No one ever believes that they are truly lost until they find themselves in the most unimaginable of places. People wander for lifetimes searching for that one place, one moment, one experience, that will bestow upon them a new sense of clarity. For exchange student, Brittany Van Strien, that earth-shattering moment found her, a year ago, during her travels in France.

Growing up with a significantly provincial attitude, Van Strien’s lack of experiences added to the uniqueness of her adventure, as she never boarded a plane and only knew of what she could gather from books, TV, and places that weren’t too far beyond the borders of her town. The moment Van Strien found out that she had been awarded a full scholarship by NPSD’s International Friendship Committee to study abroad in Toulouse, France, she knew her life would change forever.

Comparing the educational system in France to that of North Penn High School, Van Strien realized how different countries can offer distinct opportunities in the classroom.

“School in general was a lot harder and not just because of the language barrier,” said Van Strien. “[Testing] is more like AP tests with writing, without the multiple choice.”

Classes, she explained, were generally held for longer amounts of time than they are at NPHS. Her Italian language class, for example, was held for an hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Along with having longer classes that ranged from an hour to two hours, Van Strien experienced longer breaks that could be as long as five hours between classes on Thursdays.

Not only was the educational system an adjustment, but also the daily diet. However, Van Strien didn’t seem to encounter any difficulties with this adjustment.

“Well, I ate a lot of croissants,” stated Van Strien.

Promising the statement’s truth, Van Strien went on to discuss several experiences with food abroad by saying that the majority of the dishes she ate or witnessed contained vegetables, lamb, or fish. Referencing an instance, a week or two after she returned from France, when she visited Wawa, ordered a foot-long sub, and could only finish half. She concluded that the portion sizes that she had be eating for the last year had been much smaller and because her intake had changed, the foot-long, which had once been simple to consume in entirety, was too gargantuan for consumption.

Additionally, Van Strien discussed the extent of the culture differences among friendships and relationships that she experienced while abroad.

“Relationships are based on friendships” said Van Strien.

Illustrating a Romeo and Juliet type of atmosphere, Van Strien explained that dating in France seemed to be of a more private, secretive, and genuine nature. Compared to the American standard of boasting about one’s latest romantic conquest on every social media outlet as possible, the norm that she described seems to be of an alternate universe.

Drifting from specific cultural experiences, Van Strien disclosed some of her most unforgettable moments. Although her repertoire was full of great stories, she considered the morning when she realized she had dreamed in French to be her favorite.

“At that point I knew I was fluent and it was smooth sailing after that” said Van Strien.

Aside from the whimsical, pleasant memories that she will cherish forever, there were moments of terror that are not able to be forgotten. Van Strien specifically recalled the night of the bombings in Paris, waking with a fright when her mom called her to frantically ask if she was a safe distance away from Paris. Then, in the days that followed, the city she called home, Toulouse, was heavily patrolled by the military, and France was declared to be in a state of emergency.

While visiting Paris a month later during the Christmas holiday, Van Strien explained that although time had passed, the capital was still mourning. The streets had an overwhelmingly eerie silence as the proud denizens showed respect for their humbled city.

Now that Van Strien is back in the States, she is co-vice president of the International Friendship Club. Her goal is to help all the exchange students, who are spending their year at North Penn High School, by making them feel welcome and included in our community.

Van Strien’s year abroad not only changed her outlook on life, but also taught her lessons that she could only afford by taking a chance to apply for the once in a lifetime year abroad exchange experience.