Home is Everywhere and Nowhere

With the start of the fourth year, we have a mix of people joining the school. There are very few international students, but mostly they consist of people from different programs within JUNIA. One of these programs is CPI—classes préparatoire internationale—which means that all learning is conducted in English, and the third year is spent abroad.

I had the opportunity to get to know quite a few people with this background during the first weeks of September, and I must say it's refreshing. There's much more overlap with my personal worldview on levels that I struggle to articulate. Living abroad changes how you act and navigate the world. These people are far less France-focused.

For example, one of these CPI students lived in a white van that he parked in front of the school. He's since settled down in an apartment, but that's how he started the school year. He traveled with the van from Barcelona, where his Californian girlfriend lives, to Lille. He is also convinced that he needs to return to California after his studies.

The typical life path that most people here follow is to finish school and remain in France—perhaps starting their career in Paris before moving back to their region of origin when the time is right. I can't say I disagree with this approach, since I would also like to return to Estonia eventually. However, I find myself wanting to work and live in several other countries before that happens.

Going abroad to study or work isn't exotic; it just makes sense to try new places and adapt to them. This mindset was shaped by my mother's work, which took me from Luxembourg to Brussels. These environmental changes have taken me further than I can even comprehend.

It is also why going to study in France didn't seem like a hurdle. It just made sense, especially since I have my sister and her family here. This upbringing does not mean that I find it easy; on the contrary, it's not easy, and that's precisely why it's worth doing. The first two years in France were tough, but looking back at it, the struggle was worthwhile.

The language barrier isn't very deep since I have studied in French for most of my life. Yet it is still a thing, since even if I am fluent, I lack specific vocabulary. For example, since I didn't speak French at home, I only learned how to say "cooking pan" at 19 years old.

All this to say that I am happy to have found more like-minded people. These fresh connections motivate me to look for internships abroad to try to get a taste of new places, while putting me out of my comfort zone.

This Week's Suggestions:

🎶 "Ascension Report" by Bliss Inc.

Got to see a friend mix at a festival this Saturday. It was a blessing, and here is a song that he played in his set, which was full of bangers.

Till next week!