Aero: Kayli Schocken – France 2014 – Family Life

Aero: Kayli Schocken – France 2014 – Family Life
Creative Commons Image via The LEAF Project

Aero: Kayli Schocken – France 2014 – Family Life

Kayli Schocken

Living with a host family was one of the most exciting parts of this trip. This part of the experience allowed me to be completely existent in French culture. I was forced to live life as a French person, something I would have never been able to do otherwise. It also showed me how the day-to-day life is for someone living in France.

Before this trip, I was nervous about staying with a host family. I barely speak French and was so scared that I would have a huge language barrier. Luckily, Fanny found me on facebook about two weeks before the trip and we immediately hit it off. She speaks fluent English and is really interested in English culture so that was a big help. Once we finally go to my host family’s house, I was immediately welcomed. Her whole family didn’t speak English, but Fanny always translated. 

ML@FLCC France 2014 Flickr Gallery

Although it was clearly evident I wasn’t in America anymore, I felt right at home. Fanny’s family was very welcoming right when I got there. They are foster parents to three children, and Fanny is their only biological child that still lives at home. Their home was very large, something I didn’t expect to see in France. I had my own bedroom, which was nice. Their home was always so clean. If there were even the slightest mess, Fanny’s mom would immediately clean it. I noticed how different that was than in American culture. American’s are much more relaxed when it came to things being messy. It was almost amusing how small the bathroom was that we all had to share. There was absolutely no wiggle room in the shower. It was that type of stuff that I loved the most, being out of my comfort zone.

Fanny’s mom was a great cook. I was constantly welcomed home with a meal. I really enjoyed the nights where we all sat down to eat dinner together. I really enjoyed staying with my host family and I hope I get the opportunity to see them again someday. 

Learn More: Study abroad with Modern Languages @ FLCC

– Kayli Schocken

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