From Katherine in France:
France is a very beautiful country with a lot of very
interesting people. Unfortunately, my experience wasn't completely
pleasant. I think it's very unfortunate that France and the United States
don't get along better. I personally believe the media in both countries
is to blame. It's not all French people though. Only a very small
percentage of people were really rude to me. I tried my best to show the
people there that Americans really did like the French people and convey a
positive message to the teenagers there.
One thing I did find surprising is that the French
people, as a whole, are very nice. I've always heard that the French,
especially in Paris, are extremely rude to Americans. I think a lot of it
has to do with the effort that you put into it. If you are polite, they
are polite. I tried my best to speak French where I could but I'm pretty
sure they knew I was an American. heh.
I lived in Belfort, France with my host sister, Eve, her
younger sister Geraldine (GG), and their mother and father Monique and
Christian Adamski. Eve's family was definitely entertaining. Although my
host mother didn't speak any English, she is half Italian so many times
conversations were held in Italian. My family was very nice and introduced
me to many new and interesting things.
We took three major trips while I was in France. One to
Paris, and two to the south of France which is often called the Riviera.
No matter where you go in France, it's hot! For some reason, no one has
air conditioning and the French people don't wear shorts. (to wear shorts
is to automatically point out that you're an American) It was definitely
an interesting experience.
We went to several different beaches including Cannes
and Biarritz. The water is soooo beautiful! One thing I truly enjoyed was
seeing the Pyrenees mountains. The mountains are snow capped even in the
middle of July because they are so large. Almost ever part of France has
some kind of mountains but the Pyrenees were incredible. Paris was
beautiful as well. We visited Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de
Triumph, Notre Dame, the Moulin Rouge, and the Louvre. The Louvre was very
special to me because I got to see the Mona Lisa! It was really incredible
that I got to see one of the most famous paintings in the world. I got a lot
of pictures of it too.
After we got back from France, my family and I took Eve
to many different places. We went to Disney World, Sarasota, the
Everglades, Key West, to an Atlanta Braves baseball game, and to the
Smokey Mountains to go white water rafting. Key West was the absolute best
of everything that we did. We went snorkeling on the coral reef and then
went parasailing. We even saw some wild dolphins.
Since I took this trip, I've learned a lot more French
and am more confident on my own. France was definitely an experience I
won't be forgetting. Rotary has helped me grow in maturity and experience.
Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity!
-Katherine Kelley |
