The (French) Sister I Always Wanted
When I was
twelve years old, my older brother did the sister cities exchange, and I met,
for the first time in my life, a French person. Bastien, our first exchange
student from Deauville, taught me many different phrases and words in French.
It was my first experience with the language, and I instantly fell in love with
it. However, the three short weeks that Bastien was in the United States soon
came to an end. We showed Bastien everything we could about the United States,
including a trip to Washington DC, Louisville, and Cincinnati.
When Bastien
left, I decided I wanted to learn French before I started taking the class in
high school. Duo-lingo soon became my best friend. I started taking French class
two years later, and I fell deeper in love with the language, the culture, and
overall everything French, or Francophone. I had discussed with my French
teacher about doing the Sister Cities Program after my sophomore year, because
I found myself wanting to experience French culture first hand. After one year
of French I knew I needed to know more before I tried anything like the Sister
Cities Program.
It was the very
first week of summer, and I was spending it like any normal teenager would: watching Netflix. I had a summer job babysitting everyday for my neighbor
already lined up, and I was starting the next week. I was trying to savor the
freedom of sleeping in. I got a phone call from my mom, and she started it out
saying, “Grace, you need to quit your job,” I was so upset with my mom, because
this was my first job ever, and I wanted the experience. She then continued
with, “Because the Sister Cities Program needs you to fill in for someone who
backed out of the program.” It didn’t hit me until later that my mom was saying
that I was doing the exchange a year earlier than I intended to, and it also
didn’t hit me until later that I was leaving for France in under 18 days.
Those two and
half weeks were spent studying, preparing for the trip, and learning as much
French as I could. I knew that I was severely under prepared. However, I had an
idea of what to expect, because of my family’s previous experiences with the
program.
When we got to
the airport I said goodbye to my parents. This was the longest I was going to
go without seeing either of them, and I was only 14, almost 15, years old at
the time. However, despite my fears, we made it through the airport, to France,
through customs, and to the bus that would take us to Deauville, all without
any major complications. On the bus to Deauville, I studied until I literally
fell asleep with a book in my hand. I was so nervous to meet my French family.
We got off the
bus and my correspondent, Charlotte, greets me with the biggest hug. I knew
that I was in the right place. We finally made it to her house, and we got to
talk a little bit. She understood that I didn’t understand a lot of French, so
she talked slowly, and when I still didn’t understand, she would tell me in
English. Her parents, Isa and Eric, were also so kind and understanding to me.
I don’t think I could have gotten a better correspondent.
We soon began to
hang out with the other students in the exchange, and it was clear that we
would become a close knit family after our time spent together. We did
everything with the group, from visiting the Normandy beaches to camping at one
of the French kid’s house. I even got to see Bastien again! When we went to
America, we went to DC, King’s Island, and places like Natural Bridge. I look
back on the photos and videos remembering that I could not have spent my summer
a better way.
When the French
had to go home, I don’t think I have ever cried that much. I didn’t think that
I would ever see Charlotte again, and we were both heartbroken that we wouldn’t
see each other. Through those six weeks we became sisters, and I knew I would
never lose my French sister.
We texted
throughout the entire year, and sometime in March the following year, I got a
text from Charlotte asking for some help. She asked if she could come back this
summer, and without even asking my parents, I told her she could. When I talked
with my parents later that night, they were so excited to have Charlotte back
in America.
We picked up
Charlotte from the airport, and it was like she had never left. We just hung
out at my house, spending time together. It felt so good to have Charlotte back
in the United States, and I was so sad to see her go again. However, this time
we had a plan, I am hoping to be able to go back to France next summer, and
spend more time with my French family.
This experience
opened my eyes to how amazing the world is, I found a way to have an
international friendship, and also a lifelong friendship. This program opened
so many doors, that I never thought possible. I am so glad that I did it, and I
wouldn’t give up this experience for the world.
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