One of the biggest things that I had to adjust to in my host culture was the walking oriented culture, instead of using vehicles to get around. While public transportation was available to me, I decided to walk, because things were not so far and I also wanted to have a daily exercise routine. In Europe, and France especially, everyone was walking everywhere even if the walks were over an hour. Buses were available and some people did have their own cars, but mainly they either walked, biked, or used an electric scooter. In my city and to my general perception of Europe in general, everyone was in remarkable shape and it appears that their physique can be accredited to walking. To be completely honest, walking helped me stay in shape for swimming and it made me feel a lot better during the day. I did swim as much as I can, but my overall health benefit from my trip to Europe can be accredited to two things, walking and a healthy diet. However, there were some times that I did not want to walk so I just stayed home and did not go anywhere. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to go anywhere, it was because everything from my place was at least a 30 minute walk. I got tired walking everyday, so I did not go out at night to spend time with people, but I do not regret it because I was exhausted. My host generally viewed me with favor and respect with the amount of exercise and healthy eating I did while staying at her house. She would always make comments about how active I was and how it is very important to stay healthy. She did, however, question why I wouldn’t go out, because my roommate did. I responded that it was because of me being tired of walking and working out. Walking, also in France, was a way to spend time with one’s thoughts and to breathe in some fresh air. It differs from driving a car, because you have to stay alert and ready while driving a car, but while walking you can virtually let your mind wander. I would say that walking has allowed me to reflect and understand more about myself more than I have ever. These reflections of my experience in France made me realize how important it is to do daily exercise, even if it is walking for an hour a day and trying to maintain a healthy diet. While I live in a city in the US that takes exercise and healthy diet very seriously, I can see in other parts of the States that is not the case. The challenge that the states possess is that everything is so far away from each other that a person needs to take a car to go somewhere. In addition, there are fast food restaurants and not so healthy foods all over, making it hard to maintain a healthy diet. With this experience abroad, it really allows me to be more conscious of how I partake in daily exercise and what I am consuming to make me feel and be the best person I can be on a more physical level.
