When I first started looking into the
program I read that I'd be fully emerged
into the French culture and ever since I
was little I've been wanting to come
here and truly experience the French
living, so when I saw that I'd be capable
of doing that, I was like ok, I'm
applying.
I wanted to learn everything, like actually seeing what they do during the day like the day in the life of a
French person really living in the culture, being a part of the environment, embracing it fully.
I have always loved
this France culture and just everything
surrounding France. The food, the
atmosphere, just the vibe of it. I liked
all the outdoor activities they offered
like hiking in Germany and then biking
in France. I got to see the vineyards
and all the countryside. It was very beautiful.
My favorite activity was being
able to go on a boat ride in Paris and
being able to see all the different
attractions, I found that really cool.
My favorite activity was like the boat ride! Those are fun. It was very relaxing, you got to see a beautiful view.
I absolutely fell in love with Strasbourg. The community
seems so tight-knit. There was a lot of
activity, there was a lot of ways to see.
It was so perfect it seemed like I was
in a dream.
The one thing about this program that attracted me was the amount of food we'll be able to eat and things to try.
Me and my family we like to eat a lot of food and different types of foods out.
That'll be nice to taste other foods than what we taste at home.
The food is different, there are some things that are
very similar, like the meat but I've
never had a crepe before, it was meat
tomato and cheese. The dessert crepe had
caramel in it, and chocolate and ice
cream and that was wonderful. I loved that.
I had sheep. I never had
that before, I had it with my host family
and it was delicious!
My favorite moment the trip was to see a
baker make baguettes. There's a lot more
bread than I eat at home.
They have really long lunches.
At school we only have maybe like 30
minutes, and a lot of schools here they
take like 2 hours. All countries' foods are different.
This year I took a French culinary course. I guess I just wanted to
deepen my understanding of it in the
context of the French people and not
just the perspective of professors on
France itself. Like really immersing
myself in the lives of the people and
how they look at their food and how they
shape their day around their meals.
My homestay was awesome. The first couple days were hard,
but just getting acclimated and just adjusting to it, you know
that's just how it happens. At first
I was very nervous, but then two days in,
I realized they volunteered to have me
here and they want me there,
and I want to be there, so I left my
comfort zone
start talking some more. Next thing you
know, I'm very very close with them.
They acted as if I was their sister. Nothing
seemed like I was a new awkward person
in the family, and it was so nice. It's
such an amazing opportunity and it's so
fun. And like you really get to
experience a lot about other cultures.
You're not so stuck in like the bubble
of your own area like your city or your
state, or whatever, you're coming from.
When I was saying my final goodbyes to
my host family, and everyone was getting very emotional,
I felt very appreciated and cared about.
The most important thing that I've
learned is being open to trying new
things, just jumping into it and just
being like ok, you're in a new country
you're in France right now you should
try, you might never get this opportunity
again.
It's nice traveling with people I don't
know because it adds a whole other
aspect to learning about the culture
cause you're also learning about other
people's cultures from the same country you live in.
Usually when I travel it's with my family and we just go and look at tourist attractions,
but with the group you're even able to do different activities.
The biggest challenge that I faced while traveling
abroad was probably missing my friends
and family, but I made new friends and I
felt more comfortable and less homesick.
I think something I can take away from
this is that traveling with a bunch of
strangers you don't know is such an
awesome experience. It's one of the best
things you can do to open yourself up
and to make lifelong friends,
and to experience a whole other world.
It's really nice to meet new people with
different backgrounds and coming
together to go to France, whether it's
been your first time out of the country
or not, it's really been great for all of
us. We've really been taking in this experience.
The group you're with
basically becomes like your family.
I really think everyone should do The
Experiment. This is a great opportunity
and you get to go to a whole different
country! Other students should do this
program because it introduces you to
other cultures and experiences.
France is very idolized but if you actually go deep into the heart of it they're just
families, and there's cities just like
America, and they're living their lives like we are.
Paris, je t'aime. Paris I love
you.
