What It's Really Like to Study Abroad in France

You know that one junk cabinet/drawer/closet you have sneakily stuffed with everything that wouldn't fit elsewhere?

That's an accurate depiction of what my thoughts & life have looked like for the past few weeks.

There's been a lot of song and dance around these parts. A few colorful character deets and plenty of wanderlust. But as I mentioned in this post, there's been far more left unsaid. Which would be completely  in 'whatevs' territory, except that I've been going multiple degrees of crazy with how much I want to say. That's rare for a keen observer who typically leaves details to the outside lands.

Let's get on this wild ride. Grab the rando fake mustache that's been sitting in said junk cabinet, the strongest cup of coffee you can find, and a tub of butter for good luck. We're going to France!

I arrived in France, wide-eyed and wonderful. It was my second time in the country, but I had been a veritable youngin' during my first trip. Living somewhere, I learned, is also a fast departure from a weeklong vacation.

Studying abroad in Nantes, France has been like nothing I expected, yet more than I ever could have dreamed. It's bizarre being an outsider, while pretending to be an insider for a few months. It's an unapologetic kick in the butt that makes you realize the shallowness of your own world -- like the feeling you get when throwing on a pair of 3D glasses in the movie theater.

It's a total holy-crap-this-is-real moment that could fo sho be on Oprah.

As a hopeless wanderer, I tend to adapt to new environments relatively quickly. Even after spending 2.5 years away from home (at Georgetown, in DC/Philly/NYC, Google, etc), I've never been truly homesick. (Mom & Dad, this isn't to say I don't love you bunches). Change doesn't scare me that way.

Studying abroad in France, however, is a different beast. I changed, adapted, and familiarized as I normally would. But there was one snag in this game plan: mindset.

And that's the part of the roller coaster ride with the unexpected HUGHHHHH JASSSS drop. The one that makes your stomach feel like it just peaced out on a whim.

Without really trying, I found myself thinking about France via subtraction rather than addition. The things lost rather than gained.

I was missing friends who were all sorts of essential, a fall semester on the Hilltop, iced coffee, long showers, summer shenanigans, a common timezone, variety in EVERYTHING, and most importantly, English -- my golden ability to communicate and my homefield advantage. I wasn't stuck on it perse, but I couldn't help seeing those pin-sized holes around me. Normal life minus normal things = just life.

Even loving the experience, that mindset was a wall or sorts. It was the basic realization of meeting a world that was, well...foreign. That seems like Obvious 101, but it wasn't.

In the recent few weeks though, my mindset has changed a bit. Confronted with a few small comforts, it's become easier to see things through the lens of addition.

You see, I forgot a critical part of the equation: the value-added.  I forgot the +France part of this shindig. Granted, that +France comes with -Normalcy, but isn't that the point? I didn't come here to do things normally, to have the same things I normally would, to be comfortable.

Because really, what kind of smashbang is that?

I came here to learn. About culture, language, people. We have a whole dealio going on over here. I came to see what it's like to do life...a little differently. And to try living a little different myself. I came to find the best dang croissant & cuppa joe. (And to endure plenty of trial and error in the meantime.)

I'm loving that my walk home gets better with age and looks like a million bucks on Fridays.

I'm amused by the dear guy who has taken to sitting next to me in class and making me laugh something wonderful.

I'm content that I know ma belle ville (my beautiful city) now and that getting lost is a rather intentional way of finding myself.

I'm hella happy that my host mom is totally into pumpkin pie; that my host dad thinks French Lit sucks too; that my host sister and I are BUDS; and that my host brother's sarcasm rivals my own.

Finally, I'm starting to understand. We're talking addition, not subtraction. Just like anywhere else, there's ups, downs, but also high fives all around.

So life may kinda look like that one hot-mess-of-a-junk cabinet that you inevitably have. But even amidst the chaos of it all, those surprise gems hiding in the back always seem to add a little something special to life.

And that equation is easy as pie.

Recipe: Healthier Pecan Pie (and no corn syrup!)

This pecan pie was pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. With a perfect ratio of nuts to filling and filling to crust, the pie was a crowd-pleaser for sure in our house. And by that, I mean it disappeared within two days.

I guess we just can’t shut our pie holes.

When I first entertained the idea of making a pie (a rare occurrence considering I don’t much care for pie), I had a hard time deciding which flavor.

Fruit? Ewwwwww. I am not a fan of gloppy, cooked fruit.

Pumpkin? I wouldn’t mind, but I knew everyone else would think it out of season.

Banana or Coconut Cream? Again, not my thing whatsoever. Blake would probably love a banana cream pie though.

Eschewing the weirder flavors (mincemeat…), I decided on pecan. My whole family likes it, and I was not adverse. (Especially considering my love for nuts and nut butters!)

Pecan it was!

Of course, I had a few requirements.

1) No corn syrup – Whether or not corn syrup is truly bad for you, I don’t know. However, being that it is still considered controversial in the food world, I decided to steer clear. When pecan pie was invented, corn syrup wasn’t involved, so I knew it was do-able.

2) Healthier than the average pie – True to the nature of my love for health/nutrition (and this blog!), I wanted to make this pie a little healthier without sacrificing taste. I made the following adjustments:

• no lard in the pie crust
• nonfat sour cream instead of regular
• unbleached flour
• no corn syrup in the filling
• whole wheat flour in the filling
• molasses in the filling for a boost of flavor + minerals

I also used almond milk in the filling because I figured the subtle smooth nuttiness would compliment the pecan flavor well.

Summer Pecan Pie

I’m not generally a pie person, but this pie is good stuff. An intricately flavored molasses filling and warm, toasty pecans add a wonderful depth to the pie, while the flaky crust serves as a great canvas. Sweet and buttery without being too rich, the pie is perfect for a night at home or a summer gathering. Even better, there is no corn syrup or other icky additives!

Ingredients:

Crust 2 cups flour 1/2 cup butter, very cold and cubed in small pieces 1/4 cup nonfat sour cream, heaping 1/4 tsp salt

Filling 1 cup brown sugar 2 tbsp white sugar 2 tbsp molasses 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted 2 eggs 1 tbsp whole wheat pastry flour 1 tbsp almond milk 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup pecans, chopped extra pecans (for garnish), optional

Directions:

Crust

1. Before you begin, make sure you’re butter is very cold. Cut butter into flour with a knife, fork, or pastry cutter. Continue incorporating butter into flour, working quickly until a coarse sand-like texture is formed. (Note: Do NOT melt butter into the flour mixture.)
2. Place mixture in the freezer for 10 minutes.
3. Remove bowl from freezer and pour contents onto a wooden cutting board. Using a rolling pin, roll the butter into the flour—beginning to form a dough with the flattened butter.
4. Then, add the sour cream and continue rolling to form a ball. The dough ball should be moist but not wet. If necessary, you can add a little bit more flour, until this consistency is reached.
5. Return the dough to the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
6. Take the dough out of the freezer, and roll out into a circle, roughly 10 inches in diameter (to fit your pie pan).
7. Take circle and fit it in a greased pie pan, crimping the edges if desired.
8. At this point, you can return the dough to the freezer and save for later use or proceed with the recipe.

Pie

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs until foamy. Stir in melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar, molasses, and vanilla. Whisk again until even mixture is formed.
3. Add the milk, flour, and pecans. Again, stir until thoroughly combined.
4. Pour filling mixture into unbaked 9 –inch pie shell. Garnish with extra pecans, if desired.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go shut my pie hole, so I can a) go do hot yoga and b) you can go make this.  

Happy Memorial Day!