A Summer That Will Forever Live in my Heart

I participated in The Experiment in their French Culture and Regional Identity where I visited cities in France (Paris, Strasbourg, Colmar, Metz, Nancy, and the Alsace-Lorraine Region) and in Germany (Freiburg). Those three weeks were the best and most rewarding time of my life. I felt really immersed in the culture and life of France, so much so that I miss everything about it. (The part I miss the most is eating cheese and bread at every meal.) The program allowed me to see the beauty in everything, from a simple wall art in Paris to great views of the city of Strasbourg. Our first few days in Paris was really hard for me because the environment was quite different from San Francisco. However, when we got to our homestays, everything settled down. I love my homestay family! They were so kind to me, and I really felt accepted by them. The week and half I spent with them was not enough, and I very much plan on visiting them again. (I still talk to them!) After our homestay, we headed to Freiburg, Germany and visited the Black Forest! It was so much fun! We went hiking and boating! It was also here that I faced my fear of heights and rode a ferris wheel for the first time! Then, we went back into France, stayed in Colmar where I really fell in love with France. We ended in Paris, and it was the hardest goodbye I've ever had to do. But this whole trip is really unexplainable, no words can accurately explain what I experienced. The program itself was so amazing! My group leaders were very kindhearted, accepting, and I knew I could trust them. They made the whole trip easier to handle. I felt very safe in every place that we went to, and that's a major part of why The Experiment is very, very good. Overall, my experience was really one-of-a-kind. I would definitely do it again with The Experiment!