The minute we arrived at our correspondant's homes I felt welcomed with an open heart. Every conversation I shared with my correspondant and their family was meaningful, both stretching the boundaries of our linguistic potential and satisfying our desire to know each other. Although I was unfortunate enough to experience jet lag the first couple days of the trip, my family has been very understanding by sharing their plans with me and giving me a chance to opt out if need be. While I wish I had done most of these activities ranging from helping out at my family food stand or just simply helping them with the animals around the house, I am also glad that they do not fit the repertoire of an average exchange family. In fact, they surpass it in every way by surprising me everyday with what they have in store for my stay with them. It seems like everyday we go to the beach and enjoy ourselves, meeting up with my other classmates and getting to know their correspondants. I admire French culture in every way combined with the much calmer lifestyle in the country. What I initially thought would be the death of me (the language barrier) allowed me to become more familiar with French culture and language. I look forward to the days of teaching and I will value every minute of Hermelinghem (my correspondant's city) that I can get before my next trip to Paris.
-Diego
When we got to Calais around 5pm, everyone was completely exhausted. The flight felt long, and the train ride even longer; I'm sure the correspondents were shocked to see how insane we all looked when we got off the train. After unpacking my bag, I was about ready to go to sleep right then and there, but I ate dinner before knocking out on my bed. If we didn't have the day off I really don't know what I would've done! Instead of going to school, we went to the aquarium and then to the beach, which was really fun. My host family was extremely welcoming, but that didn't stop the bit of fear that I had regarding coming out of my room and hanging out with the family. They were super friendly and talked to me a lot, which made it easier to adjust to my new home for the week. The meals are really different from what I'm used to in LA, but I think it's cool that I'm getting the full French countryside experience. My family doesn't speak English, so my French is definitely getting a lot better. The teaching was exhausting but ended up being really rewarding at the end of the day. Right now we are on our way to Belgium! I can't wait to go on the boat ride and see everything Brugge has to offer!
I am fortunate enough to be with Clara, her sweet mother and stepfather, and her quietly fun brother. On Sunday night, We first went to the fair and I bought a crepe. Not my first ever but an fyi: any crepe in America is no where near comparable to the ones in France. After that we came home, and due to jet lag I passed out immediately. For breakfast on Monday morning we ate cereal with hot chocolate, and then my corres asked me if I was up for a walk to get bread for her mother. Excitedly, I said yes, but boy was I unprepared for what was to come. In Pasadena, I take for granted the desire and requests such as "mom, can you run out and get some milk? I can't eat my cereal." There: 10 minutes later milk is in the fridge and consequently, cereal is in my mouth. Needless to say, here: the walk to purchase bread was a tad longer than I had thought it would be. Gratefully, I was able to have a quality conversation about french customs with my corres so all was okay. By the time we got back it was lunch time, and we ate a chicken stew that was absolutely delicious. Next we went to the aquarium and apparently all of the correspondents had coordinated because almost all of them seemed to have been there. So fun!! Now we are back home, and I cannot wait for tomorrow and the rest of our journey dans la campagne!-Cayla
I slept in until about 10:30 and then had a small but delicious breakfast with my family. After breakfast we went to Cap Blanc Nez. It is a point on the coast where the Germans built bunkers in World War 2 because one can see the white coast of Dover clearly from the point. After, we went to lunch and to go bowling at a very large mall. In the evening we went to a beach where I saw other correspondants and the kids walked and talked with each other. I had dinner with my family and Mathew and his family at a restaurant on the beach. It was a great day for my jet-lagged self.
-Miles
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