I truly cannot believe that it has been almost two months since I departed for the trip of a lifetime to France with the Abbey Road Summer Program. I will never forget how I felt at the airport, waiting to have the best time of my life. I was scared, nervous, excited, and ready to learn about and experience French living all at the same time. Although it probably sounds extremely cliché, the month truly did go by in the blink of an eye, and I find myself wishing that I was back in France quite often. Although I did miss my family and some of my accommodations in America, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience!
The amazing trip could not have been made possible if it wasn’t for the fun, intelligent, and mature Abbey Road staff. In France we had a great staff that definitely enhanced the trip. They would accompany us on our day trips and activities, making sure that we were always safe and having a great time. I found myself able to relate to the staff members and it definitely helped that almost all of them were native French speakers, since I was able to practice my conversational French with them.
My favorite parts of my trip to France were the daytrips and activities that we did on a weekly basis. The staff had many daytrips to other cities in France planned, which gave us a chance to experience what different parts of the country had to offer. I don’t think I can say that I didn’t like any of the daytrips, but if I had to choose a favorite, I would have to say that I really loved Nice. We were able to visit Nice quite a few times over the month because of how close it is to St. Laurent-du-Var, and each time I found myself admiring a new piece of architecture or discovering different boutiques and cafés. I was also really happy to visit Nice, yet stay in St. Laurent because I was able to experience both a large city in France and a smaller, quieter town. I also really enjoyed the activities that we did. They were fun, yet always incorporated some aspect of French or French culture. My favorite activity was definitely the cooking class that we did. I love to cook, and this was especially fun because we were able to practice our French in the kitchen.
Although my language skills improved a lot by just living in France, I also learned a lot through the classes that we had each day. I was placed in the most advanced French group, which I felt was perfect for me, but was also challenging enough that I was never bored. I thought the experiential learning was both fun and helpful and I never felt as if I was in summer school. I was also really glad that I took the conversation elective because it helped my conversational French a lot and was very interesting.
Of course, this program would not have been complete without the homestay experience. Staying in a French home was something that I had always wanted to experience and it definitely lived up to my expectations. My host family was helpful, welcoming, and so sweet! I loved conversing in French with them and comparing French and American culture. They truly treated my roommate and I as if we were their own children and they could not have been more hospitable! I am so glad that I chose to do a homestay program because I was forced to speak French with them, which greatly improved my speaking and I got to experience French culture in its most raw form.
I cannot explain how glad I am that I embarked on this journey. My experience was one that introduced me to friends I will never forget, improved my confidence, and most of all, brought my French skills to a whole new level. I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to go on this trip and I want to thank Abbey Road for making it so unforgettable!
