At the beginning of this year, I made the decision to travel abroad during the summer. I had been to Paris twice, but never really used my French. I was always too nervous to use it with native French speakers. My reason for traveling abroad was primarily to solidify and improve my French. I also wanted to experience a new part of France. My French program at my school does it’s best to make us fluent French speakers, but it just wasn’t enriching enough. So, I began researching different programs.
I knew what I wanted: a part of France I’d never experienced, enriching language programs, fun activities, not too large of a group, etc. In the end, I had narrowed it down to three programs. The option to travel to Nice, as well as the elective choices of Abbey Road immediately appealed to me. The Mediterranean beach-town of Nice (similar to my hometown!) lured me in, and my love of photography drew me to the digital photography elective. Three hours of French class a day (compared to my disorganized 45 minute lessons at school) assured me that I would come home with a better understanding of French. Also, reading about some of the student’s experiences really helped me solidify my choice to travel to Nice with Abbey Road.
With my trip to Nice less than a month out, I’m feeling extremely excited. I’m really looking forward to improving my French and experiencing the French Riviera. I’m also excited to meet and spend a month with a bunch of new people! I know that the photography elective is going to be very fun, especially since we get to take photos in a totally new, different, and beautiful place. I love food, so I would be lying if I said I weren’t looking forward to crepes, croissants, coffee, and every aspect of French cuisine. However, I can’t say that I’m not nervous. My excitement about traveling to Nice definitely outweighs my nervousness, but I’m still a little bit anxious about our trip. Mostly I’m nervous about going to a brand new place with brand new people. There is little to no familiarity, but I think that’s the beauty about going abroad with Abbey Road. Part of their goal is to introduce kids such as myself to a completely new culture and way of life. Naturally, it’s nerve-wracking, but it’s still so exciting!
In short, I’m really looking forward to our trip to Abbey Road. It’s going to be an awesome experience, and I know all of us are going to have an amazing time. I’m counting down: 29 days until we leave!
