I've been very busy for the past two weeks! I'm having such a wonderful time that it's difficult to rip myself away to tell about it. As you all should know, I left Middletown, Pennsylvania on the 4th of September. Since there were multiple people from my area going to New York on the same day as I needed to be there, I got a ride with some girl going to Spain. My mom does not like big cities, so this worked out well for her. The place I said goodbye to my American family was not very elegant: we said goodbye at a gas station. When I got to New York, I was handed a t-shirt, a name tag on a lanyard, and a room key. Right away, I was greeted by a peppy group of exchange students (who later decided to call our little group "la famille française"). I loved the energy at the hotel! Everyone, even though we were all a little bit sad from saying so many goodbyes, was full of excitement. Everyone was determined to have the best year possible. We were prepped on a whole bunch of social and cultural situations that we may have to deal with, many of which we have heard a million times before, but our excitement made everything seem like a great novelty.
This picture was the epitome of the New York Orientation. This group of exchange students, after knowing each other for less than a day, became closer than one could ever imagine.
Voilà la Famille Française! From left to right, pictured are McKinzie, Aidan, Katie, Annie, Erik, Lily, and moi! We are the best of friends now.
After one sleepless night for Natalie, the 49 exchange students on their way to France headed to the JFK Airport in New York. Every person in la Famille Française was in awe that this moment that we had been waiting for was finally happening. To quote the lovely Katie, "Guys... we're going to France!" This was repeated so many times throughout our journey that it would be impossible to count.
Every second of waiting in the ticket line, the security line, and to get on the plane passed so quickly and anything that I could say about the experience would be minor and trivial.
This plane ride was the best plane ride I have ever been on (says the 16 year old who has only before taken a plane for four trips in her life). I was surrounded by friends, the headphones were complimentary, and the food didn't suck. It didn't hit me that I had completely forgotten to sleep during the 8 hours I was on the plane.
After landing in Zurich, the giant group of kids had just enough time to go through customs, which was the easiest thing in the world--- our group leader explained what we were here for to one of the tellers, and we just had our passports stamped without any questions. I, along with my friend Allegra, who is in the same suburb of Lille as I am in France, brushed my teeth, and we then got on the plane to Paris. Katie, when the wheels of the plane touched down in France, had a revelation. She could no longer say, "Guys... we're going to France." She had to say, "Guys... we're IN France!"
After collecting our luggage, we awaited the kids coming from Germany. We were so jealous of these kids--- their flight was only one hour long, and they had no time change. The rest of the day was spent being tired in a not-so-great hostel, and most of us didn't have outlets in our rooms or things to shower with, but we didn't care because GUYS... WE'RE IN FRANCE! We passed the time just talking to people from every corner of the globe, all of which spoke amazing English! I attempted to converse in French with people, but the general consensus was that they would prefer to speak in English, even if it wasn't their first language. The problem with being an American is everyone knows English when you want to speak another language, and no one knows English when you don't know how to speak their language.
Allegra, my aforementioned tooth brushing buddy, was my roommate, along with a girl named Carlotta from Italy. We all got along very well, and we are in the same area in France.
The Paris orientation, honestly, was what we heard at the New York orientation, only with a French accent. That is, until we left the hostel for a tour of Paris! Since I had, until then, be surrounded by English, I didn't feel like I was actually in France until I saw la Tour Eiffel. We were all in awe. Yes, it's a beautiful structure, but for me, it signified that I was truly in France, and my adventure was just about to begin.
Natalie à la Tour Eiffel
Aidan (my friend from PA who doesn't like how I've described him in previous posts)
Katie, my lovely friend who I swear I share a brain with
La Tour Eiffel
I have a very similar picture hanging in my USA house
I love the intricacy of the tower.
L'Arc de Triomphe
La Seine, the river which runs through Paris
After the tour, which was rather short, we returned to the hostel and were briefed on the train procedure for the next morning. We got to take the TGV, which is pretty much a really fast train. By car, the trip from Paris to Lille would have taken about 2 and a half hours, but by TGV, it took less than an hour.
When we arrived, we could do nothing but smile. Our host families, whom we had known only through photographs and an exchange of letters, were now standing right in front of us, and my vocabulary diminished from that of an average citizen to that of a toddler. Here is my first picture with the Defebvre family, minus Luc, as he took the picture. Ignore my appearance--- the hostel didn't have a working place for me to plug in anything to do my hair.
All the AFS kids in our area, most by foot, (but my family got my luggage situated in the car and we drove) had a little get together. All of the exchange students had to say, in French, their name, where they are from, and the name of their host family. I was one of the few people who wasn't set into panic mode by this. My host family later told me that they were very proud that I could pronounce their last name, as it is difficult for Americans to say.
Unpacking was the greatest feeling in the entire world. Living out of a suitcase is never fun. I finally could say I was home, instead of in a hotel. I get along very well with this family, and I know studying abroad was the right choice.
I have done a lot since I've been here, but that will come in a later catch-up post!
Au revoir!
-Natalie
