Program Reviews

My life has two sections: before and after France. I left the United States as a fifteen year old who is unrecognizable from the seventeen year old girl I am today. I spoke almost no French and I was scared. I didn't realize then just how life altering it would be. I arrived in Paris and was overwhelmed with the incredible support from the second I got off of the plane. The volunteers were not only welcoming, but fun and crazy and caring. If I could commend one aspect of the AFS organization, I would say that the most comforting part of my experience was that my volunteers really, really cared about me. They wanted to not only keep me safe, but help me have the most exciting ten months of my life!
The most important part of my life in France was definitely my host family. I was placed in an incredibly kind and loving home with a family of six. Two of my host siblings still lived at the house and were my age. They went to school with me and helped me to find friends. My host mom and I got very close during my ten months with them and she is one of the most important role models in my life. I lived in a small village in the Provence of Burgundy where my host father owns a beautiful winery. I learned to love hiking and running in the woods behind my house and horse back riding at the local pony club.The life I have in California and the life I have in France are almost the opposite of each other. In France I learned one of the most valuable skills I have: to adapt. When you go abroad, it is your job to adapt and learn to love new things, and it is the job of the program you are with to make that adaption period as easy and comfortable as possible. I experienced something so special and rare and intense that I am sometimes overwhelmed even after several months back in the United States. AFS France and AFS USA have supported me through everything both in France and after my return. I love being a part of the worldly family that is AFS.

I think that the importance of studying abroad can be summed up by one of my favorite moments of my exchange. One weekend in June, just before my depart from France, my friends and I decided to go camping. My friends included one Chilian boy, a Brazilian boy, two Norweigan girls, two Dominic Republican boys, a Finnish girl, two Americans, and a French girl. We all spoke fluent French by then (In only ten months!) we had a blast! We not only had funny conversations, but deep, interesting ones. The type of conversations that change the world. We imagined ourselves as world leaders and spoke with passion about world issues not because we were told to in a classroom, but because we care. We cared because we knew each other and we could call up specific people when speaking of a war torn country, a friend who lived there. We care about each other so we care about how our countries interact. We stood in front of the most beautiful sunset any of us had ever seen standing on top of a hill in the middle of a French countryside and we held hands and promised each other to make this world a more peaceful place through our bonds. (Picure below)
Now, back in our native countries, when there are news headlines about other countries, we think of a specific friend and we care more than most our peers. What makes studying abroad important, what makes exchange students the future leaders of the world, what makes us passionate problem solvers: EMPATHY. Living with those unlike yourself makes you a more empathetic, mature individual.

I had a difficult semester abroad, like the exchange equivalent of Murphy's law! If I were to simply list all of the negatives it might sound like I'm disparaging the program or scare away people and I don't want to do that. Unfortunately I had a first time host family and I don't think they were prepared for me any more than I was prepared for them. Despite the challenges i came home with new passions and a newfound awareness that there will be things in life that are overwhelming that feel insurmountable but I know I can get through it. May stumble blindly through it but we can't always get through life with perfect grace and dignity!

I recommend AFS. My LP took great care of me and I was able to experience so much and meet amazing people from all over the world. I would happily choose them again

My first week I was invited over to a classmate's house with some other girls, and we baked a pizza from scratch. I was excited because I knew Argentina has some pretty good pizza and was looking forward to making and trying it. We then all went out together and it was a great first experience.

My summer in Italy allowed me to further discover myself as a person due to the time I spent away from my family. While living with my host family I became a more independent person , and learned to do a lot of things by myself (e.g. cook Italian pasta). Furthermore I was able to get out of my comfort zone and try a lot of new exciting things, which I believe helped me break my shell and become a more social person overall. Traveling to Italy helped me discover my love for language learning, because different languages allowed a person to communicate with different populations of people and access to the cultures associated to those languages. Studying abroad allowed me to make friendships with people from all over the United States, and world in general. The program consisted of about 50 exchange students of which a large fractions which consisted of people from countries outside of the United States, this allowed me to greatly broaden my horizons.

I never really appreciated all the time I spent in India until a week or two before I left. It happened in a rush, while I was watching a performance with my host family. It was a traditional religious story, complete with dancing and singing. During a short break, we were given a blessed snack. I was lucky enough to receive a mango, a favorite fruit of mine. It was at that moment that I realized that I will truly miss India. I'll miss the unmistakeable, vibrantly colorful culture, represented by the many festivals, or even just the buildings and typical shops. Not to mention my host family and new friends, who supported and cared for me, giving me such valuable memories and teaching me more about myself than I could ever learn on my own. Every day that I spent there became something irreplaceable, and nothing can give you another experience quite like that.

While abroad a experience a range of crazy events that taught me to adapt and overcome. Once while traveling alone though the central area of my town, Rancagua, I had turned down a street I wasn't familiar with. I was approached by a woman who insisted on reading my palm. I had heard about, her type before. She was a gypsy, and I had been warned about them before, but I didn't want to be too quick to judge. I allowed her to read my palm knowing the next question would be for money or food in return, and I had about 3 dollars worth of pesos that I planned on giving her. When she finished reading my palm she ask for money, just as I had thought. I opened my purse to grab out the money and she tried to stick her hand in. I snatched it away before she could take anything and gave her the money to be on my way. She clearly wasn't about to let that happen and before I knew it another gypsy started to approach. I was frantic and didn't know what to do. My fight or flight reflex kicked in and before I knew it my feet were moving faster than my brain. I dart through an alley and onto a street and waved down the nearest taxi! I made it out safe, but boy did I learn. Always trust the wisdom of locals.

This program was fantastic. I loved living in Norway, and my host family was great. I was placed in a host family that loved to be outdoors (which was great for me because I am a really outdoorsy person). We would go hiking, fishing, and camping up in the mountains all year round. Not all host families are the same, and AFS tries to match everyone with a host family that is suitable for them.

Last summer I was given the opportunity to stay in the South of France for a month! It was the greatest experience I have ever had in my life. I made new friends from all around the world too! Not only did I take French classes, but I also explored France. I went to the prince's castle in Monaco, cliff diving in plage Mala, and swimming in the Mediterranean Sea! I had an unforgettable experience, including learning about different cultures, making friends from the UK and Russia, and even shopping in Italy! I highly recommend this program, even if you do not know French!

Going to India was an experience like no other. I met amazing people and experienced some pretty cool things. One of my favorite experiences was exploring the Udai Bilas Palace, which is located in Dungarpur, Rajasthan. A few of my classmates and I took a field trip to the palace one weekend, there we met the Queen and King and their young son who lives in the palace. Though the family no longer rules over anything, except the few acres of land they own, they still keep their titles. While the palace they live in now is stunning, my favorite part was exploring the old palace that was built in the 13th century. Abandoned a few hundred years ago, it is in ruins but the beauty and history can still be seen everywhere. It is five stories high, and with no warning signs or roped off areas in site we were free to explore anywhere we wanted. This was a new experience for me because most historical sites I've been to in my life are carefully monitored by a government or state park. My favorite parts were the elaborate mosaics on the walls and the beautiful views. The thing I found most interesting was a platform near the entrance used for getting on elephants, their form of transportation back then.

I went abroad with AFS in 2010-2011 when I was 16 years old. Today, I'm 21 and every single day I still use the skills that I learned on the program. I ended up returning to school for college in my host country and with the language skills I obtained, was able to travel and work in other Spanish speaking countries. I'm still in regular contact with my host family and friends and have even become a volunteer for the program because I believe so much in the quality and value of the experience they offer. More than anything it inspired in me a thirst for exploring new cultures and made be capable of surviving and adapting to any environment and situation.