I loved my experience on the France: Cultural Discovery Trip. I loved everywhere we visited, from the big city of Paris, to my tiny homestay town of Bruley, and everywhere in between. I also loved the excursion to Montreux, in Switzerland, definitely one of the most beautiful places I have been with the deep blue water of Lake Geneva with steep mountains surrounding everything, it was breath taking. My host family completely blew my expectations out of the water, they were so nice and accommodating, including me in almost everything, I really felt like a part of a French family. I also liked how much they paid attention to the information about myself that I had told them in my introduction letter. For example, I had mentioned that I love to fly fish and they took me to a fish farm in the area, where I got to see some of the biggest trout I have ever saw, and even try to fish for some. They also introduced me to so many new and interesting experiences, such as a long, traditional French meal after a baptism. I have never sat in one place for so long just eating. One day we even went to Germany when me and my host family visited Strasbourg. I asked if we could go across the Rhine River to the German town of Kehl, and they agreed that would be a cool experience. They also took me to the city of Verdun, where the major World War I battle happened. They knew I was also very into history, so this was really cool also. I also appreciated the small things too like eating dinner with the family, playing bocci/pétanque with my host siblings and their friends, or just having conversations and trying to speak English as simply as possible and get better with my French speaking/listening skills. Besides my time with my host family, I loved roaming the Paris streets with my newly made friends, seeing the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the different gardens, and trying new foods like steak tartare, roasted bone marrow, and sauteed frogs legs. The city of Nancy, near our homestay towns was also very historic and beautiful with the large Place Stanislas and many other historical buildings. Going to Switzerland was so beautiful. The mountains were unlike any I had ever seen from the ground. We visited Gruyere, famous for their cheese, and the medieval town. While there we visited a castle which was very cool, and got to see a chocolate factory and how they make their chocolate. Over all the places we visited and the new experiences are what really made this trip and for me, sparked what I hope is a lifetimes desire to travel the world and experience as many different cultures as possible.
