I'm Not Horribly Homesick Yet Because...

 Originally Written On July 7, 2011

…Dijon is exactly like Ohio. No joke. Okay, so maybe the Centre Ville isn’t - its beautiful, full of cafes and markets, and quintessentially French. The University of Burgogne, however, is a different story.

Its probably one of the ugliest campuses I’ve ever been on in my life, ranked right up there with Bowling Green. In fact, it feels incredibly like BGSU because its flat and all of the buildings look like they could double as bomb shelters. Sadly, l’UB lacks the inventive instrument buildings of BGSU. In addition to the architecture, Dijon is putting in a rail line on campus, so the dulcet sounds of the construction really make me feel like I’m back at home. Add in some sporadic weather and freezing rain in July, and you get Ohio!! In all honesty I really don’t mind these things because they do make me feel more at home. Haha I wonder what that says about my life?

Ironically, the most American aspect of Dijon is the thing that makes me feel the most out of place. Its Carrefour, the French equivalent of a Wal Mart or Target. The food is really good, and they seriously sell everything. Except for contact solution - for the life of me I can’t find that. The employees also are on roller skates! But the store is enormous, gigantic. The shopping mall that its in the largest mall in all of Europe. And when I try to walk around and find anything, I just feel so overwhelmed. I don’t know where anything is, and when I ask the employees they just point me in a vague direction. Its just so frustrating because there are just so many small things different from,say, Target. I held up the self check out for like fifteen minutes because its operates slightly different from American ones. I really can’t put my finger on why it feels different, but I think a large part is just that the French are a lot more assertive when they’re in large crowds, and I feel awkward pushing my way around them because I don’t want to come across as ‘that rude American’.

So I don’t really miss the United States itself that much (except the wifi, an ongoing issue), but I do miss all of you guys tons.

Yesterday I went to the Centre Ville in the afternoon and walked around with some of my friends. We saw one of the Cathedrals (not the really famous one, but it was still really pretty) and then, in trying to use their free bathroom, stumbled across a free museum about the history of Dijon. I also continued my unsuccessful search for a fan (to provide some white noise while I sleep), but no luck.
This upcoming weekend I think we’re going to la plage, the beach next to the man made Lake Kir.
 And maybe doing a little shopping because this is the last weekend of the town-wide 70% off sale :) Next weekend we’re going to Paris!! So exciting!!!