France

Each student has a unique and individual experience on their Experiment program. The following essay is a single glimpse into a program from one student's perspective.

Haley LaBonte -- Exploring the Camargue (FRSC)

It was our second night in Paris, and we just stepped off the Metro. We had already seen Notre-Dame earlier that day and yet it still had not truly hit me that I was in Paris. My group and I walked quickly towards our destination. I was excited and nervous as I walked and chatted with one of my group members. As we got closer, Isabel, our leader, prepared us for what we were about to see. "It will take your breath away!" She told us. Suddenly, we turned a corner and there it was, looming in front of us, the most beautiful, awesome site I had ever seen. The Eiffel Tower was lit up and sparkling against the night sky like a giant Christmas tree in the middle of Paris. At that exact moment I realized that this was not a dream, it was reality. Seeing the Eiffel Tower was one of the most incredible experiences I had in France, however, it was not the only one. In those three weeks I saw more new sites, experienced more new feelings, and completed more new tasks, than I did in the past year in America. I treasure every moment of that experience, but the most important thing I came away with, was my new friendships. On this trip I gained two different kinds of bonds, one with my group members and another kind with my host family.

The bond within the group is one that I will never forget. From the exciting and eager plane ride to Paris, to the depressing and two-hours-longer ride home to New York, our group dynamic was impeccable. We all bonded in a way that I never thought eleven teenagers could. We were able to talk to each other about anything and everything. One night in our hotel in Paris, all nine of the girls in the group piled into one small room and talked for hours. Literally within a day meeting my group mates, I felt like I had known them all of my life. I plan on keeping in touch with these people and hopefully seeing them all in the future.

The relationship I developed with my host family was different, yet equally important. At first, things between the family and myself were a bit awkward and difficult, but very soon changed. After spending a few days in the Randon family household, I started to feel like a daughter and sister. I had two host siblings and in the beginning, we did not know how to act around each other. Soon however, we started feeling comfortable enough to tease each other once in a while, just like regular siblings. We started to act so much like family, that one day when we took a trip to the beach, my older host brother decided that it would be hilarious to throw me into the freezing ocean water. I never thought that I would fit in so well with a French family.

My experiences in France gave me two new kinds of relationships. I gained ten new best friends, and became a part of a second family. Based on these new friendships and relationships, I learned one very important lesson: communication is key, even if that means having to write down words, draw pictures and use hand gestures to get your point across! The Experiment in France will stay with me for a long long time.