Enfin arrivés!

We successfully made it through all train travel (minus the loss of Ms. Lyons's luggage! 😭), and the kids should be settling in with their first home stays.... Tomorrow is a French holiday, but look for our first longer blog posts from the students after their first full day with their families. Grosses bises from France!

Fatigués!

As I arrived at the Tom Bradley International, a few minutes behind schedule per usual, my nerves became evident. Three weeks is a fairly long time to be away from family and friends. That feeling, combined with other little fears of travel and new experiences left me with an expected pit in the bottom of my stomach. Nothing that a bit of Pinkberry couldn't cure though. Next thing we knew, we were buckled into the blue Air Tahiti seats and ready for takeoff. Four movies, an hour of attempted sleep, and a ton of snacks later, the wheels of our plane were just about ready to touch down on Parisian soil. We had arrived and quickly proceeded through customs and baggage claim. After rejuvenating both our minds and our bodies with some nourishment and rest, everyone was ready to hitch a ride on the TGV. Many eyelids dragged as the train made its way through beautiful countryside landscapes and finally into Lille, the only thing between us and our final destination. The forty-five minute layover gave the students an opportunity to do some exploring, which took some of us to a coffee shop. One last hour on the train and we had made it to Calais where we were greeted warmly by our host families. As excited as I was to be in a new place, starting a new adventure, I, for one, needed some sort of recuperation. As expected, the awkwardness of getting to know a new family with only my broken, level II French to rely on was apparent but the genuine kindness of my hosts made it all the more easy. A solid night of sleep was all it took to prepare me for the following day. France, thus far, has been a mixed bag of everything from exhaustion to pure joy but I can say with confidence that this experience will be one we'll hold onto for a lifetime.--Lucy

  RIP la valise rose de Mme. Lyons!

And we're off! 12 hours on a plane sounds terrible... right? Nope! Air Tahiti has the best service I have ever experienced.  Along with watching movies, one of which was "Viana" or more commonly known as "Moana," the seats were extremely comfortable (despite the chaperones' insistence otherwise). Once we landed and got off the plane, everything was "EN FRANÇAIS!"  We got through customs and got our luggage and then went to a restaurant to get sandwiches.  I ordered a simple ham and cheese sandwich, but it was absolutely perfect (though I believe my excitement to be in the country may have overpowered my tastebuds...).

The train ride to Lille was absolutely stunning.  We just sat in complete awe of the simple beauty of acres and acres of green land... and a few of us got to nap. Once we arrived, we got our first chance to venture out on our own in small groups and see the old and intricate architecture- before getting back on the train to Calais, where we met train our correspondents. 

-Cayla

Les deux Matthew!

Notre train de Lille-Calais