of culture shock early because then I was able to appreciate the differences that I saw and try to do as the locals do. I don’t think I ever fully got used to the no free water but was able to let it slide to enjoy all that the study abroad trip had to offer.
