Heron
Fayetteville to France

Wow, I've already been here in the beautiful country of France for one month, but it feels like it has been just a couple days! I am staying in Cavalaire-sur-Mer on the south-eastern coast of France. Cavalaire is a small town of about 5,000 year-round inhabitants, and many more during tourist season (July, August, and September ). The quaint Spanish style houses are built on rolling hills that meet in the centre of town where the main promenade runs along the ocean with cafés on one side and the public beach on the other. Included in the Gulf of Saint Tropez, Cavalaire is one of many seaside towns including Plan de la Tour (where Johnny Depp lives!).

My school is the central high school of the Gulf of Saint Tropez with about 1200 students in 3 grades. I am now taking 10 classes after recently dropping my Spanish III class which was quite difficult having never taken a Spanish class, much less a Spanish class taught in French! My French is in fact slowly improving, mostly with the help of my little host brother!

My host family is wonderful, they have been so welcoming that I really feel like part of the family. My host mom and I have discussions about everything from the racism and immigration in this part of France to shopping and boyfriends. My host dad and I watch Westerns with really bad dubbing and my host brother helps me with my conversational skills and I in return help him with his English homework. With my family I have been to a French wedding, gone snorkelling and cliff jumping, spent the day on the family boat, gone to the mountains for the weekend, and next week we are going to Italy for a couple days!

Being such a small town, there isn't much to do in Cavalaire, but the two main activities are going to the beach during the day and going to the dance clubs at night......let's  just say that I have done alot of swimming and dancing since I got here! I've also joined the town ping pong club ( its funny because I really don't know how to play! ) and next month I am joining the school horse-back riding club.

I have been very open to new foods since I got here, despite eating very little meat before I left the States, but I had to draw the line at HORSE. I have eaten everything from rabbit to sea urchin, yet I just couldn't bring myself to eat the horse steak my host mom bought.

The homesickness is hard, but I just try to keep myself busy. And there is alot to do! Being the first exchange student for my host Rotary club, they want me to meet everyone and tell them about the exchange program, so I have gone to dinners, parties, and meetings. I have also been telling students at my high school about the program and I am amazed at how many people are really interested in doing an exchange.

Well that's it for now......I hope you are all having fun!