August 27, 2010(First full day)
- Went to the city bus station to get a bus card(my transportation to school everyday) saw part of the city all the architecture is so different from anything I've ever seen its pretty amazing.
- Visited my school that looks like a Medieval Castle it was pretty sick and met the headmistress who was really nice, but didn't know English so couldn't understand her...
- Went school supply shopping with Aurelie and Maurice got everything I needed plus an energy adapter which I lost at the airport.
- Went to my first soccer practice and met the team(sooooo difficult when seriously no one can communicate/understand you.) However one of my coaches, Jeremy, can speak English so he directed me. I have to say the team wasn't very welcoming at first, but I can't wait to see how we do the upcoming season. I was not expecting to start soccer my first day haha.
- After practice "had a drink." Ha don't worry no alcohol involved. With Romain, the goalkeeper on my team, his sister and his parents(Romain's dad is one of the coaches as well). They are related to my host family so they visited and I got to know them better. Romain and his family are very, very nice.
- Had something with tomatoes in it for dinner wasn't too thrilled about it but I ate it.
- Fell asleep but woke up again at 2:30am. So hard adjusting to completely opposite times to sleep...
August 28, 2010
- Drove with team to another field to have a friendly match thirty minutes from home here. We got killed 0-5. I suprisingly started the game, I felt like I sucked though ha. But the coach said I played decent.
- Romain and family drove me home and we had a drink. They stayed for like three hours and Romain, his sister and I played soccer in the backyard. It was actually pretty fun. Aurelie was gone because she was babysitting.
- Overall good day I think we had eggs for dinner hahah.
August 29, 2010
- Went with host family to this festival in town. It was pretty sick because they were driving down hill cars and it was cool to see. We went to meet Carlos(foreign exchange student from Brazil who will be going to the same school as me) and his host mom, Elisabeth(who will be my host mom after the Fornas family.) They were very nice and its nice to know that I'm not alone this year because Carlos doesn't know a lot of French either and we will eventually be going to school together.
- After the festival we said goodbye to them and drove to a place that showcased a whole view of the region it was pretty amazing. It made me realize seriously how amazingly lucky I am to be here.
- From there we stopped at the host family's vineyard. I tried some grapes, Dominique said every September they pick the grapes to make wine. Sounds like a lot of work hahah..
- Went we went home we had crepes for dinner! With nutella! I think I ate like 50 of them hahah. By far one of the best things we ate for dinner it was very very good and that just put the cherry on top of a great day.
August 30, 2010
- Aurelie had organized for Carlos and I to go bowling with her and a bunch of her friends while it sounded good on paper it ended just not working. Dominique picked up all Aurelie's friends who to be honest didn't act like they cared very much that we were there. When we went to the bowling alley we realized it was closed so we went back home to rethink of what to do. We ended up going to Sofia's house(best friend of Aurelie) because she had a bunch of things at her house and she did.. It was by far the most awkward day because no one talked or acknowledged Carlos and I so it was hard, but we played a bunch of games which made it a little better like Mario Kart for Wii, Ping Pong, Air Hockey and more. Sofia actually made conversation with me because she could speak English. She was nice and her house was pretty freaking big she had a pool and a bunch of other stuff haha.
- Had soccer practice after which was horrible for me because my legs were seriously so stiff, I sucked pretty bad, but I'll get in shape sooner or later..hopefully. Team acknowledged me which was good.
- Wasn't the greatest day, but wasn't terrible...
- Had something with tomatoes in it for dinner, but I ate it anyways hahah.
August 31, 2010
- Woke up early to catch a bus to Lyon with Aurelie. We met up with Sofia, Theo(who is also on my soccer team) and Nicolas. After the bus we took a train was really really cool. Seeing Lyon in the actual city was really sick. I took literally a thousand pictures of everything because it's a pretty legit city. Sofia and Aurelie went shopping while I followed Theo and Nicolas neither could speak good English so I was literally just following them store to store.
- For lunch we went to a French Fast food sandwich Restaurant called Pomme de Pain(The same restaurant I attempted eating at in the Paris Airport.) Hahah we almost ate at McDonalds, but luckily it was really busy there so we didnt(You would think the French would dislike McDonalds hahah). When we were ordering Sofia basically translated most of the menu for me and I just ordered a sandwich consisting of bacon, cheese, onion and tomatoes. After all the tomatoes weve been eating I was a little less than thrilled to be eating them on my sandwich, but it ended up being probably one of the best sandwiches I have EVER tasted. The bread was so crisp the bacon was perfectly cooked and the cheese was melted and had a mild taste to it. Pomme de Pain was great!
- Sofia left and Aurelie, Nicolas, Theo and I were basically just walking around for what seemed like forever. We had to wait because Theo was gonna meet his girlfriend so we walked around even more. After all the walking we then sat on this grass field for about 3 hours. A bunch of teenagers and kids sat all across the field socializing, sleeping, making out, etc. I was sooooo bored because I never understood what anyone was talking about, but to be nice I acted as if everything was fine so I acted entertained.
- Theo wanted to go have dinner at a Chinese restaurant so we took the train to the area of the restaurant. We got lost for a little then found it. I have to say the food was legit and it was a buffet hahah. I felt bad because Aurelie had payed for my food, but she insisted she paid, so I accepted(it made me feel even worse she didn't eat).
- We were about to miss the bus going back home so we speed walked to the train. We rode once and then a second time. Realized we missed the bus so Theo called his dad to pick us up halfway between Lyon and home because the bus driver to take us just halfway. When we got off the bus we waited at the bus stop for about 30 minutes because Theo's dad couldnt find us, but he eventually did.
- Theo's dad brought us home and I slept so easily that night no joke.
- It was cool we gotta see Lyon but what could have been a terrible day become somewhat decent.
September 1, 2010
- Went with Aurelie to play Badminton with Carlos and my future host mom Elisabeth. It was possibly the funnest day I've had thus far. Badminton is way too fun hahah and we played in this cool indoor gym I'd love to play more in the future.
- Future host mom, Elisabeth, drives us to this store that only sells frozen foods in a bunch of freezers hahah it was kinda weird, but we got ice cream went back to her house had some drinks and played UNO and Battleship, I feel like I learned so much more French that day because Aurelie would show Carlos and I exactly how and what to say during the games. It was overall fun and I think it brought me closer to Aurelie.
- Had rice for dinner hahah it was good! Had two plates of it. Very good hahah especially after all the interesting food we have been eating I was glad to eat something familiar to me..
September 2, 2010
- First day of school. It went suprisingly well. My classmates seemed genuinely interested that I was from America and they like everyone else went crazy when I told them I was from Alaska hahah(being from Alaska is definitely a good conversation starter.) I met a guy named Liam who's in my class who could speak English. He showed me around the school and we went to lunch with his friend Victor(who can also speak English) and a bunch of their friends. Carlos from Brazil came as well because he and Victor were in the same class and he was doing what Liam had did for me(showing around the school, etc.) Aurelie had to go with us because I didn't know how to the way to the bus yet ha. We went to a restaurant where I had my first Turkish Kebab. It was pretty damn good hahah not gonna lie. After the Kebab I got my school books(took seriously forever because the staff didn't know I would be at the school so they had to find all my books.
- Took a long walk with Aurelie to the bus station because we missed the bus. I was breaking quite a sweat hahah it was blazing hot and all the books I have together probably weigh a ton.
- Went to soccer practice which was basically nothing, but running hahah however I feel them accepting me very slowly hahah, we have a game this coming Wednesday pretty stoked.
- Walked home with Aurelie from soccer. Had rice for dinner!(again) Hahah I found it odd that my family put cheese on it.. But it was a good meal nonetheless.
- I pretty much died because I was so tired from this day.
- Well that was my first week here pretty much I would write a lot more, but its actually really hard putting in time to write. Hope you enjoyed this in a separate post I'll put some pictures up from the week Thanks for reading more content soon:).
