La Belle France

Life is pretty great over here. I'm speaking fluently now. It's such a great feeling of accomplishment to realize how much progress I've made in the pas six months. I've learned an entire language and culture, thrown myself into some pretty uncomfortable situations, lived with people I've never met, learned a lot about myself, and really matured and realized who I am here. I've learned my limits, as well as what amazing things I can do. I've also learned to take risks, and have discovered many things about the world and people in general. I am no longer the shy and immature sixteen year old I was when I arrived.
Another thing I have recently come to realize is how difficult this experience has truly been. You don't realize how hard it is until it has already happened. It was pretty easy for me if you compare my experience to some other people's (I was really lucky with my host family and to be in a town with so many other exchange students), but living in a country and not speaking the language is extremely challenging at times.
But all in all, this is an experience that I wouldn't change. I have not thought once this year "I want to go home". It's sad that only have four months left but there are a lot of amazing things I can still do! So I'm staying positive and taking full advantage of each day I have left.

Here are a few pictures of what I have been up to in the past month.

This photo has a pretty interesting story actually. So in Châtellerault there are these giant chimneys and there is a platform and stairs where you can go up to the top. Unfortunately it's blocked off but one day after school Constant, Kristine, and I were hanging out in town and were kind of bored so we decided to sneak up. I wish we could have stayed for longer! It was really amazing up there.

Saying goodbye to the semester kids :'(

Pictures from a weekend in Poitiers:

Pili, Jakob, and me

All of the year and first semester kids

Pili, Jakob, and Elizabete

The day it snowed in Châtellerault!

My cat Samba (don't be deceived by the cuteness of this photo. he is actually evil.)

Two of my best friends, Jakob and Maynard (new Australian who's here for the semester)

Pili, Olof, and Shao Linn

Stormie and Kristine

Karolina and Clara

During the February vacation my host parents and I went to Norway. We visited Oslo, Lillehammer, and Tromso. It was amazing and so beautiful! We went dog sledding, saw the north lights, tried cross country skiing, and even ate reindeer (weird). Here are some photos I took:

My wonderful host parents!

Olympic park in Lillehammer

The opera in Oslo.

Well that about wraps it up. Things couldn't be going better! The weather has finally been getting nicer here, after four months of rain and cold. It crazy how the sun can change everything. When it's sunny and warm I am significantly happier. I can even walk to school now, which is a great way to start the day.
I must say, the second half of exchange is definitely better than the first; you have friends, you get invited to do more things, you discover all of the cool things about where you are, you can travel, and you can actually speak and communicate. I'm so happy that I still have four months left of the best half.

Hello everyone! I hope you all had great holidays and a happy new year. I sure did! My new years resolutions are to start posting on my blog more, speaking less english, and working more on my grammar and vocabulary. My french has really improved, it's still pretty bad but not like it was before. I'm a little ways past conversational and a a long way from fluent. I know I could be a lot better but I feel like I'm not truly immersed in French. For example, I take three english classes in school and, like I've previously mentioned, all of my exchange student friends speak english. I am so thakful to be in the town/ highschool with the most AFSers in all of France; it has made this experience so much easier for me, but sometimes I wish it wasn't so easy. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure I will be fluent by the time I leave but I think it will definately take the whole year to achieve that.
I still haven't been very homesick here, which is good. I guess I could say that I miss home but not to the point that it makes me sad or sick. I never thought in a million years that I would miss Texas, I had always wanted to leave, but in fact I really do miss it. Being here I have learned to appreciate and be proud of where I come from, even if it is Texas. For some reason when I tell people I'm from Dallas they either think it's awesome (not sure why) or they start talking about cowboys, it's pretty hilarious.
For Christmas I went to Picardie, in the north of France, with my host family to visit aunts, uncles, cousins, and grand parents. It was nice but I miss Christmas in Texas. In France christmas is not a big deal at all. I missed all of the decorations, songs, and constantly streaming Christmas movies on TV. Although, I did recieve an amazing present from my host parents. They are taking me on a trip to Norway with them! Unfortunately none of my host siblings can go so it will be just me, but none the less I am extremely excited. We're going for ten days during the february vacation to visit a girl they hosted in previous years. We will be visiting Oslo, going skiing, and possibly taking an excursion out of the arctic circle for a few days to see the northern lights. How awesome is that?! Another great thing is that we ate some delicious food. We spent seven hours at the table for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The courses consist of the apéritif (which is little pastries, cheese cubes, and small pieces of toast with some kind of spread on them), the foie gras, a fish item (usually a loaf of some kind), sorbet, the main course which is vegetables, potatoes, and meat, the cheese (best part), dessert, and coffee. I don't think I've ever eaten that much in my life. Sorry I didn't take any pictures of Christmas, but here a bunch of photos of what I've been up to for the past month and a half:

These are from out trip to Paris with all of the AFSers from the Poitou-Charentes région. I don't think I have ever laughed so much in one day!

On the Metro

Me, Pili (Argentina), Magda (Italy), Kati (Finland)

Becca (US) and Kristine (Norway)

Magda, Michela (Italy), Marta (Brazil)

La Seine

Janina (Germany), Pili, Kristine, me, Kati (Finland), Isabel (Austria), Barbara (Italy)

At Le Louvre: Kristine, me, Becca, Janina, and Pili

Walking up to Montmartre

Le Sacre Coeur

Pili and Becca

All of the girls

Jakob (Denmark), Karolina (Sweden), Ölof (Iceland), Shao Lin (US), Janina, Barbara

AFS Christmas party in Poitiers:

On the way there with Jakob, Karolina, Kristine, and Magda

Kristine and Elizabete (Latvia)

Decorating with Jakkob and Janina!

Bernice (French), Becca, Magda, me

Cowboy ornament we found

More decorating

Jakob as Le Père Noël

American girls singing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reigndeer for the talent show

(Julia, Stormie, Becca, and me)

New years! We had a party with a bunch of the girls at Barbara's house and she made some Italian pasta for us.

Becca, Me, Pili, Ölof, Karolina, Barbara, Janina, Kristine

Barbara and Pili making the Pasta

These are from another trip we took to paris with school:

Emily (another exchnage student at our school from New Zealand who's not with AFS), me, Becca, and Pili

La tour Eiffel at night!

Last but not least my photos from Christmas break. The first week I was in Picardie, but the second I stayed at Kristine's house for three days, went to Tours with friends, and I had my friend from Latvia who lives in Agouleme come stay with me for a few days.