I have thoroughly enjoyed my experience of living with a host family thus far, and am very happy with my decision to do so. I live with a French couple named Pascal and Sophie and their cat, Croquette. They have a daughter and a son who are both just slightly older than me and their daughter is living with us temporarily. They are also currently hosting a french college student named Caroline; it has been so nice to live with Caroline to help me navigate the city and the campus and to talk to and laugh with at home together. It has also been very fun having their daughter Claire at home with us, as she is looking for her next job in the luxury marketing field and sharing her experience along the way with me.

I have learned so much about French culture and the way in which people live here, from simply living with my host family. One of the first things I noticed when being placed with my host family was that their home was not in close proximity to campus, which made me a bit nervous about how I would get back and forth from classes each day. However, as soon as I arrived in La Rochelle I learned how common it is for people to bike everywhere. I was fortunate enough that my host family had an extra bike for me to use during my stay, which is how I get around everywhere. Sophie also rides her bike to work each day and Pascal walks. I have loved how accessible it is to get around the city without a car, and how much better the limited use of cars is for the environment.

One of my favorite parts about living with my host family is eating dinner together each night. This is when I practice my French the most with them and tell them about my day and ask them about theirs. We all laugh and share stories and often talk about certain cultural differences between France and America–as they are just as curious about learning more about America as I am about France. It has also been so fun to try the different dishes that they prepare. We eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, grain and pasta dishes, and of course lots of french bread and cheeses. My host mom likes to joke that she is not a very good cook, but she knows that I disagree with that! I feel very fortunate for the kind and fun host family I was placed with and for all the things that living with them has already taught me about La Rochelle and about French culture.