I got an email from my host mother in very broken english yesterday. I will share my favorite quotes:
"We have prepared the Nora's bedroom, near Maîwenn's one." (Maîwenn is my host sister)
"[The room is] not very large one but we have much place in our house."
"She and Maîwenn 'll go to school by scolar bus ."

I don't mean to sound like I'm making fun of her. On the contrary, she's doing a good job of getting her point across. It's just so cute. I wonder what my French sounds like to them. More broken than hers, I'm sure.

Anyways. I found out that my family actually lives 5 km outside of Redon, in the country. There are about 50 neighboring families, though, and I'll have a bike if I want to go into to town or something. I'm sure it's very beautiful and I can't wait.

It's funny, I originally thought (before I knew my host family) that I would be really disappointed if I got a family that lived in a more rural setting. But I am actually so thrilled with my placement, and the fact that I can already tell that I will love my family makes it even better. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I. Can't. Wait.

The summer is flying by (where the hell did July go??), and I'm experiencing waves of alternating panic and excitement, depending on the day. A lot more excitement than panic, I think.

Going to France has been this far-off, abstract idea of mine for the past year. But here I am: it's July 27th, and 36 days stand between me and my departure.

Holy cow, this is really happening...

YEEHAW


Nora

REDON

Hello hello.
It's been awhile, but now I'm finally writing on here again, and will try to do so more regularly as my imminent departure approaches.

I have some very exciting news:
I found out who my host family is! And in turn, where I'm living and going to school.
My host sister contacted me by email this week, and I've also been corresponding with my host mom (or dad, not really sure actually). It seems that they got my email address and contacted me, but all the paperwork nonsense hasn't actually been processed yet so I still haven't gotten the official host family notification from AFS. Because of this, I don't know a whole lot about them, except for that they seem like really lovely people. But I don't think they know that I haven't gotten official info on them, so I think it would be strange to ask them something like, "excuse, me but exactly who are you?"
I do know that they are my host family for sure, but beyond that....well we'll just have to wait and see.

They live in Redon, a town of around 10,000 (the size of Stillwater, approximately) in the southern part of the western region of Brittany. Redon is on the intersection of two rivers. I've been exploring it on Google Street View and it looks like the most charming, beautiful French town you could imagine. I urge you to look it up.

My school is Lycée Beaumont ("Beaumont High School"). It has around 1,800 students- about the size of (or a little bigger than) Southwest. I'll be taking Spanish, literature, and some social sciences or economics.

I've enrolled myself in a weekly French class for the next few weeks before I leave, and I feel like it's really helping me. I'm actually starting to prepare to go. I can't believe it.

I'll write again soon, I have much to say, but I want to keep this short.


Here's a picture of Redon I found online:




(trés beau, non?)

Nora