Day 2

It goes without saying that people are different. But just how different can't be very well understood until you actually interact with them. I mean, you can read about people in books, the news; you may even experience it to some degree with someone who isn't from where you are and think, 'well that's different.' But until you really immerse yourself into another lifestyle, culture, language- you'll only ever have seen and known the tip of the iceberg. Obviously this is what I'm experiencing, but it's so strange to think that if I had never decided to study abroad and live with a host-family, I would have never known or understood this. And it's only my second day. I could have lived the rest of my life out, understood that yes, people are different, but not to this degree. Why's it matter so much, you may be wondering? Why do you need to understand the depth of people's differences? Well, first and foremost, that's just my opinion, but I guess I just feel like people get so set in their ways of thinking and beliefs, think that their way of living is the only and best way, and more or less close off the rest, or ignore it. Learning and understanding- or not even understanding, but at the least experiencing- is so enriching to your own life and lifestyle, and depending on where you go and what you do, I feel like it can only enhance many different aspects of your life. Everything from learning to appreciate what you have, not taking things for granted, and learning more about yourself. It sounds so simple, and it is.

I know that you can very much so appreciate and love life and be very happy without ever having to leave home, but because of what I've experienced so far and how it's challenged a lot of things I know and am used to, I suppose I'm curious about all the things I don't know or might never know because of something I didn't do or try. It kind of scares me that I might miss out on some huge lesson or experience because I didn't want to go through being uncomfortable or unhappy for any period of time, because I was comfortable and safe with what I was used to. I don't mean to go on and on, but this is one of the most interesting things I've experienced in a long time, and writing about it helps me think it out, even if it does sound like rambling a bit.

Probably what I should be writing about are the specific things that have made me come to this conclusion, but I figured that that will probably show over time in every post, so I decided to write about the idea a bit more than the actual things.

Anyway, today was beautiful. The garden was like a mini fairy-tale land, swans under bridges, roses winding around fences, etc. Every lap I took I stopped to look at something for a bit, so I didn't end up getting the best workout, but I figured I wouldn't be so distracted in the future so it was okay. Then, I got lost walking around Tours for a couple hours, and when I got back my host family was already eating lunch, and joked that I really needed to get a map. I said, but then it wouldn't be as fun, and they laughed. But I did get a map later.

After a bit, Madame walked me to the Institute so I know where to go tomorrow, and it's only about 5 minutes away. And then, the old town Tours is a couple minutes from there- somewhere where I should have gone on my walk, but totally missed somehow. It's absolutely amazing. Café's everywhere, beautiful antique-looking homes and shops, people everywhere. I have a feeling I'm going to spend a lot of time looking around there and drinking coffee. It's so different from home, where there are shiny new Starbucks and stores opening everywhere, every day, and here the buildings and styles of living seem to have mosly remained the same for hundreds of years. That's not to say that you won't find those new kinds of things in other parts of Tours, and I'm definitely not saying I don't enjoy Starbucks (even though I'm a Caribiou fan) or the like, I guess, to go off what I was rambling on about earlier, I'm simply blow away at how different life so far seems to be, and yet how the same things get done and same feelings evoked from a fresh cup of joe. Ahh.

At the Institute a few other MSU students were meandering around, so afterwards I walked with them for a long time and we toured Tour. Haha. Voilà-

He gave us the peace sign while trotting on by.



Basically, what all the art at a museum we went to looked like to me.



Statue in a garden.



Wine tasting building.



Time for bed I think. Orientation tomorrow! le Woohoo!