Hope Nelson-One Week

How appropriate that as the plane flew over Paris, the sun began to creep over the horizon, symbolic of my own dawning journey. I have now been in France for almost a week and still am hit by moments where I find myself thinking "oh my god, IM IN FRANCE". My travels went well because I had the treat of sitting with my good friend Mallory. Upon my arrival in Bordeaux I came down the stairs to find a crowd of people waiting for the other exchange students Justin, Eve and me! My host brother and sister held a large sign and my host father handed me a beautiful bouquet of flowers. Other members of the Rotary club and some exchange students were also there; including Bernice! Who came to steamboat in 2010-11.  

The house where I'm living is about an hour from Bordeaux on windy roads. During the trip I started to get carsick and on the final turn into the driveway I vomited in the car. I had been up since four in the morning to leave from Denver and arrived at Bordeaux at around 1 pm france time 5 am my time.  Almost a full 24 hours awake (not counting the little sleep I got on the plane). I felt so bad! I wanted to make a good first impression and this wasn't it. But the unfortunate incident ended up being a testament to my host families character more so than mine. As I tried to apologize in broken french they repeatedly said "C'est rien." "It is nothing" and my darling host sister Angelique, who was sitting next to me, had no qualms about hopping in next to me the next day on our car ride to La Palmyre. 

La Palmyre is a small town my the beach where we stayed for three days. It was lots of fun. We spent our days on the beach either making sand castles or body surfing. One day we biked to a couple different beaches and about halfway through the day my bike broke. Part of the tire became swollen and the  chain came partially off. The result was that I like was biking on the hardest setting all the time. The rest of my family didn't have to pedal and I was dying ten feet behind them, no way was I that out of shape. The only thing that kept me going was the promise of ice cream at the end of the ride. We also have attended a dance show, a special dinner, and a classical music/renaissance/acrobatic/fire performance at a castle. All and all I'm living it up. 

My host family is fantastic. The father is very helpful and I think we share the same sense of humor. He is great because he likes to explain and talk about more complicated things  like the history of a building or the government opposed to asking me about things he knows the answer to but he knows I will understand. This helps my french immensely. The mother is kind and caring. She is so considerate of what I ask and what I say in general even when it doesn't make sense. My host sister is super sweet and very mature for her age . She is the best at explaining words I don't know. Its great because she explains them in french and knowing what they mean in french makes them stick to my brain better. My host brother is smart and excitable. He quickly catches on to what I don't understand. He continually asks me questions I dont    understand but it only improves my french so I hope he doesn't stop. I am very lucky to be with this family. 

Altogether I find this place utterly charming, from the three white horses in the neighboring field, to the one eyed cat. There are huge fields of grapes, for cognac, and sun flowers surrounding the house. Outside my window you can even see the old church tower. Im very content.