So, when studying abroad, homesickness is an unavoidable, inevitable feeling. If you're overseas, you expect to miss your home and you assess how to get over that. Luckily, my homesickness has gotten MUCH better- I only got homesick once last week and it lasted about 15 minutes. However, something that I did not anticipate while being abroad is getting physically sick.
Getting some sort of cold or flu is also inevitable, but it wasn't something I thought about prior. Now, three days into my cold, I am learning what it's like to take care of myself and it's very different. Here are a few sick-girl struggles I've experienced.
1) Food - When I'm sick I want chicken noodle soup, hot tea, popsicles...food that isn't real food. I can't have popsicles because I don't have a freezer, so soup sounds easy right? Nope. I went to Monoprix to find something similar to Campbell's soup in a can and literally, soup comes in boxes. Boxes that need to be opened with scissors (which I don't have) so earlier today I found myself sawing open a box of chicken noodle soup with a butter knife while it splashed all over my desk...The struggle.
2) Meds - Okay, I brought what I thought was an entire pharmacy over from the states but apparently I did not think to pack any cold medicine. I tried to get some from the pharmacy today but when I was in town it was lunch hour so it was closed. Then I realized that even if I went in there and tried to find something, I'd have no idea what I was doing. My french vocab does not currently reach the over-the-counter meds category so I'd probably end up buying something totally wrong...
3) My "solutions" - Since I'm lacking medicines and proper sick-girl foods, I've been going vitamin crazy to try to fix myself. Like, a vitamin C tablet everyday and 2 gummy vitamins, fruits of every sort that I can get my hands on, "detox" teas, OH and I've drank an entire liter of orange juice TODAY. If I'm not better by tomorrow, it's apparent that I'm not lacking vitamins, so I must be dying.
I guess I have ebola. Goodbye cruel world.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Three ways that France has improved my overall health
I've realized that my blog entry from last week seemed rather depressing (although I didn't mean for it to come off that way) so I thought that this week I'd talk about something very positive. Yes, something has been positively effected by France thus far and here it is-- My health.
First of all, what does "healthy" really mean? I used to always consider myself a healthy person because I mean, I don't have diabetes or cancer and I haven't had a heart attack (despite the numerous times that I've SWORN I was having one). However, looking back on how I used to feel everyday and comparing it to how I now feel everyday, I don't consider the "me" in the states to be very healthy. Some things I used to complain about everyday in the states are...basically everything listed in the Pepto Bismol song, plus extreme fatigue and headaches. In the past month I rarely have encountered these things. I will now explain how France has improved my health in three ways:
1) My Diet
Like stated above, I basically suffered from every gastrointestinal problem in the states. I used to think that was normal but it's definitely not. I have come to this realization with the help of my changed diet. You see, the food here is real food. The produce is locally grown. I feel like every dairy product I've bought has been organic (and I wasn't looking for organic). Your breads are baked fresh everyday and even when you want something sweet, you're still being healthier than in the states because they use REAL sugar here. The greatest part is that I don't even have to search for healthier options here because they are all healthy (in comparison to anything in the states). The reasoning behind this wonderful thing is that all GMO's are banned in France...actually the entire European union has banned GMO's. What is a GMO? A genetically modified organism, i.e: crops that are changed to enhance taste and quality...like the Flavr Savr tomato. Although they might taste good, they're not the best for you and in the US, cattle is fed with genetically modified produce which is passed to you through milk and beef. Even if you think you're escaping them, you're not. Therefore, I feel 100% healthier and I have the food here to thank for it.
2) My Physical Fitness
If you're a regular reader of my blog (LOL those don't exist) you'd know from earlier posts that I really had no intention of becoming "physically fit." I hate working out, and that is still very true today. However, I was basically forced into becoming active when I moved here because I have to walk everywhere, uphill. I walk at least three miles a day, probably more. I climbed a freaking mountain the other day AND participated in a 5K. No, I didn't run the whole thing because I'm not immortal but I did run a lot more of it than I could have prior. I remember the first week here, the walk up the hill to my dorm was like a living hell...but now it's nothing. I can feel my legs getting toner too, which is a super plus.
3) My Tolerance to Weather
Okay, this one isn't exactly health...unless you consider it mental health...but at home I could not last more than 20 minutes outside if it was over 75 degrees. I would be laying out by the pool with my friends and a few minutes later I would disappear into the air conditioning. I was always the biggest baby about heat but now living in the South of France where it's 80 degrees in October and no AC, I have become accustomed to it. Obviously I still don't prefer it to be hot outside, but at least now I can handle it. Plus I drink a lot more water here because if I didn't I'd get dehydrated, fast.
Yes, sometimes I miss late night Taco Bell and early morning Mcgriddles. I'm still human. Nonetheless, I'm a little afraid to go back to eating the way I did at home when I return and becoming once again a couch potato. I'm happy with the way I feel in France...like my body actually likes me. So thank you Aix-en-Provence for repairing my out of shape, fat-saturated body. Vive la France!
First of all, what does "healthy" really mean? I used to always consider myself a healthy person because I mean, I don't have diabetes or cancer and I haven't had a heart attack (despite the numerous times that I've SWORN I was having one). However, looking back on how I used to feel everyday and comparing it to how I now feel everyday, I don't consider the "me" in the states to be very healthy. Some things I used to complain about everyday in the states are...basically everything listed in the Pepto Bismol song, plus extreme fatigue and headaches. In the past month I rarely have encountered these things. I will now explain how France has improved my health in three ways:
1) My Diet
Like stated above, I basically suffered from every gastrointestinal problem in the states. I used to think that was normal but it's definitely not. I have come to this realization with the help of my changed diet. You see, the food here is real food. The produce is locally grown. I feel like every dairy product I've bought has been organic (and I wasn't looking for organic). Your breads are baked fresh everyday and even when you want something sweet, you're still being healthier than in the states because they use REAL sugar here. The greatest part is that I don't even have to search for healthier options here because they are all healthy (in comparison to anything in the states). The reasoning behind this wonderful thing is that all GMO's are banned in France...actually the entire European union has banned GMO's. What is a GMO? A genetically modified organism, i.e: crops that are changed to enhance taste and quality...like the Flavr Savr tomato. Although they might taste good, they're not the best for you and in the US, cattle is fed with genetically modified produce which is passed to you through milk and beef. Even if you think you're escaping them, you're not. Therefore, I feel 100% healthier and I have the food here to thank for it.
2) My Physical Fitness
If you're a regular reader of my blog (LOL those don't exist) you'd know from earlier posts that I really had no intention of becoming "physically fit." I hate working out, and that is still very true today. However, I was basically forced into becoming active when I moved here because I have to walk everywhere, uphill. I walk at least three miles a day, probably more. I climbed a freaking mountain the other day AND participated in a 5K. No, I didn't run the whole thing because I'm not immortal but I did run a lot more of it than I could have prior. I remember the first week here, the walk up the hill to my dorm was like a living hell...but now it's nothing. I can feel my legs getting toner too, which is a super plus.
3) My Tolerance to Weather
Okay, this one isn't exactly health...unless you consider it mental health...but at home I could not last more than 20 minutes outside if it was over 75 degrees. I would be laying out by the pool with my friends and a few minutes later I would disappear into the air conditioning. I was always the biggest baby about heat but now living in the South of France where it's 80 degrees in October and no AC, I have become accustomed to it. Obviously I still don't prefer it to be hot outside, but at least now I can handle it. Plus I drink a lot more water here because if I didn't I'd get dehydrated, fast.
Yes, sometimes I miss late night Taco Bell and early morning Mcgriddles. I'm still human. Nonetheless, I'm a little afraid to go back to eating the way I did at home when I return and becoming once again a couch potato. I'm happy with the way I feel in France...like my body actually likes me. So thank you Aix-en-Provence for repairing my out of shape, fat-saturated body. Vive la France!
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Dépaysement
While pondering over the many options I have to blog about this week, I could not find any particular interest in anything. You see, my brain has been distracted recently by all things negative. I don't mean to alarm anyone who is reading this; this is not a blog about depression or homesickness, or anything that could make someone worry about me. Honestly, I think what I'm going through is natural and is intensified by stressors such as lack of money or lack of companionship. There is a french word, dépaysemant, which basically means "the feeling that comes from not being in one's home country."
I personally think that the dépaysement that I'm experiencing is centered around change. I'm away from everyone and everything I've ever known. Nothing is the same. I live in a teeny tiny dorm lacking things that normally a person would need (like cleaning supplies, trashcans, a comforter on my bed). We have a kitchen but I have no pots and pans. I can't even cook easy frozen stuff because there is no freezer. I have to eat everything at my desk or on my bed because there are no chairs in the kitchen, and usually if I'm eating at home it's bread with cheese or jam or hummus. To even GET bread and cheese, I have to walk 30 minutes to a grocery store or a market and they close super early every night anyway.
The lack of food brings me to another point-- lack of money. I am forced to eat out everyday because there's no way to eat otherwise. Henceforth, I've already spent a very large portion of my money that I had saved for the entire year. I honestly have no idea how to make the money that I have last 8 more months. It looks very bleak and it stresses me out.
Other than those things, there are several other things here that are just very DIFFERENT and they are hard to get used to or make me feel out of place. For example, the entire city shutting down at noon on Sundays, public bathrooms costing you money to use them, the bus that sometimes just doesn't stop to pick you up, the lack of soap ANYWHERE (seriously, it's like they don't believe in washing their hands), the fact that coffee is only sold in shot glasses, guys and girls use the same restrooms in my school, and that there is literally no AC anywhere. I know what you're thinking, "Oh my gosh Zoë, you're being such a big baby. Those things are so unimportant." And I totally agree. However, it's these little things that make me feel displaced and make me realize how much I love the United States.
I really am lucky to be here and I'm very happy in Aix; I just have a hard time adjusting and I miss how easy and comfortable things are back at home.
I personally think that the dépaysement that I'm experiencing is centered around change. I'm away from everyone and everything I've ever known. Nothing is the same. I live in a teeny tiny dorm lacking things that normally a person would need (like cleaning supplies, trashcans, a comforter on my bed). We have a kitchen but I have no pots and pans. I can't even cook easy frozen stuff because there is no freezer. I have to eat everything at my desk or on my bed because there are no chairs in the kitchen, and usually if I'm eating at home it's bread with cheese or jam or hummus. To even GET bread and cheese, I have to walk 30 minutes to a grocery store or a market and they close super early every night anyway.
The lack of food brings me to another point-- lack of money. I am forced to eat out everyday because there's no way to eat otherwise. Henceforth, I've already spent a very large portion of my money that I had saved for the entire year. I honestly have no idea how to make the money that I have last 8 more months. It looks very bleak and it stresses me out.
Other than those things, there are several other things here that are just very DIFFERENT and they are hard to get used to or make me feel out of place. For example, the entire city shutting down at noon on Sundays, public bathrooms costing you money to use them, the bus that sometimes just doesn't stop to pick you up, the lack of soap ANYWHERE (seriously, it's like they don't believe in washing their hands), the fact that coffee is only sold in shot glasses, guys and girls use the same restrooms in my school, and that there is literally no AC anywhere. I know what you're thinking, "Oh my gosh Zoë, you're being such a big baby. Those things are so unimportant." And I totally agree. However, it's these little things that make me feel displaced and make me realize how much I love the United States.
I really am lucky to be here and I'm very happy in Aix; I just have a hard time adjusting and I miss how easy and comfortable things are back at home.
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