This may stem from my relationship with the country of France as a whole. Some kids dream of new toys or lemonade stands, but my desire as a youngster was to travel across the Atlantic to the beautiful country of France. It seemed like such a magical place, where everyone eats baguettes and has dreams come true atop the Eiffel Tower.
Growing up, I would hear of stories of my mom’s visit to France when she was nineteen, and we would eagerly read letters that she traded back and forth with her host mother from that trip. Here is my mom (and her eighties hair!) with her host family, the Moreaus:
Their son Julien visited us in the States as a young adult (I'm the baby there):
And we visited for his wedding when I was in third grade. My suspicions of France as a fairytale wonderland were easily confirmed by my nine-year-old self:
There were castles and crêpes, for goodness sake!
I know now that actual work and such goes on in France, but I am still beyond excited to experience France as a part of a study abroad program. So, while at this point my trip may still seem like a dream, at least it will be a dream come true.
What a well written blog. I will anxiously follow your adventures.
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