FRANCE - NANTES

Toward the end of my stay abroad, I find myself reflecting on how my understanding of the unfamiliar has evolved. One par7cular experience stands out in my mind—a cultural prac7ce that I ini7ally perceived as unfamiliar but gradually became familiar over 7me. This experience not only helped me in my intercultural learning but also changed my percep7on of myself.

I remember it very vividly. During my exchange semester, I made it a common practice to attend daily mass in Nantes. One of my first masses was at Saint Felix, one of the oldest churches in the city. In order to integrate myself more quickly and find friends who shared a similar worldview, I started talking to strangers after mass. It was at this church that I met Pierre-Alexandre, a guy around 170cm tall with brown hair style like Patrick Bateman. Although he was just a stranger a few months ago, he became a door opener for me in Nantes. He introduced me to his friends Quentin and Columban, whom I also got to know after church.

Initially, I felt a little suspicious about Pierre-Alexandre and his friends. I could have easily dismissed them and come up with an excuse not to join them for a few pints at a nearby bar. However, one important lesson I learned during my exchange semester was to embrace the unfamiliar and enjoy the process of it becoming familiar, as long as it wasn't shady or sketchy. And that's exactly what happened with these three soon-to-be-great friends. I joined them for beers, engaging in great conversations, and we made plans to meet again. Coincidentally, I had something to celebrate at that time as I received news that I had passed my exams back home. So, for our next after-church pints meetup, I brought some cigars to share. Little did I know that the tradition among them was to light one cigar and pass it around, rather than each person smoking their own. This practice was not something I was accustomed to in Austria, but in France, it seemed to be quite common. It was not only a financial consideration for students but also a stylish way to share a smoke, reminiscent of how indigenous people in the Wild West shared peace pipes.

Since there were some cigars leH over that I didn't want to smoke alone, they invited me to a house party hosted by one of their siblings and asked me to bring the remaining cigars. However, there was a catch—the house was located in the countryside, and there was no way for me to return home to sleep.

I could have declined the invitation at that moment, but I chose to embrace the unexpected and gladly accepted. This turned out to be one of the most memorable nights of my entire exchange semester. We bonded, laughed, and created lasting memories until the early hours of the morning. It was during this house party that the unfamiliar truly became familiar, and I realized the power of stepping out of my comfort zone.

So, one important lesson to take from this experience is that as long as something is not extremely risky or sketchy, taking the risk and embracing the unfamiliar can lead to unexpected and rewarding outcomes.

Now, as I near the end of my exchange semester, I can look back and think of those ini7al encounters with some of my best friends. I have come to realize that familiarizing the unfamiliar and stepping out of one's comfort zone may be awkward or even difficult at first, but it represents a significant step toward personal growth. As a YouTuber named Kelly Whakansa likes to say, "do what excites." Personally, I would modify those words and say, "Do what sucks." Great things oHen come with that ini7al moment of hesita7on. By doing things that challenge us and push us outside of our comfort zones.