Heres a bit of a recount of what I have done this summer-
- My host Dad had a party with over 100 people, lots of which were rotarians and family to celebrate his birthday. It was a great weekend with lots of people and lots of things happening.
- I joined the gym this summer to keep myself fit and it was going really well until I had to leave for a month (I am starting back again tomorrow!)
- Saying goodbye to the exchange students from the northern hemisphere. This is hard for us who come from down under because we meet all these great students who leave halfway through our year. It is also exciting as soon there will be lots of new students who arrive and it is finally our turn to be the wise ones who supposedly know everything !
- Spending time with my friends from school. AND not to forget my host sister, Lou-An, who has become a very close friend to me in the time of living with her and her family. Being with her maked me feel closer to home because it's like having a real sister around. Needless to say it will be difficult to leave when I change family in a weeks time.
- I spent a week in the country with Lou-An at another friends house, about an hour from Angers. We went to this attraction park called Puy Du Fou where there are lots of different shows to watch.
- I had 5 days back at the Mercier's house. It was strange to be back where it all began but really good to be 'home' once again. Valentin, my host brother had returned to France after his exchange year in Australia so I finally got to meet him and get to know him.
- A rotary family invited me and Lou-An to stay with them at their bach West of Bordeaux in a town called Maubuisson which is between the ocean and the lake. We spent the days swimming, riding bikes and lying on the beach. This is definitely the highlight of my summer especially coz I was there with my sister.
- Yesterday i got home from a week with my counsellor and his family at a beach called St Gilles. Here I spent 2 days with my Australian friend Elodie who lives not far from there, it was awesome to catch up with her.
I still have a week and a half left in Angers before school goes back, and, like I wrote earlier, a week until I change host families. It's going to be a shock to get back into the school routine again. And more so to be changing families after 4 months here. My next host family are really nice and I am sure it will be great living there for my last 4 months in France, but at the same time it can be a bit daunting. It is one of the best and worst things about the rotary exchange I have found, changing families. Getting to experience all the different cultures and lifestyles found in different families is undescribable, but its not always easy, espcially when you end up in great families.
I'll leave you with a couple pictures
me on the river Loire
with my host parents- Luc et Phaly
at the beach with Lou-An
