Bonjour from Colmar, France!
Today I woke up after a very long sleep and met the other Pingree students at my exchange student's school. On our short drive to the school, I saw a few things that surprised me. I definitely wasn't expecting the groups of high school students huddled outside smoking cigarettes, but I could recall hearing that smoking is more common in Europe. The biggest culture shock for me was seeing the scale of everything. The cars are all so small, and as a result, the roads are tiny. The houses, apartments, furniture, bikes, and even people, are noticeably smaller. Experiencing the scale of things here has made me realize that America really is "supersized". At first, I felt bad for the French students because they haven't experienced huge cars or other large American commodities, but then I realized that we don't necessarily need the large houses and cars to be satisfied. The people I have met thus far are very happy people, and they don't need the extra square footage or trunk space that we believe we need. Having just enough doesn't have to be a bad thing; it can sometimes be a smart thing. Since the cars are so small, they give off significantly less emissions, are easier to maneuver, and allow you to park twice as many cars along one street. I'm slowly becoming a believer in the saying "the best things come in small packages".
Overall, it's been a great experience so far, and I'm so happy to have had this opportunity.
Au revoir!
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