Tuesday, May 29, 2012

An exchange already almost over...

Salut tout le monde (Hey everyone!),

Mais... so it's been a while... haha... let's say at least 5 months? I'm sorry everyone who reads my blog for not posting sooner. But now you must think: If I was posting every single day, that would mean I was not living my exchange but instead living my life on the internet. That means that I have been using my time very well by living out my exchange to the fullest. So um.. here's to you mom:
Let's see, last time I posted it was December 16th. That would mean before Christmas. I can start there.
I spent Christmas with my first host family's family. We ate a hugggggeeee supper; and not only did I eat wayy too much but it started at eight o'clock and we finished dessert at 2:30 a.m.
I then went to the Alps for a week with a couple from my Rotary club. I was at 'Les Gets', a little touristic village with all the houses, appartements and hotels made of real logs, covered in snow and surrounded by mountains made for skiing. I got to go with another exchange student named Amy (from Austrilia) and I think it made the trip even better because I had someone my age to talk to and ski with.
After we have New Year's.. I can't say I did anything too extra-ordinary. There was a big meal and a dance but it was with people 30 plus years older with me.. I was the only teenager.
The week after, I changed host families. I was then living with a married couple who's kids were already moved out and living elsewhere (the son at Saumur; a city not far from Paris and the daughter at Geneva; finishing her last year of university). I was now living at Beaumontel, a tiny community just above a tiny town calledd Beaumont-Le-Roger. I would take the bus there to get to school and would be dropped off at the same spot, and I would then take a walk through the cliche downtown to the old abbey that has practically nothing left standing and every surface still there were covered with signatures of people who had been there; some dating back to the 17th century. I would then continue on through a tiny forest and then I would pass a house that was built for the Duchess's daughter but was now vacant (for she had passed away). Then about three minutes after I'd arrive at my host family's house.
With this host family I got to go to Paris for the first time the week after I arrived into this host family. I got to walk along les Champs-Elysees, go up the Eiffel Tower, ride les Bateaux-Mouches and visit Montemarte. I got to see many things in passing (including l'Arc de Triomphe and la Grande et Petite Palais) as well.
I also got to go to Saumur so that we could visit there son, and one of the most enjoyable things that I got to do was eat in a cave (at Saumur, they are very well known for there caves where the store wine or make mushrooms) because they had built a restaurant within it. Everything was baked in front of you by a wood stove. It was really cool!
I also got to go Versailles, Honfleur, Deauville, Lisieux... and many other cities in France.
In Febuary I had the chance to go to Belgium for four days and see Bruxelles and Brugges. It was done very quickly and I didn't get too see much, but I really enjoyed it and wanted to go back.
At one point we had a Carnaval at school; taken from the Latinos. The French dress up for the day, and I decided I would be the French stereotype; French beret, mustache and goatee, blue and white striped shirt, baguette, pointed shoes and an empty box of cheese.
I got to see some plays during the year; both in French and English. And I also got to go to the movies quite a bit; the movies were always in French (even the Avengers).
One weekend, Rotary hosted an event at Annecy; a city in the Alps, for all the Rotary exchange students (about 430 students overall) so we could meet each other and visit the city. It was there that I got to see my brother after 7 months. It was really special, getting to talk to him after so long and compare our exchanges.
Right before Easter, I changed host families again to my last and final host family. This family is young with three daughters; Charlotte (born the day before me), Juliette (13 years old) and Lucie (11 years old). It was really nice being able to celebrate Easter with a family that still hunts for chocolate eggs in the backyard like mine :)
Not long after, my parents and Cassia arrived in Bernay. We ate at a creperie, talked, saw Juno Beach, had dinner one night with my host family, then later on we left for Belgium.
I got to see both my dad's and mom's side of the family. It was really nice and I am really happy I got to see my family after so long. It was hard seeing them leave but it was comforting knowing I would be seeing them sooner then before.
I got to then go en Provence (a region in France, including famous cities such as Marseilles, Arres..) to a city called Istres. It was so nice to FINALLY have some sun after so much rain and dampness.
Then I went to an amusement park with my host family (one of the best in the world) where the entire park is made up of many little villages; each one of a different time period. There were shows at every village and each were spectacular!

And that brings us roughly back to today.

This Thursday will be my last day of school and then the next day I will leave for my Bus Trip! I'll post after it's done and tell you all about my incredible 12 days in Europe!

Bisous <3