In February 2024 I went to France on an exchange from Ireland. Before going I was pretty nervous as I had never met this family before and only done 1 facetime call with them beforehand.
My mom and brother flew over with me to France to meet the student (Felix) and the dad at the airport. When I finally got to the house I would be staying in for the next month, the mother and 2 brothers greeted me and informed me of the things happening that week and all the information I needed to know. I was very nervous going to school the first few days but everyone was very nice and welcoming to me. School was very long and boring for the first week or 2 as I did not understand what the teachers were saying and could not participate in the lessons a lot.
On the first weekend I went to a Stade Rennes football match and went to one of Felix's friends' birthday party. During the week Felix had to do a lot of study and homework because he had lots of exams the next few weeks. In the evening after school I would play with Felix's brothers or go to the park and play football. Every Tuesday and Thursday I trained with the local football team which was very fun.
The second weekend I went with Felix to a party on Friday night, on Sunday I went with him and his family to Saint-Malo which was an hour drive from Rennes. We played on the beach and visited the historical sites that were attacked during World War 2. I also watched him play a tennis match on Saturday which he won.
The 3rd and 4th week Felix had lots of exams in exam halls which I did not go to so some classes I went to the library or the quiet room where I read books or learn French via Duo lingo on the computers. On my last day I got the train to the airport and flew back to Ireland. I was nervous travelling by myself in France especially because I was still not fluent with the language but it all went well. Overall I really enjoyed my stay in France with Felix and his family and I would definitely recommend to do an exchange to a foreign country during your TY year.
