Alumni Interview with Annaleise Hendrickson

What inspired you to travel abroad? 

I wanted to travel, specifically to Nice, France. I was interested in developing my French, and I was desperate to be independent. 

Why did you choose Abbey Road Programs? 

I was looking for a residential language immersion program in Nice, France that was not too expensive and had an emphasis on adult supervision. 

What was your favorite part about Nice, France? 

Nice is such a beautiful city, the food is amazing, and the landscape is stunning. I loved the beach—it was one of my favorite parts. 

What made your experience abroad extraordinary? 

My favorite part was the free time. The ability to spend my time in Nice the way I wanted to and still have a full experience was indescribable. I often spent time on the beach or went shopping in old Nice; either way, having the freedom to explore as I pleased was by far the best part. 

How did the local program staff support you throughout your program? 

The French teachers were native French speakers, which really challenged me and my speaking skills. Being forced to practice as many conversational skills as I did was what made my French better by the end of the program. 

What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad? 

I wish I hadn't had taken my time for granted. While I genuinely enjoyed the program while I was there, I wish I had truly soaked up every moment and experienced every minute to my best ability. 

Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like. 

I woke up around 7, got ready for the day, and usually went out to eat breakfast with friends before class. Class started at 9 and lasted until 12. During class, the teachers would take us to cafes and outdoor locations to practice conversational French in real time. Lunch followed after that, and it was cooked in the residence by a chef. It was usually French or Italian food.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, we had electives in the afternoon. I took the photography elective, which included traveling to parks and markets to practice photographic tools that we learned in the classroom. Sometimes on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we would go out on excursions in the afternoon instead of electives to various places, like neighboring beaches and art museums. We always had free time in the afternoon after classes with the option to schedule private French tutoring, which I did regularly.

Dinner was usually similar to lunch; sometimes we would eat take out or have a picnic on the beach as well. After dinner, we were almost always allowed free time until curfew at 10pm, which I usually spent hanging out on the beach watching the sunset. 

What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad? 

Some of my favorite things to do during free time were eating copious amounts of gelato, shopping in old Nice, tanning or swimming at the beach, taking the tram to Nice-Ville to go shopping, going out to eat pastries at various places, going grocery shopping, doing laundry, shopping at the farmer's market, and spending time with friends in my room. 

What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it? 

I had a great experience with my room. We stayed in single bedroom dorms that had attached, private bathrooms. I personally loved having a space to call my own and have my own toilet and shower. The rooms were small, with a twin bed, desk and chair, fan, closet, mini kitchen with a sink and mini fridge, and bathroom. It came with two bath towels and the beds had sheets, but no blankets. There was no air conditioning, like most of France, but with the room fan and open window, it was just fine. We all had a shared kitchen that the staff kept stocked with basics, water bottles, and snacks, which we were allowed to take as much of as we wanted. We used a laundromat next door to do our laundry. 

What is one thing every future participant should know about Abbey Road Programs before their program begins? 

If you are looking for a language-intensive program, this might be a little too mild for your taste. My listening and speaking skills improved vastly because of the language immersion, speaking and ordering in French often, and my personal work at tutoring hours and commitment to studying. However, this program has much more focus on culture and personal growth than I was initially expecting.

Would you recommend Abbey Road Programs to others? Why? 

Yes, I would definitely recommend the program. I personally changed a lot and I spend a lot of time now thinking back to how much fun I had every single day. I loved that it was a residential community with a routine that changed a little bit every day. 

What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is? 

I think everyone learns something about themselves when they travel abroad. Being away from home and away from routine always shows me something about myself, that's why I love it. 

Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life? 

I used to be one of those people who couldn't order her own food or couldn't talk to strangers. I didn't realize it until after I came back but my fear of talking to strangers has subsided so much thanks to this program. Being thrown into such an unfamiliar and uncomfortable situation—speaking French to strangers and ordering food in French—was hard at first but it had such an impact on my confidence and my ability to speak to strangers. 

What does meaningful travel mean to you? 

Throughout my time on this program, I spent a lot of my time taking pictures of stuff. I was in such a beautiful place and I wanted to remember every moment by taking a picture of it. However, sometimes I was so happy or so awestruck by what I saw that I didn't think about taking out my phone to take a picture. To me, meaningful travel is moments that touch you so deeply that all you can do is experience them at that moment, without even thinking about wanting to take a picture.