It felt like 2 a.m., but in Paris, it was 8 a.m., and their itinerary was just beginning. The jet-lagged students found themselves in the never ending greenery and gardens of the Palace of Versailles. They walked through the historic SacréCœur, Musée Rodin and climbed the steps of the Eiffel Tower. In between sightseeing, students were able to explore Paris on their own. Immersing themselves in this new country, they navigated, spoke to locals and made plans independently from the chaperones. Alice VanderVliet, CHS sophomore, loved this way of seeing the city.
“I felt like a local, even if I was doing all the touristy stuff,” VanderVliet said. This freedom allowed students to have the time and space to go on their own path and follow their individual interests.
Kirra Molek, a junior at CHS, also appreciated this way of traveling. “Overall, getting the vibes of Paris specifically, it was quick, it was easy, we had our own free day, and we spent that exploring and doing our own sort of things,” Molek said. “I feel like having the opportunity not to just be stuck in a group together and go off on our own, with our friends, and explore the city on our own, was such a great experience.”
After five days in Paris and a day in Nimes, the group traveled to Cassis, a small town on the French Riviera. The charm and picturesque beauty of the pastel colored boutiques and cafes, as well as the bright teal, clear water, made it a gorgeous place. Jesse Shtein, a junior, believes that the kindness and welcoming nature of the tour guide, along with the beautiful day, made kayaking a favorite activity of the trip. Students then split up to join their homestay families.
Molek, like the other students, had never met the family she would be living with for the next five days. “I expected that it was gonna be terrible,” Molek said. “I was so petrified. But, honestly, I would say my host family was one of the best experiences I could have had. The night I got there, my host sister and I were talking about our music tastes and ended up sharing our Spotifys with each other.”
Similar to Molek, VanderVliet didn’t know what to expect, especially when everyone was meeting and getting picked up by their families, and hers wasn’t there. They had accidentally gone to the wrong spot at the train station. “So I had to communicate to them about that in French,” VanderVliet said. “Which was difficult, but being able to speak French freely with people who knew how to speak helped me learn and improve.”
Through the homestays, students experienced beach days, festivals and day-to-day experiences like going to school. They then reconnected and ended the trip in Nimes. Esh Schaden, a junior at CHS, and VanderVliet both described these two last days as their favorites. Having the freedom and opportunity to do whatever they wanted to with their friends in a foreign country allowed students to bond, whether that was having a pirated Hamilton watch party in hotel rooms or exploring historic sights. Lee Greenberg recounted what it was like to travel with her friends through the cities and towns of France. “Whenever I was with them, I felt like no matter where we were in the world, we’d fit in because we were together,” Greenberg said.
