I’m tired all of the time, but it’s because of all of the amazing things we do every day.” This is
just one quote about our trip that we could all agree on so far. No one word could describe our
first week in France. Thus far, the trip has been phenomenal as we have visited Paris, Nancy,
and Strasbourg. We’ve been submerged into the beauty of the french culture from shopping, to
eating, to visiting historic and cultural sites, to living in the homes of complete strangers… all the
while coming to realize that being in another county is not a very easy adjustment. However,
whether it is struggling through the language barrier, dealing with extremely persistent salesmen
at tourist sights, or learning to adapt to other people, we constantly have fun. This week we
have begun our homestay near Nancy, France, to experience the everyday lives of french
citizens. The experience has been different for each member of the group, but we’ve all been
forced to be resilient on a daily basis, learn to communicate with our host families (despite very
little knowledge of French), and eat unfamiliar dishes.
“We’ve been submerged into the beauty of french culture all the while realizing how tough it has
been to visit a foreign country and not be understood by its citizens.
-Ashley H, Rae’Nia G, Pat K, Alex V, DeMari R
“Our homestays have been been the opposite of what most of us expected. The language barrier
has made communication difficult. However, although we can’t understand them, we’ve found ways
to communicate with them. For example, we’ve played games, gone food shopping, danced, and
celebrated France’s victories so far during the World Cup. Allez les bleus!”
-Hassana A, Jailee M, Jasmine G, Magalena G, Skye H
It has been a good experience overall. We’ve created new friendships and countless memories
that we’ll cherish forever, and we are satisfied with the time we get with both our homestay and
our Experiment family. We can’t wait for what’s in store for our next two weeks, along with our
new friends and amazing leaders. Some of our personal goals for the next few weeks are to:
“Try 5 new foods; compare cultures (France, Germany, US) through first-hand experience; and
build strong connections with peers, leaders, and host families.”
-Liz P, TQ W, Willi T, Courtanie B, Sarah W
Au revoir!
