The CHI world explorers program was by far the most flexible abroad program for students that I cam across. Before I left, I received plenty of travel information, tips, and advice in addition to a wealth of English teaching materials. During my stay I was in constant communication with my coordinators. The CHI staff are all extremely friendly and supportive, and are dedicated to ensuring a positive experience. I really enjoyed how flexible the program was. I wanted to improve my speaking abilities and become more fluent in French, and being placed with a host family allowed for a natural exchange of our respective languages. In addition, the structure of the program gave me the time and freedom to explore not only my city (Dunkirk), but also travel to other places in France, and in Europe.

I completed three different exchange programs with Cultural Homestay International that lasted 9 months in 2018. I started my experience living with a host family in Orleans, France from January-April. Then I moved to my second host family near Lyon, France from April-June. I had the opportunity to teach English to my host family during this time, and my hosts gained a lot of confidence speaking English with me on a daily basis. My final placement was at a farmstay in northern France from July-September. At the farmstay I helped produce dairy products and take care of animals.

The reason why I chose CHI is because I can live with host families so I get a real experience what it's really like to live in France. We eat, play, talk, and visit places together. During my time in France, I got to travel around and meet lots of interesting people. It was a truly fascinating experience! I've made many new friends and memories. Moreover, I can now speak French well. The program price was also very reasonable, considering that my room and all meals are covered.

I want to thank Heidi at CHI for placing me with nice host families and her support throughout my stay in France. I highly recommend this program to people looking for an immersive experience in a foreign culture!

This summer, I went to a small town in the southern part of France called Lacanau. I stayed with a family of four for one month, although I wish I stayed longer. The family consisted of a friendly father, caring mother, a sporty daughter around the age of 11, and a fun-loving son around the age of 8. My host parents spoke a good amount of English so we could communicate well together. The children were just learning English so we had a couple of challenges, but Google translate helped a lot. I didn't know much French, but after living there for one month, I picked up a lot of words that my host family would say. This family has an amazingly beautiful house with a pool. We went swimming together almost every day. The weather was very nice. It rained only a couple days out of the whole month I was there. I attended surf lessons with the daughter and the son on the weekends as well as Judo practice, Surf and rescue practice, and dance practice. We were about a 15-minute drive from the ocean, which was in perfect distance from the house that I rode my host moms bike to the beach a couple of times. I got to go to Bordeaux multiple times using the city bus, which only took a little more than an hour one way. I went on a solo trip to San Sebastian, which was the highlight of my trip. I also met up with a girl in Paris who was also participating in the same program as me. She was staying in Germany with a family. All in all, this was an experience of a lifetime. I was very nervous to travel by myself, but this trip has given me the confidence to travel the world. I am still in contact with my host family through emails and use Snapchat to talk with my host sister all the time. I can't wait to go back to Lacanau France! I will never forget this amazing experience.

I loved my stay in France. I learned so much. My family was so kind and lovely. We had a lot of fun sharing food and culture. I went on vacations with them and spoke English with the children. It was great because I also got a few weeks to travel and I also got to practice my French a lot too! I stayed in Normandy about an hour outside of Paris by train. I recommend this experience for sure!