When I signed up for this program, I knew that I was going to miss out on a number of things at home. I wasn’t going to be attending my family vacation. I wasn’t going to be able to take part in all of the summer traditions with my friends. I was going to be missing two holidays (Memorial Day and the Fourth of July). However, I don’t think that I realized how different that those days were going to feel for me while I was here.

Yesterday was the 4th of July. To Americans this means cookouts, hamburgers, hotdogs, American flag clothing, and fireworks. Many Europeans, however, don’t even know when this holiday takes place. It was bizarre to wake up at the same time as I always do and to head to class instead of to a family picnic. In my head, I knew that it was a special day back at home, but to everyone else around me, it was just a normal day. Many of my American classmates spent the day clad in red, white, and blue. Some of them wore various items of clothing with American flags on them. It was nice to see that all of them had banded together to make the most out of this holiday away from their families.

It was not until I sat down and really thought about it that I realized that this was my first official holiday away from home and away from my family. In a way, I was sad because I was missing the festivities and the quality time with my family. However, I think I was more proud of myself for being able to come here and to be on my own. It was definitely a rough day for everyone mentally, I think. I think we all felt a little homesick. After being here for a little over a month, I think that we all deserve to have that moment of homesickness. We all craved the typical American food that we were so accustomed to consuming on a holiday.

I have just under a month left in this beautiful country. There are a lot of things that I miss about home, but I know that I need to make the most out of these next few weeks. I might never get the chance to come back, and I know that the minute I board that plane to go home, I will be leaving a part of me here in Europe.

Location: Besançon, France