People ask me all the time.. "why?? Julia, how are you going to stand being away from home that long, with people you don't even know, I could never do that?!"
Well, that's just the way I am. Ever since I was little, I've had a sense of independence and adventure that I just can't ignore. As much as I love my family and friends, I've never had a problem leaving home. I find it so amazing that I have the opportunity to experience another culture and live in a different country for a whole year! What really inspired me to do this exchange was really my mini-exchange to Rennes France last year over spring break. A group of about 12 of us from my school went on a 12 day exchange! The picture at the very top is of part of our group on our visit to the Normandy beaches... I think it kind of sums up my whole outlook on this adventure.. it was my idea to go in the freeeezing cold ocean barefoot! Why not get your feel a little wet, you only live once! Everyone thought I was crazy at first, but we ended up having a BLAST!
We spent 8 days with a family in Rennes, and 3 days in Paris. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. As you can see in the next picture, I met so many amazing people over the course of such a small amount of time, and to this day we still keep in touch. The French students who hosted us actually came to Rochester for about 2 weeks in October. The connection we all have and the friendships we have are amazing even though we live across the globe. I love exchanging emails with them on a weekly basis, and they are all so excited for me to come to France. I could go on and on about all the things I love about the country. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, and contrary to common stereotype, French people are very friendly. The picture below is a street in Rennes. It's so beautiful, and so old, compared to America where everything is so new. Of course I know this will be a challenge for me. There will be times when I want to come home, or want to take the easy way out, but in the end I know I will get so much out of this experience.
The other thing that has influenced me greatly to follow through with this exchange is my sister Lucie. The last picture is of us on New Year's Eve 2006. Last year our family decided to host an exchange student for the year, and her name was Lucie. She is from Germany. From the beginning, Lucie fit into our family perfectly, and we became very close. The bond we had was truly that of siblings. She is my best friend, sister, and the best exchange student ever. We shared stories, secrets, sorrow, laughter, victory, and defeat. I don't know how I would've survived my Junior year without her, and I also don' t know how I would've passed math!! haha. She called my parents Mom and Dad, and we gave her a few nicknames of our own.. Luce, Pooch, Lou, and my personal favorite miss new booty(don't ask). I also caught on to some German, and Lucie and I called each other 'Schatzi', which means 'hun' in German.
Lucie had such an amazing time here in the U.S. and made so many amazing friendships. It was impossible to say goodbye, and we talk on the phone, email, and chat online all the time now. She now has a second family here. I really do consider her my sister. She overcame every obstacle she faced, and made it through the tough times with grace. She showed me that there's no reason to be afraid of such an amazing opportunity!
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