Aladrianne Young
My Wonderfully Flawed Experience

At the time that I left for France, I had been studying French for over nine years. Nine years of rehearsing conjugations. Nine years of practicing noun-adjective agreement. Nine years of trying to master that cursed guttural “r” sound that the language is notorious for. I talked to myself in the shower to try and simulate conversation and smooth out the pathway from my brain to my tongue. Remember your imperfect tense. The conditional comes after the imperfect, the simple future after the present. It’s “traverser la rue” not “croiser la rue.”

My Wonderfully Flawed Experience
Aladrianne Young
When In Rome...

If there is one thing I think studying abroad taught me almost immediately, it is just how American I really am. Culture is a fascinating phenomenon. It is not only dances, folkloric music, clothing styles, and culinary traditions. Culture literally governs how people understand the world around them. It frames their reality.

When In Rome...
Aladrianne Young
My Decision to Study Abroad in France

I remember the day my mom and I almost got into an argument because I told her I planned to study abroad and she refused to allow me to go because “she wasn’t ready.” That was one of the most frustrating conversations for me to have because, one, I felt that my mother was standing in the way of a great learning opportunity and, two, because as much as I wanted my mom to yield to my wishes, I could understand why she was so adamant about keeping me in the States. Being Black is something that I cherish, but also something that I realize comes with a great deal of hardship. Black people are literally dying every day just miles away from where I am at any given moment, it is only natural that my mother would be terrified at the idea that I would travel not only across state lines—which I did when I left Miami to attend Duke in North Carolina—but also national borders as well.

My Decision to Study Abroad in France

My Wonderfully Flawed Experience

My Wonderfully Flawed Experience

At the time that I left for France, I had been studying French for over nine years. Nine years of rehearsing conjugations. Nine years of practicing noun-adjective agreement. Nine years of trying to master that cursed guttural “r” sound that the language is notorious for. I talked to myself in the shower to try and simulate conversation and smooth out the pathway from my brain to my tongue. Remember your imperfect tense. The conditional comes after the imperfect, the simple future after the present. It’s “traverser la rue” not “croiser la rue.”

When In Rome...

When In Rome...

If there is one thing I think studying abroad taught me almost immediately, it is just how American I really am. Culture is a fascinating phenomenon. It is not only dances, folkloric music, clothing styles, and culinary traditions. Culture literally governs how people understand the world around them. It frames their reality.

My Decision to Study Abroad in France

My Decision to Study Abroad in France

I remember the day my mom and I almost got into an argument because I told her I planned to study abroad and she refused to allow me to go because “she wasn’t ready.” That was one of the most frustrating conversations for me to have because, one, I felt that my mother was standing in the way of a great learning opportunity and, two, because as much as I wanted my mom to yield to my wishes, I could understand why she was so adamant about keeping me in the States. Being Black is something that I cherish, but also something that I realize comes with a great deal of hardship. Black people are literally dying every day just miles away from where I am at any given moment, it is only natural that my mother would be terrified at the idea that I would travel not only across state lines—which I did when I left Miami to attend Duke in North Carolina—but also national borders as well.