Bonjour,
Leaving my friends and family is probably the hardest part of this journey but it will all be worth it!
Orientation was all together great! I was really nervous when I landed in New York! I didn’t know what to expect, I didn’t know how many people there was going to be, how it was going to go, if I would like my room mate. This mystery soon ended when I was at the airport waiting for the others in my bus to the hotel to arrive. Right there I met people and they were so nice! i knew that I would like this. Then we took the bus to the hotel.
After arriving we dropped our bags in our room and orientation started. Everyone there was so nice, outgoing, and wanted to be friends with everyone! I loved the atmosphere that a group of exchange students created. It was like we all were bound to be friends!
After some videos about the history of AFS and what not we ate dinner! It was super good pasta. Then we had time to socialize and went to our rooms to get a good night sleep! My room mate was cool. We didn’t really hang out at orientation but it was nice to talk to her.
The next day we woke up ate breakfast and then had orientation in small groups covering certain things such as clothing, school, etc. Then after lunch we had until our flight left at 8pm to do whatever. We played cards and then talked and then we were so bored we decided to play musical chairs. It only lasted one round till, as teenagers we didn’t feel like moving and just sat there socializing.
Finally 6pm came and we packed our bags into a bus and rode to the airport. After checking in we had one hour to chill until our flight departed. My and my new friends naturally went to find food. I got the best cupcake I have ever had.
Then we boarded the plane and said farewell to our home country of the United States and hello to a huge step out of our comfort zones.
After getting no sleep at all and arriving in paris at 8 am I could feel the jet lag kicking it! When we arrived we were the first country so all day we just waited till the next country came in and then greeted them and made some friends and then greeted and made friends and repeated this about 50 times. At 9 pm all of the countries had arrived. We then had a short meeting about the next day and then hit the hay. I had not slept in 32 hours so the minute the light was out I was too!
The next day of orientation started with a bus tour of paris We stayed on the bus and only got out on time to take pictures at the riffle tower. Then we went back to the hostile and we broke up into groups and had orientation about school, dress, moving into our family, etc. Then they did a small performance of what it will be like on the train and meeting our family and then we went to bed. Again I was out with the light.
Today my train left at 8 am so I had to be up really early. We went to the train station and me and 9 other students in my region all were together on the train. We had a 4 hour train ride till we met our Family!!!!! I was super nervous but then when we pulled up to the train station and all of the families were standing there I got really excited but then the nerves took over again. I got out and met my family and then we went to there house! I unpacked and got ready for the first day of school tomorrow.
à bientôt
xoxo Gina
Here is a video I put together from orientation! I hope you like it!