Giorgia missed Canada so much, she skied in the flag

My time spent in France has been great so far. I've made a lot of friends and priceless memories.

After Easter, I moved to my third and final family of my exchange. As my time with my second host family came to a close, I knew I would miss them terribly as I have grown to love them like they are my actual family.

I am able to talk to them about anything, whether it's school, social life or just the weather. The sisters have become my sisters and we are planning on having the eldest host sister come to Canada and stay at my house for a month when I get back.

I'm so happy that I have been able to form this connection with them.

During a school break in February, my host family took me to Paris, followed by skiing in Les Carroz, which is in the French Alps. It was honestly one of the most amazing times I have had, made even better when I got to see snow again.

I was absolutely in my element and it was incredible to spend time there with such wonderful people. One day I even skied down the mountain with the Canadian flag as a cape!

Shortly after we returned to Nancy, my host Rotary Club took all of the exchange students skating in Metz. Normally I am awful at skating, so I was surprised that I could actually remembered how to do it!

I was also fortunate enough to be invited by a lovely Rotarian couple to accompany them to Alsace to visit castles and eat Alsatian food. We tasted many different dishes, such as a tarte flambée (kind of like pizza — it's absolutely scrumptious) and Alsatian cheeses.

We also visited 'little France' and saw all the Alsatian houses. I have spent a lot of time with my best friends Aranza, who is a Mexican exchange student, and Matheo, who is from Nancy, France. These two and a few others have influence my exchange in such a way that I couldn't imagine them not being part of my everyday life.

I cannot thank Rotary enough for giving me this opportunity to meet such amazing people. My school days are long, but having friends like them make it worth it.

For me, this exchange is about the memories and friends I will make, about growing, maturing and becoming more independent; it's about learning not just another language, but another culture. At the beginning of my exchange, I stepped out of my comfort zone with both feet and now I realize how many adventures wait for me if I just make the effort and take that step.

I don't regret a moment of this exchange and I would highly recommend programs such as the Rotary Exchange Program.

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