Lifelong learning

Lately, most of my waking hours are filled with some kind of learning experience. I've recently returned to language school after a couple of months' hiatus, so my mornings are occupied with French verb conjugations, phonetic drills, and writing exercises. Every evening the girls and I gather at the dinner table to do homework -- I help Lindsey with her French and math, and occasionally I glance over Lori's assignments. Oh, and I do my own French homework, too. (The girls are at the point where they can help me when I get stuck.) On Thursdays, I lead a Bible study for the women of our church which requires a lot of self-learning and preparation on my part. And just living life itself in France surrounds me with endless opportunities to learn something new.

I'm not complaining -- I'm a learning junkie. I love to absorb new information; I love to study. I'm one of those nerds that would rather solve a logic puzzle than sit down in front of the TV to unwind. A few years ago, I read "StrengthsFinder" and took the assessment. I wasn't surprised to find that one of my top 5 strengths was "Learner."

After almost 7 months in Lyon, I've discovered a lot of nuances about the French language and culture that weren't immediately apparent. At first, France seemed to be quite similar to America in many ways. Or rather, I tended to notice the similarities more than the differences. But over time I've learned that there are actually many differences. In the next few blog posts, I hope to share with you some of the things I've learned, and what I'm still trying to figure out. I desire to share my observations without too much judgment, since the reasons "why" things are different are often still deeply hidden. It will take a lot longer than 7 months to understand the many layers of values and worldview that cause people of a culture to behave the way they do.

So, over the next few weeks, feel free to visit my blog and interact with my observations by posting your comments. I especially encourage those who are natives of France or have lived in France a long time to teach me more about the French culture. After all, I love to learn!