Comme la vie est belle

I don't know where to begin or how to express the impact API Grenoble has had on my life. I'd like to start by stressing that no matter where you study abroad, you are bound to meet wonderful people and make life long friends. Above all, I'm incredibly grateful to have had this experience because through it, I have met my best friend and I know that I have multiple families here in France.

More about API Grenoble. I think that our resident directors are the greatest asset to this program. They help us with cultural discovery, problems with family, problems with french bureaucracy, with homesickness, etc. They are always around to listen to you, generally with chocolates and tissues at hand. It's wonderful because you have both the perspective of a traditional french woman and that of an american living in France. They are kind and caring--it feels as if they are your friends but also your mothers. The excursions they plan are always enjoyable and I leave them feeling like I've learned that much more about the french language, history, and culture.

If you do choose API Grenoble, make sure you do a homestay! I live with a single mother (both of her children are out of the house). She provides me with at least 2 meals a day, but seeing as how she loves to cook I often eat more than that. Most of her friends and one of her siblings are also hosts. So, we often have huge dinner parties and when my mother is out of town, I'm invited over to everyone else's house for dinner. Some activities that I enjoy with my host mom and other host families: dinners, trips to the movies, hiking in the mountains, trips to the country, museum visits, etc.

Some other cool things I've been able to do through API:
1) Volunteering at a primary school--you can either teach english or you can simply hang out with kids during recess and lunch. A great opportunity to practice your french with the harshest (and cutest) of critics.

2)Language exchanges. Every Friday, I go to a café to participate in a group language exchange. We speak in French and English but sometimes you catch a little Italian, maybe some Spanish, and the list goes on. I've become good friends with the people that go, and we meet multiple times a week to practice our French and English.

I could go on and on about this program. But I think what's most telling is that, I have 15 days left and I'm dreading leaving. I can honestly say that I've been able to develop my language skills here but I've also learned a lot about myself. And isn't that the point?