My first night in France, I sat in the kitchen talking to my host father, who cooked dinner while listening to the radio. He told me that he usually prefers talk radio (radio hosts were on strike at the time) and then made a joke about Donald Trump (which I didn’t quite catch but laughed along). Over the time I spent with my host family, talking to my teachers and the students in my classes, it became clear to me that the French news cycle is not nearly as limited as the American news is–either that, or the French put a lot more effort into following world news.

One of the biggest moments that impressed on me the global mindset of my host parents was a dinner party they hosted the night before the program’s Dijon trip. My host mom had lead a workshop that week and invited a number of guests over for dinner on Friday: a young girl from China, two men who worked together in America but were born in Europe, and an Italian woman. English was set to be the language of the evening as it was the only one everyone knew, but sometimes my host parents and I would speak in French or my host father would speak in Italian to their guest. At one point everyone began talking about the European Union and the political climate in Italy and comparing it to the US and I was just speechless. Mainly because I knew next to nothing to contribute to the conversation, but also at how well versed the group was in world news and politics.

It seemed to me that the French–and Europeans in general–have a much more worldly view than the average American. Living in Europe and being part of the European Union of course brings together many countries and perhaps gives the citizens of the EU a sense of belonging to something bigger than their country. Geographic location may also contribute to this mindset, where one can travel to any of the 43 other European countries within a couple hours.

Additionally, we learned about the development of France in culture class and how many French citizens have backgrounds or ties in other countries in Europe or Africa, though they often leave those cultures behind in order to assimilate into French culture. The international origins of the French population most likely contributes to the way they pay attention to other countries.

In America, one might not often hear about what’s happening in other countries unless it directly affects our country, or is some extraordinary occurrence. Mainstream news sites are unlikely to devote entire sections to routine elections in European countries, or even our neighbors Canada and Mexico. While French papers may not cover every foreign election, they highlight major elections, even running entire sections, like Le Monde’s section on the current U.S. primary.

Overall, the French seem to have a tendency to look outside themselves and their country, with a global mindset that allows them to think past France, unlike the American bubble.

When I was researching Grenoble to give a reason on my Study Abroad application other than “I just want to go to France” I found out that there is a lot of green energy and sustainability initiatives in and around the city. As someone who wants to go into clean tech,I found this pretty cool. Shortly after arriving in Grenoble, Céline pointed out to us how the building housing the BUSA office is labeled ‘Bonne Energie’. One of the first buildings of its kind, the office uses solar panels and a geothermal well in the basement to produce all of the energy needed for daily operations, and then some, making it energy positive.

Even in January, in my first days in Grenoble it struck me how the city was literally green. Though there were definitely areas with purely city buildings and cement, small pockets of grass and foliage peeked out throughout the city, even on the tracks of the E line.

In our first few discussions with Christine and Céline, they impressed on us how the French feel a much more personal responsibility to sustainability than Americans do, emphasizing recycling, composting, and taking short showers.

I certainly observed these behaviors throughout the city and in my host family. Often I would see recycling and compost bins alongside regular trash cans, where in America there would only be a regular trash can, and maybe a recycling (in shopping centers, on the street). There was also a distinctive lack of litter throughout the city, I seldom saw trash cans overflowing or litter on the street, except for maybe very late at night. The lack of litter was not something I consciously noticed right away, maybe because Boston is a considerably clean city in this regard. However, when Blaire and I traveled to Italy for our winter break, I was appalled at the litter in most of the cities we traveled to, which definitely strengthened my appreciation for Grenoble’s environmental attitude.

At home, my host parents almost never used single-use plastic. The two trash cans in the kitchen were for compost, and then everything else, which was usually mostly recyclables or paper bags. Even their food choices seemed more sustainable than the average American family. In addition to buying from local shops, bringing your own bag, and not wasting food, the actual dishes themselves seemed greener. My host parents invited me to eat with them whenever we were home at the same time, and most nights dinner was fish or chicken, along with bread and some sort of vegetable or rice. Of course, these meals don’t seem very special, but what struck me was how seldom they ate red meat, the production of which is often pointed to as a hefty contributor to pollution.

Overall, I got the impression that the French cared greatly about the environment, and felt a personal level of responsibility to preserve our planet. In America, many people care passionately for the environment, myself included. However, the contributions of large corporations polluting on a mass-scale have often been cited in debates about responsibility. I first remember this when a video of a turtle with a straw up its nose was circulating, and started a push to limit the consumption of straws and other single use plastics. These goods are important for many disabled people to be able to drink when they may not be able to lift a cup, or maintain a living space when the ability to wash dishes is limited, among a myriad of other reasons. To demonstrate the relative harmlessness of individuals using necessary single-use aides, people began looking to large corporations who dump tons of plastic in the ocean every year. This turned into a majority of people pushing aside personal responsibility to the environment to point at the corporations.

In France, I didn’t see the corporation-blaming sentiment, and no one seemed put-out to do their part in caring for the environment. This probably stems from a combination of a community based mindset and an aversion to waste passed down from recent wars.

In our lessons, we learned about how the French were more community minded than individualistic, and generally felt a personal responsibility to the good of the whole whether that be the town, country, or planet. I saw this community concern in many forms throughout my time in France, and I truly admire the way the French care about their role in the bigger picture, especially when it comes to preserving our planet.