Fall Vacation

It is kind of funny that I am writing of my last vacation while I am on vacation now, but here it goes. Well I had about a week and a half at the end of October to the beginning of November. Here they celebrate All Saints Day because France is very Catholic therefor they create a fall vacation. It was a good break from the craziness of school, plus it brought more chances to have some pretty cool adventures. Many thanks for Rotarians and my own host family and many friends. The break started off with a weekend with a Rotarians and her family which was the best. I got to go to a rugby match with her son and his friends, and afterward met up with her and her husband. Rugby is like a religion here in Toulouse. It is like how many Americans follow football. Toulouse has the best team in all of Europe! They have a huge stadium and Toulouse is just overall known all over the world for its rugby obsession. It is a very rough sport!! I always knew it was rough, but it is just plain violent. Football is nothing compared to this. Players are bleeding and messed up yet they are still going after each other. It is however a fast game, and doesn't take as long as football does. It has a similar atmosphere in the stadium though. The crowd was very lively and was a cool experience. I had a nice dinner with their family, and even got to go out in the city at night. Then the next day we volunteered with my host Rotary club at this huge marathon. It is one of the most well known marathons in France, a 50 kilometer race through Toulouse. Rotary is one of the sponsors of the race therefore we had to lend a hand. It was freezing cold and raining which didn't help, but it was still fun. We passed drinks to the runners. this sounds easy, but try handing it to them while they are still running and it turns difficult. It felt good though to give back, and was actually very fun! It took the rest of the day to feel dry and warm again though, brrr! Well after this weekend, was the best day ever...my birthday!!

Well on the day of my birthday I didn't really do anything at all, just a normal day. The next day though we had a special dinner at the house with all three of my host families to help celebrate my 17th birthday. I spent the day baking cookies, apple pie, quiche, and other food to prepare. The dinner was great, and it was so cool to meet the families and get to know them a bit. I did get some wonderful presents as well. I received a Toulouse T-shirt and a special pendant of the Occitaine cross which is the symbol of the region and Toulouse. Now I feel like a Toulousiane. I also received a cute shirt from Zara,  really cool store here in Europe. And of course you have to receive perfume when your in France! I got the nicest smelling perfume, and in the coolest bottle too. I felt very French for sure. It was a great night! The next two days I spent hanging out with friends, usually in the city adventuring or going to cafes. On Friday I left for a weekend in the Pyrenees Mountains with another Rotarian. She has a second house in the mountains which is almost as old as the United States!!! It was built in 1796! It was so interesting, and something I'm not used to seeing. It was nice to go to the country, out of the city for the weekend. I didn't like getting woken up by a herd of cows with their noisy bells and mooing, but it's better than an alarm I guess. The weekend was full of fun excursions.

I went to this awesome cave, where we took a tour. It was filled with gigantic stalactites and stalagmites! I had never been in an actual cave like that before! I was mesmerized with what I saw, and it was a little sad that I couldn't take pictures but I will always have the memories in my head forever! Then later that day she took me to a spa where I got the best massage and  got to take a dip in the pool that overlooked the mountains. After we had a few stops like a a sheep farm for fresh cheese. On Sunday she had many of her relatives come for a large dinner which lasted like 3 or 4 hours or maybe even more. There was so much food and wine, which always makes it better haha! It was crazy, and always hard for me to follow all the conversations but I still had a good time. We were all exhausted by the time everyone left and cleaning up, so we spent the night just reading and roasting chestnuts over the fire. I had only heard of roasting chestnuts in movies and the Christmas song. It is very popular here, and very delicious! Sunday was also Halloween, but here they do not celebrate the holiday. People are starting to get more into it every year, and there were some parties in the city, but otherwise it was a normal day. I did miss the holiday, since it is one of my favorites. Being in an old scary house with a little imagination made Halloween just a little cool here. The next day in the morning we went to an abbey where there was an Andy Warhol exhibit. I of course knew some of his work, but I had never been to a pop art exhibit. It was so cool and I love it! I was so glad and appreciative to have such a nice club that wants to invite me places! Since it was raining, we packed up after that and headed back to the city. The last two days of break included just hanging out, since it was raining and chilly. I did however decide the beginning of a new month and a return after holiday called for a little bit of a change. I dyed my hair, maybe a bit out of boredom haha but more because I have become a new me since I have been here.

This exchange has changed me so much in just this short time. Every month, even every day that goes by I am changing. I am so fortunate to have this opportunity! I would tell any person to go on exchange or just travel! You see everything differently, and it really changes a person. This vacation itself changed me and created memories that will last a lifetime! It was a great way to finish the month and start a new one!

Strikes

Well this fall was a crazy season for all of France. Throughout the country there were demonstrations and strikes going on, especially during the month of October. I had never seen anything like this in my life, and the French definitely should get the crown for the best strikers. The citizens were on strike because the government was changing the retirement age

 from 60 to 62. Wow, two years! To me it didn't make a whole lot of sense, but it was more of the idea that the government keeps pushing the limits to them and the fact that many are unhappy with the current president. I understand the reason for going on strike and demonstrating, however many people here especially the teenagers strike just for the fun of it. They get wrapped up in the craziness and power of the people that I don't think many of them had a reason to strike besides missing school and feeling powerful. I had never known the power of a strike until they affected me. In Toulouse it wasn't as bad as other cities like Paris and Lyon, but there was still a lot of trouble because of the strikes. They would decide to block important roads causing major traffic jams. Or for a while they were blocking fuel so many people couldn't even get gas for their car! The worst is when the buses and metros were stopped. Without transportation I'm nothing almost. There would be less buses, if any at all which meant a lot of waiting and then crowdedness. This is only the start. The demonstrations stopped everything in the city and caused chaos. Life was revolving around the striking. Our teachers were sometimes on strike meaning we didn't have class. It wasn't so bad on our end because I don't mind not having history for a week. The universities were taking a beating themselves with classes stopped and school even blocked. The high schools were also being blocked around the city, some lasting for days. I was very surprised that my school wasn't blocked more since it is in the center where all the action was happening. It was though blocked two times, both times the week before break. The students piled up boxes and wood, using large dumpsters to block the gate in the entrance of the school. They even had a banner hung across. The best was the students with megaphone chanting and shouting. All the students had gathered around, most of us trying to figure out what was going on. I was so confused, and really didn't know what to do. Do I go to class? Do I go home? Do I stay here? I thankfully found some others both times, and we decided together what was best. One time we just went for coffee until it would be unblocked, and the other time we found a side door that was opened by the administration and we did go to class. It was so crazy though, and something I will never forget. Students in the United States would never get away with this. These students didn't get into any trouble or anything. It truly is a whole different world. Exchange is about seeing and experiencing new things, and this my friends is truly a unique sight! To see for yourself check out my YouTube page and you will see a bit of the demonstrations which I tried to get some footage of what was going on in Toulouse.

Fancy French Lunch

We went out to lunch to celebrate Laura's birthday, my host sister. It was a perfect Sunday afternoon, and an amazing lunch. In France you always have many courses, even when you are not out to eat. First is an aperitif, basically a drink. Then after is a first course, like an appetizer or salad. I had gotten this vegetable and cheese ravioli that was in the most amazing sauce ever. I can still taste it months later. Then after is the main entree. I had a type of red fish with risotto and a wine/cheese combination sauce. It was so delicious and the presentation of the plates were so neat. I am not used to having the food look so sophisticated and pretty where you are almost too scared to mess it up to eat it! But it is too
good to just look at that is sure! After we decided we could fit some room for some dessert. I got this special apple carmel tarte that is known in the South of France. It came with a carmel and dark sugar, salted butter homemade ice cream which was to die for! The desserts by far had the best appearances and that of course calls for some photos even though I probably did look a little odd. I don't even care though, because I have an excuse, I am an exchange student and American. It is expected of me, haha!!! Well don't start drooling on your computers with these pictures, but here's a little taste of some real French cuisine!

Baking In France

One important aspect of being an exchange student is learning about another culture. But also throughout an exchange one learns more about their own and has a chance to share with others where they come from. What better way to share my American culture than with some yummy food! Here are some of the the creations I have made while here. It is not as easy as it looks. First finding ingredients is not easy and then having to use your eyes as measuring cups and working with in a whole different world presents its challenges!! So far though almost everything has turned out! Though my first patch of cookies were strange because I needed to make an adjustment with the butter since here it is so much richer, but after every time I have had success which definitely makes my host family and the Frenchies very happy!!! Hope this doesn't make you too hungry!

October

Well October was a a crazy month for me! There was so much going on in my life and in just the city alone. School was going better, I had settled into the class and made friends. Everything was slowly becoming easier and easier, plus I was getting to know the city way better. This meant finding all the cool places to go for pastries and coffee, which with some help from my French friends and a little bit of wandering we definitely had success. Also many adventures which took us to all parts of the city, from museums to parks to shops to getting lost looking for an ice cream place. With October came fall, though the leaves didn't start to change till the last week of October. Unlike in Wisconsin when fall usually means chilly days, here the sun was
shinning and many days were warm though we did get those chilly days. The beginning of the month was mainly school and strikes, though the striking didn't get into full sting until about the the week before our fall break. We had a week and a half of of school at the end of October which I was so grateful for especially because it landed on my birthday!! Also this brought some great weekends with so really nice Rotarians!

Canal Midi and Garonne

The Canal Midi is one of the most important things found in Toulouse. It is a canal that was built during the reign of Louis XIV (14th) by a genius who lived right outside of Toulouse. He had created the plans to build the canal to connect the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, so from Bordeaux through Toulouse all the way to the Mediterranean. This was important because it was a shortcut for trade instead of having to go around Spain and Portugal. The canal is still used today for boats more for recreation and tourism. Also it is very popular to bike from one end of the canal to the other. The canal runs through the city, and is lined with 

paths for bikers and walkers which is the perfect atmosphere. It is lined with the most beautiful trees and is a sight to see. It also connect with the Garonne River which is one of the biggest and most known rivers in France and it is a key aspect in Toulouse. Here you can find the famous bridge Pointe Neuf which is a symbol of Toulouse. I got the chance to take a boat tour of the Garonne and the Canal Midi on a beautiful fall day with my host family and the German student that stayed with us for two weeks. It was so beautiful and something the one has to do when coming to Toulouse. You see the city differently and it was so interesting. It was even cooler because about a week or two before I had gone to the castle of the founder of the canal and had walked the canal. Afterwards we journeyed into the city and went to an English tea room which was amazing. I had the best scone of my life, ever! It was a perfect way to end a day on the two most important water ways in the Southwest of France. 

Cahors (First Rotary Weekend)

The beginning of September I had the best weekend ever, and of course that means it was with Rotary! We had our first weekend of many together. On Saturday the many of us living in Toulouse boarded a bus and headed an hour north to the city of Cahors. Once there we met up with the whole gang which meant a lot of introductions, but right away we all fit together perfectly. Whenever you are with Rotary it always feels like a family, like we have known each other forever. We traded stories and our first experiences with school and host families. It was such a good break from the first crazy week of school I had. Well in Cahors we first had a picnic lunch up above the city, and had the most amazing view of the magnificent city. This means plenty and plenty of pictures. Afterwards we headed into the city where we got a tour on one of these adorable little car trains with Amadéo, an exchange student who was in the UP last year, as our tour guide. The city was so old and like nothing I had seen before. Though we couldn't pay much attention to all the facts with the singing and talking and craziness going on. Really what do they expect when they put 20 exchange students together!! We did explore some of the city on foot, being the part with the amazing bridge which is the symbol of the city. Then we returned to the hotel/hostel where we just hung out and talked until the dinner with the Rotarians and such. We had to do short introductions in French which was adorable since most of us have very strong accents from all over the world. After dinner we went out into the city at night for a bit and just got to know each other better, always laughing and having fun. The next day we boarded the bus and headed out into the country to doing some canoeing. We all teamed up and started our adventure down the river. It was a sunny warm day perfect for being outdoors. The scenery was like a dream. It was so beautiful with cliffs and trees lining the shore. The best was the castles that were built on the cliffs overlooking the water. We stopped for lunch which was traditional food of the region like sausages, couscous, salads, and plenty of tomatoes. We took a swim in the river and laid out in the sun until finally continuing on which is where it gets interesting. We got a chance to explore a cave, but this meant leaving our canoes. We waded in freezing cold water int he pitch black dark, it was like in the adventure movies. I had never been in a cave like that before and I was in awe. When we returned we all got a surprise, many of our canoes escaped. This messed up all our teams and caused some us to be in canoes over the capacity limit. This would worry some, but for us it only brought out hysterical laughter! The worst part is that my dream team lost their navigator so I became the person to steer which was a bad choice. We ended up going in circles and being out of control!!! It was so funny though we were the last ones to get to the final destination haha!

Catch Up Time

Well it has been almost four months already since I have been here, and I still can't believe I am in France!! It is like a giant dream, a whole different world. The time is flying by so fast and these four months feel like four days to me. I have been busy, busy, busy since I have arrived; there's always something to do or be done. I have gotten behind on my blog and I figured with Christmas vacation and a cold rainy day, I better do a little catch up! I'm going to just overview the highlights of each month I have missed, and don't worry there will be plenty of pictures. Also check out my new YouTube page that I created to document some of my adventures and what I see through my eyes. The videos are from when I arrived showing my surroundings so you can get a better picture of what my life is like. There is even some videos of the strikes during October that were very crazy. I will warn you now I am not much of a camerawoman; I need to work on my skills. Enjoy the upcoming posts and check out my link for the Youtube page, otherwise search FrenchieLexie and you should find me! http://www.youtube.com/user/FrenchieLexie

Rotary Toulouse-Est

I am here in France not only because of my supportive friends and family, but because of the amazing Rotary organization. This opportunity is because of Rotary, specifically my sponsoring club Wausau Rotary and my host club Toulouse-Est Rotary. I've been to a few meetings so far since I have been here. They are different every time; some are dinners while others are just shorter meetings. My club here in Toulouse meets on Monday nights at a hotel in the city, and it is always nice especially the food. Whenever we have dinners they last very long, and are full of a lot of socializing. I do not attend every week
because I'm not needed and just the regular
meetings are really not too exciting, all business, and I already have a problem understanding. My club here is smaller than in Wausau. This club only usually has about 20-30 people attend, but it is nice because we then sit at one large table with everyone. We have a four-five course dinner, which is typical French. They discuss news and events going on like the fund raisers and for example the Toulouse marathon this weekend. I get a chance to get to know the Rotarians and practice my French. A few of the Rotarians know some English and even some have been to the United States, many for business. At the first meeting I

gave a short introduction in French, and struggled throughout the rest of the night with my poor French especially since I had only been there for less than a week. I also exchanged my Rotary banner for the banner of the club with the president, who is the nicest guy ever. We had a meal that was common for Toulouse. It included some very strange tasted, like duck liver, which I ate happily, haha. It was just very different from what I am used to, but change is good and keeps life exciting. The club even auctions me off, no not for my awesome humor, but to host me for a weekend. I already spent one weekend with a Rotarian and his family. He had a daughter and three boys, so it was nice to be in a bigger family for a weekend. We went into the city, and went to the St. Michel festival that went on all over France for almost a month. This festival brings activites and a carnival which of course means rides. I am not one who like roller coasters at all; I avoid them at all costs. But I thought to myself "Hey, I'm in France. Why not do something I would never do back home?" So I got on one of the scariest rides there with their daughter, and definitely had a new experience. I thought I was going to die!!! It was the scariest thing I have ever been on! It was fast and spun and put us upside down. It was so much fun though, and I'm glad I forced myself. That night we attended a concert with African music. It is very popular in France and very much in Toulouse. It was really cool, and even involved some dancing. Sunday we then went and visited a castle outside of Toulouse. It was the castle of the man who had created the plans for the canal that runs through Toulouse. He is know for being a genius because it connects the Atlantic Ocean, Bordeaux, to the Mediterranean Sea all in the 1600's. He was able to find a source that no one had had success with in the past. His castle wasn't as grand as those throughout France and Europe, but was very interesting, and it was another beautiful day so the it was a great adventure. It even had a moat! Any castle is so intriguing to me, because I don't see many back in Wisconsin, haha. It was a great weekend with them, though it felt almost like I had started all over with being in a new home. Now for the next three weekends I am booked with different Rotarians. Every time is different and always exciting in some way. You never know what the weekend will bring, but they usually plan something fun.

Lycée Ozenne

I started French high school on September 2nd. It is located in the center of the city, next to the cathedral Saint Sernin. I am in Premiere L, which is like being a junior with a literature based course. They put all exchange students into this because it enforces French and language skills. My school is completely different then back at D.C. Everest. You stay with the same class the whole day, except for the language classes. They also do not have lockers at all. You carry all your things with you around, and girls do not use backpacks just very oversized purses. Also my school is very outdoors, with the only common type area being the courtyard in the middle. The lunch system is completely different then in the States. They get a huge meal and it actually tastes good, with things you wouldn't find in other schools like duck, salmon,  and very yummy homemade French desserts. Another thing different with the French school system is the relationship between teachers and students. The teachers are there to teach and don't talk or joke with the students at all unlike in the US; its very odd to me. And this is even if the teachers even show up. Here if a teacher is gone, that means you don't have class. It is really awesome and I love it, as any high school student would. Also we have  completely open campus, you can leave whenever you want. This helps because the first week of school already the teachers were on strike which meant for me that I had one class a day for three days in a row. It was great, except I had to find ways to waste time, but it's not that hard when you in the city center. Again this week the teachers and all governments workers are on strike. The French love to strike! It is annoying though because I wasn't even sure if the metro and buses were going to work. Without public transportation it puts me stranded and dependent on a ride which then deals with a ton of traffic. There thankfully were transportation today, except it was very reduced meaning less trains and buses which just crowded everything. I have learned how to get around on my own and I definitely know how to work the metro. There is a push and shove policy. When you hear the buzzer push and shove to get inside or you might lose a limb or any object in the way. It is actually really scary sometimes; the metro stops for no one! Its horrible though when your squished in like sardines, and when its hot (which is usually everyday) it is worse! Its my way to get to school though. If I have class at 9, we have to leave by 8:10 to beat the traffic to the metro station, then on the metro, then walking to school all equals to around 45 minutes to an hour of commute. It make the day really long and is worse when its busy. I do a lot of walking in France, and I mean a lot! I don't mind it though, just like how I don't even mind school here. I am completely lost in almost every class for now. It is so hard to follow and understand when the teacher talks so fast. It is worse in my Spanish class, since I barely know French let alone Spanish. I usually end up drawing or day dreaming once I got so lost I can't follow anymore lol. 

The classmates are really nice. They were shy at first, but that's the French. I'm talking with them more and more everyday. It's hard though because many of these kids have been with the same people since primary school. I do have two other exchange students in my class. Lucero is from Mexico and is with Rotary. Charlotte is from Germany, and has amazing French which helps. We stick together most the time because we are lost together in the French world. They are great, and we have a ton of fun. I've already had three test so far though. One in English, Spanish, and French literature. They weren't too hard because the teachers don't expect much right now since they know my language skills are horrible. However in French literature I did have to read the text and analyze it (in French) but I got to use my dictionary so I think I did fine. My classes are just as boring as they are in the States. It's school, just like it is anywhere.

I Have Arrived :)

Well I know I am kind of late with this post since I have been gone for almost a month, but it feels like yesterday that I was bored waiting and exhausted in the Paris Charles de Gaule airport.  Traveling was long, and a lot, a lot of sitting and waiting. I was lucky though that none of my flights got cancelled on me, thank goodness. My flight to Toulouse was slightly delayed but only about 20-30 minutes. I was also very lucky to meet up other exchange students already in Chicago so I was never alone. I even sat next to a girl from France (just by luck) who had just spent time in the US on exchange. We had the long flight from Philadelphia to Paris together which we spent talking about France and the US, and watching some pretty awesome movies. I couldn't sleep, for I was far too excited. Once in Paris Rotarians met us and showed us our way to our terminals, and so on. Once to my gate, I sat for around 5 or 6 hours, and oh it was so much fun. I just people watched and I caught in a much needed nap before hopping on my plane to Toulouse. I was so excited when I walked off the plane because I knew I had finally gotten here, the place I had waited for a year for! I arrived!!! Rotarians and my host mom were waiting for me. There were two other American girls with me also. We took pictures and greeted each other (the French way, two kisses), then searched for my luggage. At first I was worried because we waited for almost 45 minutes for my luggage! I thought it was gone! But thankfully it showed and we headed on the road to my new home. It was so hot the day I arrived, 97 degrees!!! It was beautiful though. On the way home I got to know my new mom a bit and experience real French driving( I thought I was going to die, literally)! The whole thing felt like dream! Everything was so different and beautiful in my eyes! My street is so different and French. When we pulled into the driveway and I was in awe at how beautiful it was. They have a private driveway that is lined with 12 foot shrubs with vines that hang over the edge and a huge gate. It was nothing like I am used to seeing.

When I saw their house I was in love. It is so pretty. It is more an Italian/ Spanish looking home, not the usual French that people think of. It is like that because I am in the South, and there is a lot of Spanish and Italian influence in the area. I got a grand tour and settled into my new room which I love because it's a lot bigger than my one in the States! They have a pretty big house, especially for Europe, and even a big yard with fruit and nut trees and a large in ground pool, though its freezing cold. They keep it cool because of how hot it is and also because it tends to get chilly at night. I unpacked and right away joined the family in their life, well life of dance that is. My host parent's own  dance studio and train world class dancers. The weekend I arrived was the same weekend they were hosting a large dance workshop and festival at their studio. I jumped right on into the action. I got the chance to take swing, salsa, lindy hop, and rock during the weekend. It is very different and difficult dancing then I have ever done, but fun. I got to meet a lot of nice people and we even took a trip into the city where I saw the city center where all the magic happens. It was a very tiring weekend though and I was looking forward to real life and calmness.

"Au Revoir" Party

My last weekend in the States was perfect though just a little hectic. Friday was filled with cooking and baking and organizing for my going away party that was on Saturday the 21st of August. The party was filled with not only yummy food and fun, but also all my family and close friends. It was a perfect afternoon and night. We filled everyone's bellies with a somewhat French themed menu. We had way too many desserts, but the French are filled with arrays of desserts so it all worked. I myself made half or more of the food. Some of the favorite items that I made was these rich truffles and heavenly tarts. When I baked these I really understood why people say the French love butter. The tarts were mainly butter, sugar, eggs, and just some almonds(more like over 4 cups). The food was not the best part though, I would have to say the bounce house we rented won that award lol. We decided (my father and I) to rent a bounce house for a little extra fun, and it was totally worth it! It was so much fun jumping around in there, though it was a workout for sure. I felt like a little kid again, and we even got some of the adults to crawl in. It was so nice to see everyone one last time before I departed for France. It was so amazing to realize the people around you who support and love you. I thank everyone who could come, it really meant a lot to me! The party went great, even towards the end with a bonfire and some silly games. My favorite would have to be the experiment of helium and the human voice. I never thought I could sound just like a chipmunk. The day was full of memories that I will always keep close, especially while I am on exchange. It was a long weekend, a full schedule, but although tiring it was perfect in every way possible. I am so lucky to have such amazing family and friends, no matter how crazy they are lol.

I Got the Golden Ticket!

Yesterday I received official confirmation on my ticket and flight itinerary. I'm actually leaving in less than 2 weeks! I leave August 25th at 11:29am from Green Bay. Then I fly to Chicago where I jump on a plane to Philadelphia, then over the Atlantic to Paris. I will be in Paris, France at about 7:30am (their time) where we will be greeted then I guess I'll be hanging out in the airport for the day until I hop on my next flight to my hosting city of Toulouse at 1:30ish. I will arrive at the Toulouse airport where I will finally meet my host family by about 2:30-3pm! It will be a long travel but so worth it! I don't have any long layovers besides the one in Paris. The best part is that I will fly to Paris with about 40 plus other Rotary Exchange students so I won't be alone and definitely will make a few new friends. Then I will fly with some of the other cool people staying in the same city as me! I can't wait till I depart!! I know their will be tears but I am so excited! I am a little anxious and nervous just for the whole idea of being in a whole new place with an unknown language, but it's an adventure of a lifetime! I will of course miss my friends and family, but I'll be back!!! They will get some peace and quiet for once without me, haha! I won't leave without plenty of goodbyes and memories! The weekend before I leave I am having a going away party, French theme of course, at my house for all my family and friends! It's the perfect way to see everyone and say goodbyes before I leave, plus its always plenty of fun with me around! I am so excited for the party because its always great to be surrounded by people who love you and support you and that absolutely make you laugh till you pee your pants, haha! It will be the best memory I think before I leave!! Plenty of French/American food, music, fun, and maybe a surprise or two...who knows.

Grand Rapids Conference

Wow, what a weekend it was! No offense but I never thought a Rotary conference could be that much fun! I attended the Central States Rotary International Exchange Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan over the long weekend of Thursday, July 8th to Sunday, July 11th. The adventure didn't start there though. On Wednesday I had to travel to Chicago to attend a French consulate meeting for the following day. My mother, exchange student named Leo, and I spent the day exploring Chicago. I think we walked over 10 miles, mainly on Michigan Ave. Though it was hot and rained, we had a good time. THe next day we hauled my luggage across Chicago, running through crosswalks to get to the French consulate office. Thankfully we walked in right on time, but I ended up waiting for a very long time for a 2 minute meeting. They took my fingerprints and picture and I was out of there. From there I hopped in the car with the other Alexis and the two women from IYWT who were the sweetest people ever. We almost however ended up in Wisconsin instead of Michigan haha. After a long adventure and being stuck in a ton of traffic we arrived in Grand Rapids, Michigan at Calvin College. I didn't know what to expect at first, but it ended up being one of the best weekends of my year! Just in those four days I met the nicest people and learned so much. I attended meetings ad listened to speakers (some that put many of us to sleep, lol). The best part of any day however was of course the dances at night. The first night was small then every night after it just grew into a bigger and bigger party!! Dancing I think is the one activity any one from any where can do together, and very closely. Also during this conference the variety show group got plenty of practice and bonding time to prepare for out final show together. On Saturday we ha the show combined with the talent show. It went great and the crowd went wild for the acts. That night was the most amazing! After the show and plenty of crying on all our parts we packed up everything and said goodbye to the show we loved. We didn't cry for long though. After we headed to the biggest party of the weekend!! It was so much fun and it didn't stop there! We were lucky enough to have an all night dorm which meant the party kept on going all night long and a few battles! Silly string and squirt guns helped get back on the Rotex and torture our favorite Matt! The rest of the night we all just hung out and talked, some slept but sleep is over rated. I pulled a definite all-nighter! Packing up was the worst because we all knew goodbyes would be next. At breakfast we had little time to say goodbye to the many friends we gained and maybe will never see again from other districts. Tears streamed down all faces. We boarded the bus which brought more tears and headed back on the longest bus ride of our lives. Grand Rapids was hot and full of mishaps like the fire alarm and craziness of the dances, but it was also full of the feel of family. I felt close to everyone there no matter if we had nothing in common or looked nothing alike, we all belonged. I never wanted to leave and it was sad to know that it was goodbye to so many brothers and sisters! Every stop on the ride home grew sadder and sadder! It was hard to even imagine a life without some of the friends I made over this last year. But we all knew that it would have to come to an end, and hopefully one day we will see each other again! It was late by the time we got back to Wausau, but I was tired and depressed and wanted my own cozy bed. It was a long weekend that built memories to last a lifetime! I will never forget the family I have in Rotary and can't wait to expand that family throughout this next year!! It's never goodbye in Rotary, its until we meet again!

Someone Wants Me!!!!

Monday night I found out that I now have a host family! Michel and Michele are the names of my host parents. They have a daughter who is 14 years old named Laura. It is feeling so much more real now. I actually now have a home and address. I haven't gotten my guarantee form yet, but I should tomorrowish. Then I'm totally going to Google Earth creep on where I'm going to be staying haha. I even got my RYE Officer who has the most French name, Pierre. I emailed my family right away introducing myself in French and telling them about me. Now I'm just waiting for a response. I can't wait to talk with my new family and even more I can't wait to spend an amazing time in their home. I am so excited now, its unbelievable! Its now less than 3 months away till I leave, 90 days from today. It's crazy now, I'm filling out my visa forms to be official and summer is almost here. I leave at the end of the summer, whoa it's coming way faster than I thought! I really just want to go now, but I am excited to have this summer to spend with my family and friends. I'm even hosting an exchange student from France for a month through school. It will be so interesting and beneficial to learn from them and have one more person to know in France. They are coming from the Lyon area of France which is in the South. It's not close to me, but not too far away. I cannot wait to start this amazing adventure. Oh wait, I already have started. Through Rotary I have had an amazing outbound year. I've met so many people, learned so much, and made so many memories. I never expected my year before leaving to be so much fun although very busy. I am so fortunate and can't even imagine how much more awesome it will get when I walk off that plane on August 26th in Toulouse, France to a waiting family!

Governor's Conference

At the Governor's Conference in Eagle River at the Eagle Waters Resort. May 13-16, 2010.

This is Mind's first time on a school bus! What an American thing, huh? I never found how much she liked it, but she's always trying new things well this one was kindof forced lol. We were on our way to practice before our big show at the high school for our variety show we put on.

Here we are performing the 20's section of our show. It was so much fun singing and danding with everyone. I was even better to show it to all the Rotarians and Exchange students!

Mind and I on the boat ride we took through the Chain of Lakes. It was so beautiful that day. Saturaday was a day of fun. Boating, vollyball, basketball, hanging out, and jumping in the lake all together, all my amazing Rotary family. The resort was an amzing place to stay and they were so nice. Us girls had a huge cabin to ourselves that was as I said huge and lakefront. Though whoever thought putting 20 plus girls in one house is crazy haha. It was an amazing time thouugh, especially watching a movie on the first night with all of us on one giant couch!

The main event of the weekend, the 1920's themed dinner. Here are Mind and I at our table having an amazing time.

We were all gangsters and mobsters that night, hence the awesome hats and beads. After the dinner we danced the night away with the help of a band and some very friendly Rotarians. Then we call just hung out and cat in the hot tub and sauna. Some of us, including me made it an all-nighter. Then unfortunately the next morning we all had to say goodbye to eachother. It's always the worst part of any conference, but now we all can't wait till Grand Rapids in July!!!

I'm Going to Toulouse!

OMG! This is like the best Sunday afternoon I have had in forever! I spent the day working, then spending the rest with a house full of family, but that's not why. After I did my usual check on the computer, facebook and email and such. I opened my inbox on my email and BAM! It was there, finally. A response from France, wow! Oh, it just gets better. I got assigned to a city and a club! The news I have been waiting for all year, and it's finally here! I will be hosted by the Toulouse-Est club in Toulouse, France. Meaning in English the East Toulouse Club its seperated because there are 9 clubs in Toulouse. Toulouse is a city of about 1.3 million people. It is the 4th largest city in France. I'm so lucky that I am going to a larger city and getting out of the small town Midwest! This will be the best adventure of my life! Now, I'm so much more excited! When I got the email I screamed and right away called my parents! I'm still almost shaking I'm so happy. Toulouse isn't on the sea, but it is large and has direct trains to all the great places like Paris, Marseille, and so many other amazing cities throughout Europe! I am so lucky right now! I can't believe this is all happening to little me. I never thought that I would be living a year in France, and now I'm just one step closer. It's finally feeling so real to me, yet it still feels like a dream. It will be reality when I get on that plane on August 25th! I'm still counting the days and I only have 108 more days till I leave! It seems like forever though. There will be so much for me to do and see in Toulouse. I am sure that I will never be bored at all. It is full of history, technology, art, and music. It is heaven to me right now. I have been the most fortunate person throughout the outbound year. I got my first choice of France, then I got the South of France, then I got one of the cities I really wanted! I thank God everyday for all He has given me! Right now I just want to climb onto the roof and scream to the world where I'm going! Hmm, well I'm not a big fan of heights so this post will have to be my scream to the world. I will keep you all updated on if I get a host family or more information! I'm getting closer and closer to my actual exchange! For now I will have to cherish my time here in Wisconsin, hopefully without anymore snow. Tomorrow I will share with my Rotary Club of Wausau my wonderful news and keep relaying the message to all my closest friends and of course my amazingly supportive family! Je ne peux pas attendre! (I can't wait!)

-Alexis

The First Ever Post

I see Paris, I see France. Oh where, oh where are my underpants??? Well as I promised a certain someone, I have to have this as my first line ever on this blog. I kinda wanted that to be my title, minus the naughty comment part on the end, but unfortuantely it was just to long for a blog title. I will admit to this now, I am not a blogger. I'm a talker, but never a blogger. Who knows maybe its the next best thing? Well I should proly get to my actual point of starting this blog. Well from today I have 113 more days till I leave for the Soutwest part of France on exchange for a whole year. I cannot wait for this amazing oppertunity that Rotary Youth Exchange has given me! I'm so ready to leave now, it seems like forever away. I'm stuck waiting now. I have known that I'm going to district 1700 since the beginning of March. Now I am just waiting to hear about my city and family. I must check my email at least 7 times a day searching for an email from my cordinators with information, and every day my inbox just seems to be filled with junk. It's on my mind every second of every day. As I sit through class to when I'm falling asleep I can only think of France, France, and France. While I am waiting to leave I am pretty busy with school, work, and of course friends. Though I don't know if afternoon naps really count as being productive, haha. Every day that goes by I only realize how much I need to do before I leave. I have so much to prepare and things to get, most of all actually learn some valuable French. I'm in French III right now and do fine, but I'm pretty rusty on my speaking skills. Though I learned one important saying today in French that will help me survive a year abroad: Vous voulez sortir en boite ce soir? Meaning, Do you want to go to the club tonight? There, I'm set for the year. Just kidding, my year abroad will not be all fun and games. It's going to be alot of work, and I think that is what scares me the most. I'm the talkative outgoing person, and how can I be that when I can barely introduce myself properly in French. I fear not being able to express myself especially in the first month. I know they say people are friendly and you catch up, but really how can a person not be nervous. The first day of school is scarey no matter what, and in a whole new country. Wow, I can't even imagine it now. This whole experience I feel will make me grow so much. I will learn and definately make mistakes. I hope to come back a new person but still my same old self in a way. I'm Alexis, who doesn't love me? Well I shouldn't say that, but you get the point. Hmm, I think I like this blog thing. I mainly started it to not only share and keep all my adventures in France, but for all my realtives and friends. This way they can see what I'm doing and I won't have to email a billion people all the time. It's a perfect trade. I want to get into the habit now of writing almost everyday, even if it's about hardly nothing. In the next few weeks I'm going to share my start in RYE program, the friends I've made, the variety show, and any new information I hopefully get about my exchange! I have no clue who's reading, but whoever you are, you're in for quite a roller coaster ride of an adventure!

-Alexis