Name: Gracie
Pronoun(s): She
Nationality: American
Hometown: Jackson, Mississippi, USA
Current location: Strasbourg, France
Occupation: Marketing Junior at a wine estate in Alsace, France
Meet Gracie
If you would have asked me six years ago if I would still be in France, the answer would have been no! After college, I wanted to spend one year here to improve my language skills before heading back home for an MBA.
Little did I know, that my eight-month teaching program turned into six-and-counting years living in France
Long story short, I taught English for four years before going to French business school for my masters degree in marketing/management. Now, I’m working in the wine industry, mostly with marketing and export, living in the fairy tale city of Strasbourg with my Alsatian cat, Kougelhopf 🙂 (also a type of classic Alsatian brioche, pictured in the above photo!). Not 100% American anymore and not 100% French, Strasbourg has come to be my now-home.
Did you participate in study abroad while at school? For how long, and with what program?
Yes! Being an international studies major, we were required to spend at least one semester abroad, so I spent the spring of my junior year (University of Mississippi) in Angers, France. The program is CIDEF (intensive language studies) at the Université Catholique de l’Ouest, and it was absolutely amazing.
I had about 18 hours of French-in-all-forms a week, plus I lived with an amazing French host family
This experience definitely played a role in my decision to come back to France. I would recommend a semester in Angers 100%.
If you’ve been an international student before, what was that experience like?
I decided to pursue my Masters at a French business school, and it was a great experience. It was a two-year program, the first year being classes in general business and the second year specialized in wine marketing, where I had a full time internship (3 full days of class every other week, and the rest of the time at my company). My first year, we had a few international students (US, Italy, Serbia), but mostly French, and my second year I was the only international student, so really immersed in a French program, with international visions and classes. A full-time internship, classes, and a masters’ thesis was intense, but I’m really happy with my choice of program and school.
Professional Background
Would you say travel or living abroad have impacted your career path? How?
Absolutely! I had many dream jobs during college. My first trips abroad enforced my choice of international business and the turn of events since I have lived in France has brought me to where I am today. Living abroad also teaches you SO many soft skills: communication, adaptation, determination. I have no idea what I would be doing if I would have stayed in the States, so I can definitely say that living abroad has impacted my career path.
Did you ever feel unsure of your career path?
Of course! Still today! I love what I do, and I just fell into it. I was lucky – I wanted to work in an industry that connected France and the US, export and people-oriented, and luckily Alsace has really good wine! But I’m still new in the industry, about 1.5 years in.
I knew from the beginning international business, but I am open to career changes and will see where this path takes me
This is after already having taught English for four years between my bachelors in the US and French masters. Life is like a box of chocolates, right?
What routes are available to you professionally longer-term (say, within the next five to ten years)
I have a few options in the wine industry. I could stick with communications and marketing in a consulting agency setting for example, or continue with export sales in a wine estate. In a few years with more experience and some technical certifications in wine tasting, I could be on the buying side for import and distribution companies. In France or in the US! I adore Strasbourg and Alsace, but am open for a new adventure in another city in France.
On Lifestyle
Lots of people think traveling is cool, but not something they can see themselves doing. What are the characteristics of a traveler or person who would enjoy living abroad, in your opinion?
You definitely have to be willing to adapt, and be super open-minded. All cultures are different so you can’t expect each place you live or travel to be the same as the previous or your home country. This also helps expats to integrate and travelers to fully experience the place that they are visiting.
It definitely helps to have an up-for-anything and go-getter attitude, but even a more shy person can succeed if they are willing to adapt
Do you speak a second language? More than one other language?
Oui! I’m fluent in French, but still make some mistakes and I still have my accent très américaine. In college, I got my first C EVER in a French class. Look at me now! No really, it definitely helped living here… During my study abroad with a French family, and then in the six years since I’ve been here, I’ve only lived with English-speakers for about eight months. Full immersion is key, and I’m still learning new things everyday. I can understand a bit of Portuguese, Spanish, and German, but nothing close to being able to communicate… I would love to settle down and focus on one of them to start learning.
Has traveling changed the way you view the world? If yes, how so?
I’ve learned so much about other cultures, other ways of life, views of how to handle situations. My group of friends is from France, multiple countries from South America, New Zealand, Spain… the list goes on! It’s opened my eyes to new beliefs, understanding how other people grew up and their stories, and I am so grateful for how much I have learned by being exposed to this. Often when you are an expat, you find a community of others, and not just from your home country. Also, we learn that not all stereotypes are true, but sometimes they do have truth! 🙂
Otherwise, I am more conscious about the environment – I don’t know if this is because of a change in country or just as the years have gone by
France definitely makes it easier to be environmentally friendly, buy local and organic, etc.
One last question
What advice would you give to a young person who knows they want to travel but aren’t sure where that fits in with the rest of their lives?
I think there is so much pressure today from both sides
Either to stay home, find a great job after college, be married and have kids by 28, or to go and travel the world for a year and do yoga and be an influencer. There is definitely something in between. It’s okay just to visit a foreign country for 10 days to see what it’s like: you are still exposed to another culture. It’s okay to move abroad and figure out it’s not for you: you will still have learned so much about yourself. But if you have any small urge to travel, do it! You can pick back up after, and maybe it will end up changing your life for the better!
Editor’s note: This interview has been lightly edited for concision and clarity.
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Thank you for reading Fearless Friday no. 11 – Gracie!
Fearless Friday Features are posted every Friday evening, France time. If you enjoy reading and want to keep up-to-date with the latest posts, please subscribe and follow @themillennialabroad to support and receive the most recent updates.
