Living a dream

Arles was amazing - from the scenic, historic town strewn with Roman monuments and Van Gogh's traces, to the welcoming, tight-knit local community; from the enthusiastic on-site staff and professors to my culturally-curious peers.

Throughout the five weeks of the program, I kept feeling like I was dreaming. Spending my summer in this vacation-like little town tucked away in the South of France with a local family takes away so much of the stress of college campus back in the States, while I actually learn enormously both in and outside of the classroom. My host family took such good care of me and really tried to integrate me into every part of their family activities - we went on weekend getaways in the mountains and swam in rivers; we went to dinners at multiple neighbors; we went to see the French National Day fireworks... They were so friendly and patient when sometimes I couldn't express exactly what I wanted to say in French. My host family and I got along so much that when I left, everyone actually cried. It was a very emotional experience, and it really opened my eyes to the local French life. I am definitely revisiting my host family in the near future.