With five days left until I board a plane and make my way to France, I have had a lot on my mind. Will my French be good enough? Will I get lost at the airport? What if my bag just disappears? Will my host family hate me? While all of these have been thoughts that have crossed my mind, I think that my excitement for the opportunity to experience a new culture trumps all of those concerns.
When I applied to the French Language Studies Program in Besan�on, France, most people assumed that I was looking for a chance to spend two months in a foreign country eating croissants and drinking copious amounts of wine. While this might be what some are looking for when they travel, that type of life is not for me. My time in Europe will be spent exploring, sightseeing, and learning. I hope to return more fluent in the language that captured my heart than when I boarded that initial flight. I hope to embrace a foreign country and people. I hope to make lifelong friends and to forge a bond with my host family that will cross international borders.
During my stay in France, I will be living with a host family. About a month ago now, I received my host family assignment. It is an older couple with six children. They seem like they will be an excellent fit for me, and I have since communicated with them via e-mail. Sharing their home will hopefully allow me to become fully immersed and to learn even more about the culture than if I were simply spending my time on my own with other students.
Source: “France.” 46�43’58.62″ N and 1�34’12.99″ E. Google Earth. December 31, 1999. May 18, 2013.
The best way to describe my feelings towards leaving my home and all that I know for a completely new experience is a mixture of anxiety, excitement, and curiosity. In five days, I will be taking all that I need and moving 4,000 miles away from my family, my friends, and all that is familiar to me. When I think about it, my stomach ends up all tied in knots, but I am also ecstatic. I can’t wait for the moment that I get to meet my host family. I can’t wait to become immersed in the language that I fell in love with when I was fifteen.
My name is Sabrina Peterman. I am currently a junior at Penn State. I am living my dream of spending my summer studying language in Besan�on, France. I hope to share with you all of the anxiety, excitement, and new experiences that I have throughout my time abroad.
Location: Altoona, PA
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Hey Sabrina! I know exactly how you feel. Just a week ago I boarded a flight to Costa Rica for a Spanish immersion program, so let me just tell you: your family will not hate you, your bags won’t get lost in the airport but you will (it’ll be okay), and you’re going to have a great time. It sounds like you have some awesome plans for yourself. I’ll keep an eye out for your future blogs.