Adventures In Barcelona

While in Barcelona we saw many sights and cultural events that were both eyeopening and exciting to experience first-hand. When we saw Sagrada Familia I was very surprised to see how huge it was, but also that they are still not done and will continue to build it until the original plans are finished. While talking to Txell she told me her grandparents, who are in their 70s were hoping to be able to see the end of the construction. Unfortunately, it is not supposed to be done until 2026 which is a bummer because many people want to see the beautiful church finished.
Another very cool landmark we saw was the bunkers that were used during wars to be able to view the whole city, making it easier for planes to be shot down. After taking a 30 min bus ride and hiking up we saw a gorgeous view of the city. This view was breathtaking and definitely worth the hike. Similar to many activities I did not know what we were doing because I hadn't done it before but once we did the activity I was very glad that I did not know because it made them even more surprising and breathtaking.
When Txell and I visited her grandparents in a small beach town called Calafat we saw cool beaches and an interesting festival in the town where they celebrate the new harvest so everyone drinks the rice beverage produced from the prior year, listen to traditional live music, and plant rice in the muddy fields. This was cool because this festival was not for tourists it was for the town to celebrate something that matters to them and the history behind the rice fields.

Adios Sevilla

Over my final weekend in Sevilla, we visited the Plaza of España which was very beautiful. In addition to this, we also visited the gardens next to the Plaza. After that we went on a boat ride through the Plaza. I really enjoyed seeing these famous places in Sevilla and I learned a lot about Spanish architecture, history, and culture. On Monday, after school, we also went to the Alcazar Palace. This was really beautiful as well and it was so interesting to learn about the history of empires that were in Spain that still effect the architecture, culture, and language today. On Tuesday during the day, all the exchange students in Sevilla went to the Roman Ruins for an excursion. This was also really interesting and our guide spoke in Spanish and I understood everything which shows just how much my comprehension skills have improved over the past 3 weeks that I’ve been here. In my last couple days in Spain, I feel like I’ve settled into a new routine and I’ve gotten increasingly comfortable with speaking Spanish with my exchange student and her family.

Overall, I’ve had a great time in Spain and I have really enjoyed learning about the culture and getting to improve my language skills. I am grateful to my exchange student for all of her help and patience when I was speaking to her or her family and friends. I am also grateful to my entire host family for being so accommodating and always making sure I was ok (even in simple ways). I am thankful for the exchange coordinator both in Sevilla and back in California for making the experience at school very smooth. I have really enjoyed this experience and I am so glad to have received the opportunity to do this through the Sacred Heart Schools. My exchange student will visit California and come to school with me in September. I am excited to see her again and show her some cultural sights around the Bay Area.

Reflecting on My Time in Bondues

        It has been about a week since I left Bondues. Leaving was a difficult adjustment because I had become accustomed to Elise's lifestyle, her school, her family, her friends, hearing mainly French, and being around her all the time. I could not believe that our two weeks together flew by so fast. It was truly an enriching and memorable experience. Not only did I form a close bond with another high schooler and family five thousand miles away, but I formed a close bond with her life and culture. I got a glimpse of the kind of foods, beverages, music, television, and pastimes Elise, her friends, and her family enjoy. I also saw in person a few parts of French culture that I learned about in French class, such as the customary double-cheek kiss and a two-hour lunch period. I was rarely homesick, and I was eager to learn more about France as well as her life. By hearing, speaking, and sometimes thinking in French, my speaking and understanding of French flourished without me realizing it.

        I am so grateful for all of the support and kindness I received on my exchange. This was my first time in a foreign country without my parents, so I was a bit nervous at the beginning. I soon realized that there was nothing to be worried about. I met Elise's exchange coordinator on my first day of school. She assured me that I could come to her if I needed anything and checked in with me weekly. Elise's teachers were very kind and accommodating as they wrapped up the school year.  Though Elise's friends and classmates barely knew me, they always made an effort to include me and get to know me. I am very grateful that I had Sophia by my side, as she made all of the new experiences less nerve-wracking. I also became close friends with Sophia's exchange student, Sarah. We became especially close in France when she told me more about herself and her culture. We bonded over fashion and a shared sense of humor. Elise's mother, step-father, sisters, and step-sister enthusiastically welcomed me into their home, family, and country. They treated me like their own daughter/sister and were committed to making sure that I was comfortable and happy. I saw her other relatives, grandmother, and father less often, but they were just as friendly and accepting. They went out of their way to make sure I was included. Though Elise and I were very close and I knew a lot about her when I first arrived in France, I knew little about her lifestyle. She seamlessly integrated me into her close-knit family and friend groups as well as her day-to-day life. I already miss our exchange greatly. I talk to her every day through social media and text. I sincerely hope that I will have the opportunity to see her again in the future.

On my way to Nantes!

          I am very excited for my visit to Nantes, France, as I know it will be a great way to practice my French, develop my French accent, and learn more about French culture and habits. I am leaving tonight to visit Nantes, and I have been keeping in touch with my exchange partner, Melvil, on Snapchat, as well as WhatsApping his parents (especially his mom) to talk about what I will do during my stay.

         During my calls talking to Melvil’s mom, I have practiced my French, as well as learned more about how my stay will be. We will be visiting Paris, which I am very excited to go to, as we can visit the Eiffel Tower, and eat at L’entrecôte! We also might see a Women’s World Cup soccer game, as the Women’s World Cup is going on during my stay. I am excited to go visit Melvil, and his family, and I am sure I will have a blast! I have packed many gifts for Melvil and his family, including 3D printing United States artifacts (Empire State building, Golden Gate Bridge, Mount Rushmore, and the US Capital Building). I am sure he will enjoy them, as I printed them on the school 3D printer, as well as spray painted them the correct colors. I am very excited to learn more about everything French this summer, as well as have lots of fun!

Leaving Madrid

After spending time in Madrid, I am now able to reflect on the experience as a whole. I am very grateful to have participated in the program for a variety of reasons. For one, I was able to see the differences in a European lifestyle compared to an American one. For example, the Spanish eat much later than Americans do. Also, many Europeans live in apartments and in smaller spaces than we see in the states. There are also many other similarities I noticed. In Madrid, kids are often driven to school, just as is done in the states. After school, they walk around with their friends and have a bite to eat together, as we do. The Spanish also love American food, and places such as Burger King, Starbucks, and Five Guys are seen packed all throughout Madrid. I am also grateful to have gone on exchange to get the experience of living in a city. I have never taken public transportation on a regular basis before, nor have I lived in an apartment. These were all new experiences for me which I found quite interesting. Finally, I was able to develop my Spanish at least a little bit. I do not take Spanish in school, but by constantly hearing it (the Spanish don't like to speak English) and sometimes being forced to use it at some stores, I found myself speaking in full sentences here and there. I thoroughly enjoyed my exchange and experiencing the city of Madrid, while immersing myself in Spanish culture.

Bonjour From Bondues

Over the past two weeks of my exchange experience, I’ve learned many cultural differences of France and America. For example, the school day in France is from 8am-5pm. The lunch period is 2 hours long from 12-2. Students can leave school to eat lunch or eat in the cafeteria. On Wednesdays, school is only half a day, from 8am-12pm. There is also a 2 hour gym period once a week where students play a range of sports, such as soccer and badminton.

I attended Sarah’s (my exchange host) school for two weeks. The classes were an hour long, and technology is not allowed at all. Due to the school year coming to an end, there was little to no homework. On Wednesdays, Sarah and I went to Lille, which is 15 minutes away from her town. Lille has a huge shopping center, much like the Stanford Mall, and has many restaurants, like downtown Palo Alto. Lille has a Grand Plaza area with intricately decorated buildings, a clock tower, and an opera house.

Over the first weekend, my host family and I travelled to Paris, which is a 3 hour long drive from Lille. We visited the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, the Louvre, and the Sacre Coeur Church on Montmartre. I was able to taste one of the best macarons in Paris from Laduree, a well-known patisserie. It was truly a memorable weekend! During the second week, my friend Katie, who went on exchange the same time I did, her host Elise, Sarah, and I went to a famous theme park near Paris called Parc Asterix. It is a theme park dedicated to the French comic Asterix. It was really interesting to see a whole amusement park decorated with comic book characters.

For the second weekend, my host family and I traveled to Mont-Saint-Michel, an island off the coast of Normandy (the northwestern part of France). It was also my birthday that weekend, so my host family and I celebrated with dinner, a cake, and touring the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel. As my last week of exchange approaches, I’m excited to continuously experience the French culture as well as continuously practicing my French. Sarah and I communicate in French as much as possible. My host family has been understanding about helping me speak French, which I truly appreciate.

My Time In Sevilla, Spain

    I have been enjoying seeing life in Sevilla both in school and out of school. In general, classes work a little bit differently. Instead of going to different classrooms, teachers come to each classroom and rotate from there. Also, school is from 8am to 2:30pm with one break for a snack. At around 3pm to 3:30 pm, when I get back from school with my host family, I eat lunch. This is different because I usually eat lunch a little earlier. Then they have time in the day to relax and take a tap, a “siesta”. After an activity in the afternoon and night, I have been having dinner from anywhere in between 9:30pm to 10:30pm which is also a little different from my normal schedule. It has been interesting to be apart of someone else’s routine and see how different things are in different countries. At the same time, there are a lot of similarities between the Sacred Heart back in California and the one in Sevilla. They both start the day with a morning prayer and have time as a community to come together (whether it be through assemblies, ceremonies, graduations, etc). Getting to know my host family has been really nice as well. Ángela, my exchange student, has 2 other sisters who have been really helpful when I do not understand something. Her mother, has been really sweet as well and been speaking a lot to me which has giving me a chance to practice my Spanish which I can already tell is improving.
    Going into the Sevilla city center was very interesting. It is a very old town but very beautiful and the streets are filled with horse carriages for visitors to tour around the city. Instead of going by carriage, my host family and I walked around the city and were able to see some very important sights such as the Cathedral, Toro de Oro, and the historic streets and shops. I was able to practice my Spanish a lot because my host family was talking about all the sights in Spanish and I was making an effort to read signs and ask questions.
Over the first weekend I was in Sevilla, we went to Granada, another city which is about 3 hours away. My host family has an apartment in Granada which is right next to the “Plaza de Torros de Granada” (An old bull fighting arena). We toured Granada by wandering through the streets into plazas and famous statues as well as eating some of the famous ice cream. Granada is a beautiful city full of history and culture which I enjoyed seeing. Later, we went on a walk to a scenic spot (the most famous scenic lookout in Granada) and it was really stunning. We saw a view of the whole city as well as the Alhambra (a fortress). The next morning we went inside the Alhambra which was also really unique and impressive. It is interesting that in Spain there is an intersection of both Islam and Christianity and it is visible in the architecture(such as the Alhambra) and history of the country.
Overall, I have been enjoying my visit so far and I have already seen an improvement in Spanish speaking and comprehension skills. I am grateful to both the school and my host family for all their help and encouragement!

¡España Ready!

In just two days, I will be on a plane to Seville, Spain to visit my Spanish exchange student Marta. I am so excited, and we already have a strong bond created because she came to visit me first in September this school year, and we had a blast together.

I have been wanting to visit Spain for so long for many reasons. First, obviously, to improve my Spanish skills and become more comfortable with not just reading and writing, but also speaking. As well as to learn about the fascinating culture of the beautiful country and to get to meet so many new people. I cannot wait for what lies ahead for me this month, and I cannot wait to visit my exchange student--I have missed her so much. These next few weeks will be filled with learning, meeting new people, going to the beach, and more and cannot wait for all the fun times ahead.

¡Hasta pronto España!
- Caroline King

After One Week in Bondues

        It has been a little over a week since I arrived in Bondues, France. I flew into the Paris International Airport, and my host family met me there to drive me to their house. I struggled with jet lag the first night, yet after a couple of days, I was adjusted to the time shift. We had school during the week, yet since it was the end of the year, school days were shortened or cancelled. We had one full day of classes (8 AM to 5 PM), three partial days of classes, and one day with no school. We used the extra time to sleep in, visit the stable that my exchange student goes to, visit her friends, and relax at her house. This past weekend was filled with activities and day trips. On Saturday, we went into the nearby city, Lille, for the afternoon, and then we went to a housewarming party for her dad, where I met many of her relatives. On Sunday, we went to Bruges, Belgium. On Monday (national holiday), we went to the largest aquarium in Europe. This coming week, we will go to school, go to a well-known theme/amusement park (Astérix), and go back to Lille to explore and shop more.

        My experience in Bondues has been fairly smooth so far. I have loved seeing what it is like to be a French teenager. Yet, I have had a few hiccups and struggles this past week. On the first day of school, I broke my toe. We went to the doctor, got an x-ray, and now I have a boot. It still hurts, but it is much better now. Meeting so many new people in a short amount of time was overwhelming, but everyone were very kind and welcoming.  At first, I struggled with understanding their fast-paced conversations, but I have been able to understand them more as the days go on. I am not very confident in my French-speaking abilities, as I am scared to mess up and do not like my American French accent. I am dedicated to pushing past my doubts and speaking in French as much as I can, since that is the main reason I am here. I realize that people will be happy and proud that I am speaking their language.

Spending Time With Pablo and Javier

Over the last few days, I have been able to experience Spanish culture and become closer with Pablo and Javier. On my first full day (Wednesday), I was able to experience their school. It is considerably different from our school. There are only around 50 people per grade and instead of students going to different classes, teachers go to different classes. I found this really interesting, as I have become so accustomed to moving to different classes throughout the day. Additionally, students do almost all of their work on paper instead of on an iPad or a computer. Coming from Silicon Valley, this seemed very strange to me. However, it must be nice to not have a device distracting you all day long. After school, John, Pablo, Javier, and I were able to walk around the city and see some of the important/significant buildings in the city such as the Palacio Real and the Plaza Mayor.

On Thursday, John and I were able to visit Gran Via. It was nice to experience a more touristy section of the city, as were able to see many of the old buildings as well as the more commercialized area of the city. 

On Friday, we attended school with Pablo and Javier and then went home and ate lunch. Afterwards, we toured the Salamanca neighborhood, an older section of the city with many shops and cafes. Additionally, we were able to see the Real Madrid soccer stadium. Pablo and Javier explained to me that it was under construction and when it is finished it will seat close to 100,000 people. Finally, we ate dinner at a traditional Tapas restaurant. It was fascinating to experience a traditional aspect of Spanish culture.

On Saturday, Pablo, Javier, John, Torri (a friend of Pablo and Javier), and I went to the local amusement park. It was exciting to see how a typical American activity has influenced the culture of other countries (such as Spain). I thought it was interesting to see how much of an impact the US has on other countries' culture. 

On Sunday, we explored the beautiful town of Segovia. We toured an old royal glass factory that had been turned into a museum. We were even able to see people make some glass vases! Additionally, we were able to see the gardens of the Spanish kings. Finally, we saw the old Roman aqueduct in the city. It was amazing to see such an old structure still standing

!

Madrid with Pablo and Javier

Hello from Madrid!

I have been in Madrid with my exchange partner Pablo the past few days, and it has been a lot of fun! The first day I got in I was able to drive through the whole city coming in from the airport and see the numerous plazas, train stations, monuments, buildings, and neighborhoods. The next day, I went to Pablo's school for the first time. The school is quite different from SHP. It is much more compact than SHP, and the entire school probably has the same number of students than just the Prep alone. Also, the teachers come to the students, not the other way around. The students also don't use their technology in the classroom, minimizing distractions. At school, Alex and I also met some of Pablo and Javier's friends and other students, who were all very friendly and welcoming. After school, we all went around Madrid and saw some of the highlights of the city including the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, Mercado de San Miguel, and various plazas, all while taking in the sights and sounds of the city. On Thursday, we saw the Madrid River and the Gran Via, which is the main shopping area of the city in the heart of downtown. On Friday, we visited the Salamanca neighborhood with lots of shops and cafes. After, we went to El Retiro Park, where we saw the annual book fair and rowed a boat around the lake. Next, we went to the Sol neighborhood and saw the main square of the city where the people of Madrid celebrate New Years, similar to Times Square in New York. After this, we went to a typical Spanish tapas restaurant for dinner to get a taste (pun intended) of Spanish cuisine. Today,  we visited Segovia and La Granja. La Granja is a quaint town where the kings of Spain used to live in the summer. There, we saw the palace with beautiful gardens and a traditional glass blowing museum and studio. In Segovia, we saw the ancient Roman aqueduct and the cathedral while walking around the narrow alleys.

I have been having a blast experiencing living in an urban environment in a different country while making international friendships. Living as a local definitely shows you the true culture of the city, and I am able to do just this through the exchange program.

¡Hasta Pronto España!

As my departure gets closer, my emotions are becoming stronger. I'm excited to actually meet my host family as well as explore Sevilla. I've never been to Spain before so I am excited to explore the culture and immerse myself in the new place. I've been talking to Irene, my exchange partner, over social media and WhatsApp for months and I'm excited to meet her and her family. I will also go to school with her for a week, and so I am looking forward to experiencing school in a new place and language as well as hopefully meeting new people and making new friends. I think above all else, I am excited to visit and explore Sevilla as it is supposed to be very beautiful.

Before I visit Sevilla for a month,  I will go to Paris for a week to stay with some family friends. I've been slowly packing for about a week and communicating with Irene on what to pack and to bring in general. I've also collected my gifts and am looking forward to getting to Europe, although I am not particularly excited for the long plane ride. I can't wait for my trip and to meet my lovely host family. See you soon Spain!

--Ilaria

Preparing for My Trip to Barcelona

I am writing this hours before I head to the airport, and I am nervous but very excited. I'm worried about all the unknowns, but I know that when I get there I will feel more relaxed because I will get to meet my nice host family and adjust to their lives. I think my nerves are also mixed in with excitement because I have never traveled to Barcelona and I am inquisitive to see what it is like. My host family seems very kind, and when we talked over facetime, it seems they are fun and easygoing. This will likely make my transition easy because my family seemed similar.

I am most excited about seeing the Sacred Heart school because, over my ten years, I have had the privilege of seeing 3 other Sacred Hearts, but none in Europe. I think schools will have some similarities,  but mostly differences because it is in the middle of the city. I am also super excited to get to experience the culture; including the food and little nuances that we do not have in the US. While I am in Barcelona, I will get to experience a holiday which I think will be very cool in contrast to how my culture celebrates holidays.

Traveling to Sevilla!

I leave for Sevilla in two days for my exchange trip there. I am so excited to travel and meet my exchange student, Lucia. We have talked through social media and have a lot of shared interests. Because of this, I am not too nervous because I feel like I know her pretty well, even though it has been such a short time. I do not know exactly what I am doing yet but she says she has planned a lot of exciting activities. I am also looking forward to trying the local food and experiencing the culture of Sevilla. When I go to the Sacred Heart school there, I am interested to see the school and its own environment and rules.

However, I am more nervous to speak Spanish there because, even though I have known the language for a long time, I will have trouble communicating it conversationally. I think Lucia and her parents will be really friendly and help me with this part, as well as the other people there. I hope to improve my Spanish skills a lot and have conversations with locals sometime during the trip. Even though it will be hard to assimilate to the culture there, I think it will be a fun and interesting way to see the community without being too isolated being with Lucia. I am going to get ready soon for the trip but can't wait to meet her when I get there! Even though I have travelled to many parts in Europe including Barcelona, I am sure it will be a very different culture and landscape from what I saw there, but still be familiar. I hope Lucia and I will get to know each other well and this will make the trip fun and impactful! I am going to learn more about Seville in the next days and prepare my bag for the trip before I leave!

¡Vamos a Sevilla!

In a week from today, it will be the night before I leave for Sevilla, Spain. If you had asked me how I was feeling a few weeks ago, I would have said I was very anxious to leave and go into something so unfamiliar. But now, as my departure approaches, I am just feeling excited. I am looking forward to meeting Lucia and my host family, traveling to a new country, and immersing myself completely in an entirely new culture and language. 

To prepare for the trip, obviously I have been practicing my Spanish. I have listened to a lot of good Spanish music lately and I'm rewatching one of my favorite shows, Élite. I have talked to Lucia over WhatsApp, and she has told me some things I should make sure to bring. We also followed each other on Instagram. Overall, I think we are both are very excited for the trip. 

Although I am very excited, I am not too sure about how great my Spanish speaking skills will be. It’s not that I don’t understand anything, but I am just hoping I will understand enough of what people are saying to understand what is going on. So I am also really hoping that this trip will help me improve in my speaking and comprehension of Spanish.

See you in Barcelona!

As my departure approaches, I get more excited every day! I can’t wait to finally meet my host family and become apart of the culture in Barcelona. I have never been to Europe before so I am very excited to explore this new continent, country, and city! I am most especially excited to visit the Sacred Heart School in Barcelona and see how similar/different it is to SHP. On top of that, I am really eager to visit the beach and the Barcelona stadium. I feel very prepared to talk to my host family in Spanish as well as learn a bit of Catalan! I want to make new friends in Spain that I will always keep with me, as well as meet some of the students there who my friends from SHP are living with. I look forward to seeing what it is like to be a teenager in Spain and how it compares to the United States. This entire trip will be a new experience for me and I am beyond excited to meet my family on June 13.

Recently, I have been talking with my exchange student, Laia, about her interests and about what a typical day in Barcelona is like. I am gathering the gifts that I plan to bring her and her family from different places around the Bay Area. I have also called her two times to talk about my flight details and about the weather and what to pack. We constantly WhatsApp to check in with each other about how our weeks have been going and about any specific details I may need to know in order to prepare for my trip. The clock is ticking down and I am so happy that I will be leaving for Barcelona in just one week!

Preparing for Sevilla, Spain

    I am just finishing up my preparation for my exchange trips as I leave tomorrow.I am excited to travel to Sevilla, Spain because this will be my first time there. I have been to Spain before for a short period of time, and I am looking forward to going back but to being in a new place. I am interested to experience the culture and life in Sevilla and understand the similarities and differences to my life in California.  I am excited to see what life is like for students in Sevilla and I am excited to meet my host family in person.
    To prepare for this trip, I have contacted my host family and I have been able to call them a couple of times. They have been very sweet and accommodating and gave me many opportunities to ask questions about many things such as what to bring and how to prepare. I have also made sure to pack for the hot summer weather. I leave to for my trip tomorrow, so I am excited to travel as well as finishing some last minute packing! I hope to be able to improve my Spanish speaking skills and experience culture in a different country.

Anticipating My Trip to Madrid

Today I will be leaving to visit my exchange student, Javier, in Madrid. I will be staying with Javier, his brother Pablo, and their family. Pablo is Javier's twin and John's exchange student, so I will be staying with John. I am extremely excited to visit Javier! We have been communicating through Instagram and text, and both of us are extremely excited to see one another.

I am very excited to practice my Spanish speaking and listening skills while in Spain. I want to take advantage of this opportunity to truly experience Spanish culture and to improve my language skills. On my previous trips to Europe, I have only gone to the touristy areas and seen important buildings and museums. On this trip, I want to fully immerse myself into the Spanish culture and experience what a day to day life is for a non-American family. Lastly, I can't wait to see all of the amazing parts of Madrid. I am extremely excited to reconnect with Javier and to experience Spanish culture!

Preparing for My French Voyage and Arrival to France

     I chose to become an exchange student to improve my French skills. Going to France as a tourist was one way to immerse myself in the language, but I wanted to experience the daily French life of a resident: going to school, going to local restaurants and shops, and speaking daily to French people who speak not only proper French but also casual phrases. My exchange student already visited me in April, so I am excited to see her again and to meet her family! I am most excited to go to school with my exchange student. I learned about how different the French school system is compared to the American system through my French class and textbooks, but I want to experience the difference for myself. I’m also excited to see another Sacred Heart Network school, especially in the country of the founder. I am lucky that I can attend the school for two weeks! I hope to use and improve my existing French skills to communicate with my host family.

     While packing for my trip, I was thinking of what gifts to bring for my host family and exchange coordinator that would represent America and the Bay Area. I packed See’s Candy, some classic American candy: Nerds and Sour Patch Kids, and Hershey chocolate bars. I also packed some chocolate biscuits that my exchange student liked to eat while she stayed with me and my family. I packed three weeks worth of clothing into a small suitcase and a small bag to bring with me while I attend the school. 

     After packing for a few hours, I was ready for my 11 hour flight to France! It was my first flight alone without my family, so I was a bit nervous especially because I was traveling to a foreign country. However, during the flight, my worries disappeared as I became excited and impatient to arrive and start my French journey. When I arrived to Charles de Gaulle Airport, I already began using my French skills to read signs stating where the exit and gates were. As I walked toward the exit, I saw my exchange student and host family, and I already began practicing my French when answering their questions or when I asked them questions. I’m very excited to see what else lies ahead for my French voyage!

     This is a picture of me and my exchange student at the airport:

Nantes, here I come!

As I prepare to depart on June 1st for my exchange trip to Nantes, France I am growing very excited and cannot wait to immerse myself in the French culture. I have always wanted to do an exchange, especially in France, so I am super excited to start this journey. I have been chatting with my exchange student a few times a week over WhatsApp and we have discussed many of our interests and hobbies. I just started packing and getting everything together I need for the trip. I am most excited to meet new people and make friends at the school in Nantes. I think it will be challenging to only speak French with them but I plan on doing my best and trying to fulling embody the culture. We will also be traveling to Paris which I am super excited about. Paris is a place that I have always wanted to visit and experience and I think it will be even better with a French family who can show us around like locals. Overall I am super excited and not very nervous and can not wait to go and experience France. 

--Harrison W.

Getting ready to depart for Nantes!

Through this exchange trip I hope to gain a greater understanding of the French language and culture. In Nantes I look forward to touring the street’s and taking in what the French culture has to offer. I am excited to meet new people and make friends in Emilien’s school and Paris. Also, I am excited to attempt to order food in French to see if my French skills have payed off. All the while, I am a little intimidated going onto this trip. I’m a little scared if my skills in the French language has given me enough experience to be plunged into the French society alone with Harrison. Though, in communication with Emilien and Harry I have gained confidence that we will be accepted into his community. We have planned many activities while we are in Paris to tour famous monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, and the Arc de Triomphe. While I am in Europe I hope to get the European style down, so I will be going out tonight (May 31st) to do some last minute shopping and packing so that I can leave tomorrow. I am excited for what France has to offer, and I am happy to see my progression in the French language through this trip.

--Nico S.

Getting ready to go to Madrid

Tomorrow, I will go to Madrid, Spain to visit my exchange partner Pablo. Pablo came with his brother, Javier, who was hosted by Alex Wick, earlier this year and we had a great time hosting them. When they were here, we showed them around the Bay Area, San Francisco, and even Los Angeles one weekend. Since he left, Pablo and I have been communicating via Instagram, and he has told me about many of the fun things his family has been doing the past few months. Also, he has told me about the excursions he and his brother plan to take me and Alex on, which sound like lots of fun.

I am incredibly excited to go to Madrid for a variety of reasons. For one, I have never been to Madrid, but am excited to see the distinct culture of the city and its surrounding areas. Also, I rarely have the opportunity to travel with friends, and I think it will be lots of fun to do so with both my friend from school and new international friend. Finally, I have never travelled without my parents before, so I believe going on exchange will be a maturing experience for me. I can't wait!

Preparing For My Exciting Adventure

        I am lucky enough to have the opportunity at SHP to travel across the world to another school in the Sacred Heart network, which is something not many students can say. I am more excited than nervous to visit my exchange student, Elise, at her school in Bondues, France. Luckily, I have already had the opportunity to host her, so I know her very well. Ever since she left, we have been communicating through social media and counting down the days until I visit her. In the three weeks that she was here, she came to school with me, improved her already pristine English-speaking skills, came with me on Spring Break to Southern California, and experienced some of the best cultural parts of the Bay Area (San Francisco, Palo Alto, Stanford, etc).
         I truly cannot wait to visit Elise for multiple reasons. First, I missed her so much and cannot wait to see her again. During her three weeks in California, we became extremely close, almost like sisters. I cannot wait to meet her family, since her mom has been so sweet. I am also excited to see what it is like to be a French student, since I have heard stories and stereotypes, but I would like to see for myself. I am also excited to see what she does in her free time, as we have very similar hobbies. We both love horseback riding, and she goes to the stables every weekend. I am hoping to practice my French-speaking skills and immerse myself in her culture alongside one of my close friends, Sophia. Fortunately, I feel very well-prepared for this exciting adventure.


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Getting ready for exchange.

I am about to leave for Seville Spain, and I am ready and excited for this amazing experience. I feel comfortable knowing my exchange partner (Curro) and having FaceTimed with him and his family at least five times. With the group of people going to Spain, we got a sample of the Sevillan cuisine at a tapas restaurant, and I loved it. In order to prepare for my trip I have been practicing my Spanish, and packing my bag excessively.

I am excited to meet Curro’s family in person, and getting to spend time in a Spanish speaking country. There is no better way to learn a language than to immerse yourself in it and it’s culture. I am looking forward to seeing the beautiful Seville and practicing my Spanish. I am also looking forward to seeing how everyday life is lived outside of the U.S., and how their lives differ from ours. I hope that I come back from this experience as a better Spanish speaker and a more well rounded person.

--Niko M.