--Since the moment I first stepped on the plane, I knew that this trip would be highly transformative, but it ended up affecting me in ways I did not expect. I knew that I would get along well with Gabi and her family, but I did not expect to have super long, hilarious conversation with Gabi in the afternoons and nights about our different lives, jokes and languages. I did not know that I would end up telling my host family so many things about myself and learning about their ways as well during our dinners with the view of the sun setting over the Seine. One moment that especially made its mark on my memory was when Gabi's mother presented me with two French novels (one of them was
L'Etranger by Camus). She told me that she thought that I spoke French very well and that she was proud of how far I've come. She told me that she hopes that I will continue my studies of French and that once I feel read, I can enjoy these two books that had brought her such happiness once she got her own grasp of the French language (Albanian was her first language). These memories with my host family were what made saying goodbye to Paris so hard. --Jadie
I've absolutely loved this trip to France; it has been an unforgettable experience.
Probablement, the best individual occurrence was on the fifth day in Paris,
vendredi. I'd gone home with my
corres and we were speaking in French, at which time while otherwise unremarkable, I realized that natural French thoughts were flowing to my head. I was no longer articulating words in French based on ideas in English, but experiencing the world in French. I'm far from fluent, but that moment and for days afterwards, I was able to experience the true beauty of fluency--thinking and simply existing
en français. Never in my wildest dreams had I thought that I would get a taste of fluency on this trip, but what a sweet taste it was. I've had an amazing time with my host family, with my friends, and with
les français, and this taste of fluency really is the icing on the proverbial cake. --Nick
The most transformative experience I had on the Poly French trip was when I was driving to my host family's apartment on the night we arrived. I knew some of what Paris was going to be like before, but when I started driving through the streets, my brain was able to register the beauty of Paris and the fact that it is a place where real people live. Paris is unlike any city I've seen in the United States because of its combination of ancient architecture and modern and relaxed attitude on the streets. I was truly struck by the beauty of the city, people, and language of Paris. --Jesse
My biggest takeaway from this trip has been the difference between the French and American culture. When I visited Paris 5 years ago, I did the things that tourists did (Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Louvre, etc), but at night I came home to a hotel room with a family that spoke English. My favorite moments from this exchange have come from the time I spent with my
correspondante and host family as I merged into their daily life in Paris. I've that French teenagers are much less busy than those I'm around in America, mostly due to the small amount of team sports. Where we live and especially at Poly, everyone is always so busy and rarely has much free time. This is why Kelly and I were shocked at the slower moving French lifestyle and all the time they took to just sit and talk. When we were together as a group, I often found the French chattering while the Americans (who were just as close friends) sat in silence. I think that I will leave this trip with a better appreciation for downtime with the people I love--something that happened often at dinner. Lila's parents are divorced and she switches houses every week, so I got to stay with bother her mom and her dad. The two households were very different, but they shared long dinners while the family sat and talked.--Melissa
