Homestay: France

My time spent in France with my host family was unforgettable! From the get-go, Greenheart was supportive in communicating with me about any questions/concerns that I or my parents had. I was also connected through Facebook to other people who were travelling with Greenheart.

My host family and I connected right away and even had a few Skype conversations before I went to stay with them. Their home was comfortable and they were very accommodating. I enjoyed eating meals with them, discussing the differences in our cultures, and they were even kind enough to help me navigate the train systems and help me buy tickets when I needed them!

My family spoke excellent English, so for me it was truly a language exchange- I helped them practice English and they were able to help me learn French, but also could communicate easily with me in English. I stayed for one month- too short a time to really master the language. However, my personal goals for enrolling in the program was to experience another culture and see everything I could, so I was not disappointed by my language acquisition. If my primary goal was to master French, I could have stayed longer and enrolled in one of the many Language courses they offer in Paris.

I would definitely recommend this program to anyone who wants to travel, experience another culture from a host family's point of view, and be immersed in another language while picking up what you can of it in the allotted time. I will certainly stay in touch with Greenheart and would travel with them again in the future.