Last night I got back in from France around 9pm. I couldn’t say how great a time I had, and hope to be able to sit down and actually write about the trip soon. Before I forget everything.
The trip was arranged through an exchange program. I stayed four days with a family in Rennes, immersed in the country. I spent time in Normandy and Paris. The first three days we stayed at a hotel in Caen, visiting all a new war memorial there the first day, the city of Rouen the second, and seeing various parts of normandy the third on the way to our homestay.
The homestay was great. Having studied French for under 3 three years I wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into. The family I stayed with was amazing – and I didn’t have trouble communicating like I thought I would.
I wish high school in America was similar to lyceé in France. Boy do I wish.
After the homestay the group stayed five days in Paris, and as amazing as certain things there are, it surprised me how much Paris is just another big and dirty city, like Minneapolis on a grand scale.
What amazed me most about France was the age of everything. From 3300 year old Egyptian obelisks to middle aged vielle maisons, everything is just so much older then aux états-unis.
I can’t wait to get back to France, and hopefully I will be able to in a year or two after studing more French. I don’t think there will really be a way to learn the language without spending a chunk of time in France, and hope that I will be able to do so sometime.
A larger summary with photos and more talk is hopefully to come.