Barton Lynch: My Sister Cities Experience

Barton Lynch participated in the 2010 Lexington-Deauville High School student exchange, the 2013 Calvados Internship Program, and was one of the 2016-2017 Deauville Teaching Assistants.  His experience with the Sister Cities program helped to direct his course of studies and his career goals.  

Barton Lynch: My Sister Cities Experience

I remember when my plane took off to Paris in 2010 I just knew I had made a huge mistake. I was near the bottom of my class in French, didn’t like it all that much, and was about to go live with a French family for a month. What was I thinking? Luckily, I was wrong and my experience changed the direction of my life.

When I stepped off the bus in Deauville, three of my four host brothers picked me up to go to the house. I was tired and scared and really didn’t know what was going on or what to expect. I was warmly welcomed into the family and quickly became determined to succeed. They still talk about how I always had a French-English dictionary by my side and was always flipping through to pick up words I didn’t know. We spent the month of June exploring new places and learning about each other. I celebrated my 16th birthday there and then it was soon time to leave. I was so thankful for everything that was shared with me and would leave much more confident in myself. After spending the following month in Lexington with my host brother, I knew we would always be friends.

Barton & Gregoire in 2010.  

The next summer I went back to visit my host family and continued to learn from them and grow as a person. After that, I knew I had to find a way to return. When I learned of the opportunity to go back to Normandy as an intern, I jumped at the chance. This time, I would be in Falaise giving tours of William the Conqueror’s castle. The challenges here were great. I knew nothing of the history of the castle or area, I still had not reached a fluent level of French, and I would be entering a completely foreign workplace. I did struggle at times, and nothing came without hard work, but I was again able to learn and grow immensely from my experience. Every day was an enormous learning opportunity for me and, luckily, I had many people to help me along the way both at work and with my host family in Deauville. I spent weekends at their house and we grew even closer than before. 

William the Conqueror's Castle in Falaise.

Gregoire and I in Deauville in 2013

My senior year of college I learned of a new way to challenge myself in Deauville by teaching English in their school. I had never worked with children before but, due to my past experiences, I knew that I would be able to succeed if I put my greatest effort into it. After graduating with a degree in International Affairs and French (both due to interests cultivated in Deauville) I hopped back on a plane for a whole year away from home. When I got there and learned that I was going to be with ages 2-6 I got a little more nervous. I hadn’t really been around kids this age since I was one myself! The teacher of the two-year-olds told me at the end of the year that she wasn’t sure if I was going to make it on the first day coming into her class. I must have had eyes wide like dinner plates when I saw all of those tiny kids running around the room, crying, needing such basic care. But, while the challenges were constant, I moved forward with what I had learned and was able to make a difference at school. The teachers welcomed me into the fold and the children shared their unchecked love. I was able to do something I had never done before and was amazed at the results of my labor. By the end of the year, many of the children had learned a great amount from their time with me. I also knew they had enjoyed English class which would help them stay interested and working hard in the future.

Teaching!

Gregoire and I in 2016!

Deauville teachers.

Another great thing that came from this year abroad was being able to travel so much over the year. By the end, I had traveled to 13 different countries during breaks from school, had shared many of these trips with friends, and learned so much about Europe as a whole. These experiences will always be special to me. My family was also finally able to come to Deauville to see this place that has been so special to me for so long. Bringing the two families together after seven years only knowing of each other will always stick out in my memory.

My families visiting me at school.

My family.

My Deauville family.

None of this would have been possible if I hadn’t had the opportunity to have these people in Deauville. They have become family to me and people I will always hold dear. My entire path since 2010 has been shaped by my experience in Deauville and I know my future will be as well. The benefits I can point to are numerous and I’m sure there are even more than I realize. On to the next adventure!