Exchange student making most of time in France

On Aug. 26 I walked away from everything that was familiar to me and from the people and pets I love the most to go Nancy, France.

This is a place where I did not know a soul, did not speak the language and was not familiar with any of the traditions. I'm a girl who didn’t even like sleepover camps when I was a kid, and, up until this point, had never even travelled alone within the province – let alone worldwide.

I have to admit that leaving Canada was the hardest thing I had ever done.

But the moment I stepped into the line for customs, I met other exchange students who were in the same emotional boat I was in, and we leaned on each other for support.

When I boarded the plane, I was very nervous about making flight connections in Zurich to Luxembourg. I was fortunate to meet a lady whose husband lived in Zurich, and she helped me get through the Zurich airport.

I was so thankful for her help.

One thing I learnt about Zurich is that they do not use Euro dollars (and I was hungry), and that I could have used my Canadian debit card to buy the food instead of going hungry. I will not make that mistake twice.

When I finally made it to Luxembourg, I was greeted by my family and my host club in the airport. The food here in France is amazing. I must admit I was a bit of a picky eater before coming here, but I am committed to experiencing all France has to offer, so I am trying foods I never thought I would try.

In the region that I live in, there are these fruits called mirabelles. They're so delicious. You can have mirabelle pie, chocolate, and even drinks.

While I am on exchange, I will live with three different host families. My first family here is so amazing. They treat me like I am part of their family: they include me in all their travels, take me to festivals and are patiently helping me with my French.

They even found me a place where I can ride horses. The language is hard, but it gets easier every day.

School is very different here than in Sudbury. We go to school Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., with Wednesday being a half-day. Although this seems long, it is offset by more breaks throughout the school year.

Nancy, France is a beautiful community filled with amazing architecture, history and tradition. The picture that I have sent is Place Stanislas. This is where my school is.
It was named after Stanislaw Leszczyski, the former King of Poland and father-in-law to King Louis XV of France.

The monument in the middle is the Duke of Poland. The people here are so nice to me, and I've made a lot of friends so far. I'm excited to see what will happen next.

Lockerby Composite School student Giorgia Apolloni is spending the next year attending school in Nancy, France as part of a Rotary exchange. She'll be sending us regular columns, detailing her experiences.