My Birthday and The Australian's Good Bye

 Birthday Crêpes

 Franco, Kathryn, Sofie, Me and Daniela

At the Airport 

After the ‘rentrée’ back to school, I celebrated my 19^th Birthday on the 11^th of January. The day started with my only class on Wednesdays, ‘Sport.’ Right now we’re practicing basketball and everything was going fine until Miso fell and sprained her ankle. This changed the plans of the day! We spent an hour in the infirmary then her host brother came at picked her up. She wanted me to go with her so we had to change things around. We were supposed to have a meeting with our new Rotary Councillor in Lille but instead she came to Miso’s house. We talked about our future host families and I will be moving to the Borelle house on February 1^st. I am looking forward to moving there and think it’ll be fantastic!!

My Rotary councillor took me to Lille after the meeting where I had missed my Birthday Lunch by 2 hours. They ate without me… Everyone met up and we went to the Ugly Church for a few hours. Kathryn gave me a Nutella Recipe book and I was incredibly happy. I’ve yet to make something from it but I am so excited. I think Nutella Muffins are first on the list. Some of my other friends gave me a really nice scarf, a back massager, chap stick (they understand my addiction) and nail polish. I got a bracelet from Sofie and Daniela gave me a scarf too. After hanging out with the other exchange students, Kathryn said bye to a lot of people for the last time and her, Dani, Franco, Sofie and I took the Metro to St. Philibert where my host mom and my next host mom picked us up (silly, petit French Cars).

We had an ‘apéritif’ with my host mom and my next host mom. After the drink my friends and I ate crêpes with ham and cheese for dinner then crêpes with Nutella and sugar for desert. We laughed so much and had such a good time. It was a really special, French birthday! I love my friends and family.

My family and friends at home made me a Birthday Video that made me cry. It was so, so nice of everyone to make videos and of Samantha to take so much time to put it together! I love it so much and have watched it at least 10 times ! What a special present.

The next day I slept in (skipped school) and around mid-day went to Kathryn’s and had lunch with her and her host parents. She and I packed the rest of her stuff and prepared two boxes to follow her home. We then took the train for her last time in Lille with Franco. She had a few things to do and Franco and I went shopping with Daniela and Maria. The sales in most of Europe started on January 11^th so there are massive discounts here. I found a really nice Lacoste watch that was 50% off and some other clothes. We eventually returned to Kathryn’s and her third host family and Miso came to say good bye to her. We had an ‘apéritif’ and Kathryn said her Au Revoirs. We then ate a ‘Raclette’ and Kathryn enjoyed her last evening with her family.

Kathryn and I stayed up until 3:00a.m. organizing and talking. We had to get up at 6:00a.m. to head to the airport with her third host dad, Franco’s current host dad. The four of us hit the road for the Paris Airport  and Kathryn and I spoke our special, ‘Franglais’ language the whole way there while cuddling as Franco slept. We arrived to the airport early so we drank a Starbucks coffee. Franco, Kathryn and I took photos in a photo booth as a last souvenir for her. Eventually all the Australians started to arrive Kathryn checked her baggage. Tim and Maddi brought their host families, Jay and Ignacio were there too so we had a nice coffee together.

We were forced to say goodbye eventually. It felt like a part of me was leaving when I saw her disappear into the tunnels at Charles de Gaulle.  Kathryn and I became really close over the last 5 months and it was so hard to say goodbye to her. I am not sure when I’ll see her next (Cancun 2017) and I think that is why it was so difficult. Her and I went to the same school, lived close to each other and were together all the time so life will be different without her in it every day.

            Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends will leave footprints in your heart.
-Eleanor Roosevelt

Noël

 My Host Family and I on Christmas Day

 Lucie, Elisabeth, Josephine and I in Paris

Josephine and I on New Years Eve

My French Christmas was as people said it would be.  I missed my family, but had so much fun with my host family. I was jealous of all my friends who went home from university to see each other, but have friends here who I hung out with a lot. I missed Lulu’s perogies but indulged myself in awesome French food. And I felt somewhat homesick but loved being here to celebrate. It was a Christmas I will never forget and certainly a great way to get to know the French Culture with regards to Christmas.

I began my vacation by heading to my host family’s house by the sea in Le Touquet which is a really beautiful, rich town on the ocean. When we arrived, there was a tree that has fallen on the house so we were delayed in our adventures for a few hours. We spent the weekend walking on the beach (in the freezing cold), shopping at the Christmas Market, celebrating Mass at a very pretty Church, visiting with friends and spending time together, relaxing.

The week before Christmas was busy but I enjoyed my time off school. My host mom, sisters and I went shopping a few times and I went to Lille to be with the other Exchange Students a lot. We had a secret Santa party one afternoon and exchange gifts. I gave a French Christmas CD and a box of chocolate and received a bottle of French Beer and a Beret. One night I had a Christmas Party with my classmates, which was a lot of fun. We danced, ate and talked a lot. I went running with my host sister, Lucy, a few times and she showed me new routes in the country side that are breathtaking. I also went to a dinner party where we ate “Raclette” which is melted cheese, potatoes and meat. I had 4 Raclettes over the Christmas Break, it is a very traditional French meal. I went to a Museum with my host parents and saw the art of a famous painter named Boilly which was cultural. I baked a lot too which y host family liked a lot. I made Rice Krispie Squares, Christmas Cookies, a pie and other things.

                     My host sister and I went to a night club called, “La Fabrik” one night and didn’t know that it was ‘Ladies Night.” I saw my first strip tease and my host sister and I were laughing so hard because it was the first time she’d ever taken me out and she didn’t want me to think that that was her regular Thursday evening routine. After the ‘show’ was over we were dancing and having a good time when one of her friends, who is also the server at my cafeteria, came up to us.  I was so embarrassed because I eat ham almost every day at the ‘self’ and one day there was not a plate with ham on it as I was choosing, after I chose the plate with just pasta on it, he put one with “jambon”  up on the counter. I said to my friend, in English, “Pass me the one with the Ham.”   He understood and put ham on my plate and ever since then he always passes me a plate with ham. When I saw him at the night club he was laughing and said, “Sorry, I don’t have any ham with me.”  It was a good night after we got over the whole ham situation! I didn’t get home until 5:00a.m. and wore terrible heals so I was exhausted!

The day of Christmas Eve was low key. We just lounged around and watched a movie, baked and got ready for the evening. At 7:00p.m. we headed out the door for Christmas Eve Mass. It was different than mass at home because firstly, it was in French and secondly there were not little cousins to play with so I actually had to sit and behave. There were no colouring books or toys to play with which was certainly a change. After, we enjoyed a meal at my ‘Host Aunt’s House’ and opened presents. I ate a traditional Christmas food called “Foie Gras” which is is a made of the liver of a duck that has been specially fattened through force feeding. It is the saddest food and was not very good… When we returned home, my host sister gave the family, ‘Just Dance 3’ so we stayed up until 2:00a.m. dancing the night away!

               Christmas morning we got up, ate a regular breakfast of toast, Nutella and Hot Chocolate in a big bowl. We then gave each other presents; I gave my host parents scarfs from Canada, my mom a broach with maple leaves on it, and my dad a key chain with beavers on it. I gave my sisters ‘Stockings like in the movies’ with their names on them, filled with candy and I gave each a bracelet. The family gave me two bracelets, a bag and notebook with angels on them and a nice key chain. It was not like at home where parents give their kids a lot of presents but it was a nice family time.

We then went to my ‘Host Grandma’s’ for two big feasts, present opening and family time. We ate a full meal around 12:00p.m. then opened presents and visited a little. At around 6:00p.m. the Grandma asked us to set the table again. I actually thought it was a joke but we had another full meal!  We ate pork, duck, a lot of cheese, salad, vegetables, bread and lots more! Once we went home, we watched a movie and went to bed.

It was certainly a Christmas I will never forget and I am so happy to have spent it in France!