Fall Break
Every 5-6 weeks of school here there's a 2 week break. It started last Thursday, and it's been so nice not having to go to school...!!!! But I got super sick and I was delirious for like a day but now it's just a distant, gross memory. I went to an 18th birthday party for one of my host mom's family friends and everyone was dancing and we ate duck and pineapple cake. It's been pretty warm lately, in the 60's, so walking around outside is perfect because it's really scenic where I live and there are hills everywhere. I really am starting to love it here more and more every day, I'm killing the stupid little voice in my head that says other places are better because that's just not true. Ardèche is a very special place and I don't want to spend my year anywhere else!!
Valence + Montelimar
Right now I'm on a two week break from school and I've gotten to do some fun stuff so far :) Last week I visited my exchange friends Lexi and Anais in a city called Valence about an hour from where I live. We talked, went shopping, to the movies, and ice skating. Ice skating is super hard so thanks for holding my hand the whole time Lexi you ice skating queen. Lexi's host family hosted an American a couple years ago and she was visiting while I was there. That's just one of the many cool things exchange brings because she's studying in Northern France now! After two days in Valence Lexi and Anais came with me and my host family to Montelimar, a city an hour from where I live. There, we went to a candy museum/factory and walked around Montelimar and went shopping again. Montelimar is really cute and has a lot of pretty streets and I bought peanut butter so it was a really successful day. I love hanging out with other exchange students because it's so easy. You don't have to try hard in conversations and its just really relaxing and comforting being around people who are in the same boat. Just hearing American accents is really nice sometimes... That being said, it's probably a good thing I'm an hour from them, because I'd hang out with them every day if I could, and I'm getting to meet wonderful french people here because I can't.
Philippine's Birthday
My host sister's 15th birthday is today so the past couple days we've done some celebrating for her! It's cool for me because I've got to meet a lot of their family, and they are all really sweet and being around them reminds me of my family in Alaska. We went to my host dad's house and had lunch and went on a walk and visited, and my host mom threw a get together with a lot of their family. I've realized that spending time with younger kids is crazy helpful and fun so I spent a lot of the night with the younger cousins.. but we had so much cake and had a great time celebrating my awesome host sister :)
Language + stuff
It's not too bad anymore! I had one of those moments a few days ago where I thought, wow, I can actually understand so much. I came here two months ago (yesterday!) not knowing any French with absolutely no understanding of the language. I know now that I can't get the language down in the first few months, either. This is going to take the next 8 months for sure. But if I keep improving at this rate, I'll be fine. I think I'm going to start lessons soon too, fingers crossed. Learning is starting to get better now that I can understand people better. Because all you can do when you don't understand is think a lot and that's overwhelming... But my language skills will just keep improving and I believe that. I'm sort of plagued with this self doubt that I'm not learning fast enough but I'm fine. I need to chill. I'm generally just a very emotional and sensitive person in the first place, which has let me feel so grateful and happy I could cry, but it also results in my struggling a lot with jealousy and being too feeeely. Nonetheless, this is truly the best experience ever, I'm faced with challenges here and there and I'm pushed out of my comfort zone sometimes, but it's so fun. I've experienced so much in just two months and it's all because I get to be here in France in a little village next to a little city with some of the coolest people ever, learning a new culture and language and life. I want to do this in a new place every year 4ever but I know I can't do that so I'm so so grateful for this, right now!! I'm learning about expectations, and what happens when things aren't what you expect, and how to turn things around and be happy by choice and gratitude! It's v cool
Looveeeee, Grace
Every 5-6 weeks of school here there's a 2 week break. It started last Thursday, and it's been so nice not having to go to school...!!!! But I got super sick and I was delirious for like a day but now it's just a distant, gross memory. I went to an 18th birthday party for one of my host mom's family friends and everyone was dancing and we ate duck and pineapple cake. It's been pretty warm lately, in the 60's, so walking around outside is perfect because it's really scenic where I live and there are hills everywhere. I really am starting to love it here more and more every day, I'm killing the stupid little voice in my head that says other places are better because that's just not true. Ardèche is a very special place and I don't want to spend my year anywhere else!!
Valence + Montelimar
Right now I'm on a two week break from school and I've gotten to do some fun stuff so far :) Last week I visited my exchange friends Lexi and Anais in a city called Valence about an hour from where I live. We talked, went shopping, to the movies, and ice skating. Ice skating is super hard so thanks for holding my hand the whole time Lexi you ice skating queen. Lexi's host family hosted an American a couple years ago and she was visiting while I was there. That's just one of the many cool things exchange brings because she's studying in Northern France now! After two days in Valence Lexi and Anais came with me and my host family to Montelimar, a city an hour from where I live. There, we went to a candy museum/factory and walked around Montelimar and went shopping again. Montelimar is really cute and has a lot of pretty streets and I bought peanut butter so it was a really successful day. I love hanging out with other exchange students because it's so easy. You don't have to try hard in conversations and its just really relaxing and comforting being around people who are in the same boat. Just hearing American accents is really nice sometimes... That being said, it's probably a good thing I'm an hour from them, because I'd hang out with them every day if I could, and I'm getting to meet wonderful french people here because I can't.
Philippine's Birthday
My host sister's 15th birthday is today so the past couple days we've done some celebrating for her! It's cool for me because I've got to meet a lot of their family, and they are all really sweet and being around them reminds me of my family in Alaska. We went to my host dad's house and had lunch and went on a walk and visited, and my host mom threw a get together with a lot of their family. I've realized that spending time with younger kids is crazy helpful and fun so I spent a lot of the night with the younger cousins.. but we had so much cake and had a great time celebrating my awesome host sister :)
Language + stuff
It's not too bad anymore! I had one of those moments a few days ago where I thought, wow, I can actually understand so much. I came here two months ago (yesterday!) not knowing any French with absolutely no understanding of the language. I know now that I can't get the language down in the first few months, either. This is going to take the next 8 months for sure. But if I keep improving at this rate, I'll be fine. I think I'm going to start lessons soon too, fingers crossed. Learning is starting to get better now that I can understand people better. Because all you can do when you don't understand is think a lot and that's overwhelming... But my language skills will just keep improving and I believe that. I'm sort of plagued with this self doubt that I'm not learning fast enough but I'm fine. I need to chill. I'm generally just a very emotional and sensitive person in the first place, which has let me feel so grateful and happy I could cry, but it also results in my struggling a lot with jealousy and being too feeeely. Nonetheless, this is truly the best experience ever, I'm faced with challenges here and there and I'm pushed out of my comfort zone sometimes, but it's so fun. I've experienced so much in just two months and it's all because I get to be here in France in a little village next to a little city with some of the coolest people ever, learning a new culture and language and life. I want to do this in a new place every year 4ever but I know I can't do that so I'm so so grateful for this, right now!! I'm learning about expectations, and what happens when things aren't what you expect, and how to turn things around and be happy by choice and gratitude! It's v cool
Looveeeee, Grace