27 Mornings in Rennes

The final post from Rennes Session 1 comes to you, again, from our student guest blogger, Daniel Zaretsky!

We’ve spent a month in Rennes. This trip of a lifetime has taught me so much, and I've tried to absorb as much of the amazing atmosphere as possible.  And while I knew from the start that I wouldn’t be able to learn everything about a different culture in a month, I’ve come back a different person. I’ve learned so much more about France and Brittany, and also, ultimately, about myself. When I first signed up for this program, I didn’t actually believe people when they said that a study abroad trip can change your life. But believe me, it can. It’s about how one perceives the opportunities that are presented before them and how they take advantage of these moments to grow. It’s about how they don’t take anything for granted, and learn from every small experience, be it a “good” or a “bad” one. It’s about growing as a person and opening your mind. Here’s my month in France:

A quick summary of what I did:

- Every day, I'd wake up to a beautiful sunrise and prepare to go to class. In class, we learned about everything from grammar to culture and had the opportunity to work with a native speaker as our instructor.

- We visited so many cultural destinations around Bretagne. We had an excursion to the beautiful beach-side city of St. Malo. We visited the stunning medieval city of Dinan and then, of course, the Abbaye de Mont St. Michel. We then took a 2-day trip to Pont-Aven, Quimper, Concarneau, Locronan, and the Chateau de Trevarez. But we also saw a lot right in our own city of Rennes. We toured the beautiful building of the Parlement de Bretagne. We visited the Marché des Lices, a giant market that happens every Saturday in downtown Rennes. We walked around the Grande Braderie de Rennes, an annual market that spans all of Saint Anne and République. And we also had time to have fun. We had several afternoons off, which we used to relax and enjoy time with friends. Near the end of the trip, we even did an Escape Room, where we tried to save JFK (we failed.)

- I also met so many new people. To learn more about my friends, see Carson's blog post (Forming the Squad.) But I also got to know many locals, such as my host mom. She was a very influential figure for me as she helped me with my French, and also opened my eyes to a variety of subjects and showed me a new, more analytical way to think about some things in this world. Many of the people we interviewed for OZ in the rue (street) also had interesting stories to share, and while we only met them for maybe 5-10 minutes, these will definitely have a lasting impact on me.

So overall, what's changed?

My French has improved. Sure, one can't expect it to go from zero to fantastic, but I've definitely observed changes in my pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. I've also met so many new people and made so many friends that, like me, also enjoy learning languages and exploring other cultures. And these friendships and daily interactions go much deeper than I could've ever imagined would happen in a single month. I also feel like I’ve come back a different, more complete person. Getting to know another culture has helped me become more analytical (and maybe just a little more judgemental) of my own culture(s), and this really served as a reality check for me. I also feel like I’ve become a more open person in general, and this has largely come as a result of spending an entire month with a lot of different people, many of which come from very different backgrounds than I do.

What was my favourite day/part of the trip?

My favourite experience was definitely our trip to Cornouaille, where we stayed at a hostel on the seashore. It was so beautiful to see the seaside and the sunrise in the morning. I also feel like this was the trip that allowed me to get to know my fellow classmates the best as we stayed together in a room (all the boys) and I spent two entire days with all the other students.

What will I miss the most?

I'm going to miss seeing the tea and bread on the counter in the morning. I'm going to miss coming to class and seeing my friends. I'm going to miss our teacher, Mélanie (who also happens to be a French icon). I'm going to miss getting lunch at the corner sandwich shop or the créperie with friends. I'm going to miss the wild bus rides to excursions and the fêtes we had. I'm going to miss my host family and everything they taught me. There's nothing I won't miss - even the bad experiences. Because everything - friends, moments, and family, came together to form this trip of a lifetime. One that I'll never forget.