Beginning...

Hi readers. Welcome to my blog!

My name is Laurie Ajavon. I am a French student-athlete in Indiana University of Pennsylvania. I come from a city at five minutes from Paris. I am here, in Indiana, to study and to practice Track and Field.

 After a year full of events, (Don't worry, I'm not going to start to tell you about love stories, issues with parents... everybody knows that) I wanted to completely change my habits, change of frame and most of all, leave my parents to become emancipated. I knew there was a program which offered to study and do sport in America with the possibility to have a scholarship . Since I practiced Track and Field for almost 15 years, it was a good opportunity; so I decided to leave. Change of language, culture, hours and continent. It was hard to leave the family nest, live by myself and stay in a country where I don't know anybody but it would be a rewarding experience.

So, Monday, Jan. 11 2010, I took a flight from Paris to Pittsburgh by myself, an 11 hours flight by myself.  Then, I had a one hour ride to go to Indiana. First thing, I had to change the configuration of my brain. From that point, I had to use permanently the dictionary in my brain if I wanted to speak. Bye spontaneity! Try to do it when you spent almost nine hours in a plane and that you are tired!! Second matter: the weather. In France, it was cold, but not as cold as here! My first contact with Indiana was with the snow. It snowed during almost three months non-stop. Third matter: I left a big city like Paris, full of people, full of life, where you can find everything everywhere and where there is a lot of means of transportations for a small town like Indiana, full of student but empty during holydays, a town where you cannot move without a car and where parties end at 2 a.m. It was a tough introduction... ( A lot of people will asked me "Why IUP?" My answer is "because there is a good Journalism curriculum" ...but I have to admit that it wasn't my first choice...)

 Every day, I discovered your culture, some habits, very different from what I used to do and to live. I realized how different our two countries could be. Our universities are different, our daily habits are different even the way we get dressed is different. Last semester was a culture clash for me. I had to fit to the way you live.

            Back in France in June for the summer, I told my family and my friends the differences I saw. They gave me the idea to create a blog to show how different are France and the United States. So, after a first semester of adjustment, this semester, I decided to be more observant, to learn more about your country and report life in the United States, though IUP's lifestyle. I am going to make you discover my country. So, ready for a free trip between United States and France?

Indiana University  campus' acess. Picture from iup.edu