Bonjour from Nice!
Our flight was very smooth. My personal TV didn't want to work for me, so I entertained myself for 8+ hours with a book and an attempt at a nap.
Upon arrival in Nice, I was immediately struck by the sophistication of the airport workers. All of the women looked beautiful and wore heels to run around the airport. The men all dressed in typical mode francaise. The airport (compared to any American airport) was very quiet and civilized. Especially customs.
We parted with our newlymade friends headed for their St. Laurent homestay and took our short and beautiful bus ride to our residence. Our residences are exceptionally nice. All of us arrived to perfectly made up beds and stocked kitchenettes. I was happy to find a box of cookies in my cabinet. I could tell that the staff had put in a lot of work to make us feel at home. We took our time to settle in and pack, and once I was left with nothing to do, I began to feel a little homesick and exceptionally jetlagged. I decided to head upstairs to spend some time with one of my new friends, Kara. Eventually, two other girls found their way into Kara's room and we all sat talking while we waited for orientation. Needless to say, my homesickness subsided.
After our brief orientation, we broke up into groups. Our group leaders took us to a small secluded church square where we all sat and tried to converse in our broken french and franglaise. We played "getting to know you" games and completed a fun drawing activity. Both of the instructors helped all of us strangers connect in some way and really made an effort to learn more about us by speaking to us in French as we walked. We took a small tour of our little section of Nice and headed back to the residences. By this time we were all really feeling our jetlag and were ready for dinner.
Dinner was a short walk from our apartments. It was a small italianesque cafe, and I enjoyed a fresh green salad and a delicious parmesan and prosciutto bruchetta. I had the best tiramisu I've ever eaten (sorry mom) and then we all walked back exhausted and ready for bed.
All in all, it's been an exhausting but interesting day. My first impressions of Nice are definitely good. It's busy and bustling, but it's absolutely gorgeous. I'm so excited to get out and explore the city over the course of the next few weeks. I'm especially excited to head out early with some of my new friends to find a freshly baked croissant. I'm nervous for my French placement exam tomorrow morning. I really hope I don't have to resort to franglaise!
Another geat write up. Ready to see and hear more!
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