Zipping over the country side

   After a busy first week of school my host family and I spent the weekend relaxing and having fun. On Saturday my host mom and host sister took me shopping in Valence. I had a great time discovering all the new stores and styles here but was also excited to learn that I will be able to continue shopping at my favorite store, Zara! My host mom and sister kept telling me to try things on even after I explained countless times that I don’t need anything, but I did end up getting a cute shirt that I wore to school today!
   After our little shopping trip we spent the rest of the day enjoying the nice weather. My older host sister was home from university so we three girls got in the pool and then we lay out in the sun. (Don’t worry dad, I used sunscreen!)
We all ate lunch, pasta and sausage, outside and then I got some homework done.

Doing homework next to my host sister after swimming!

   A family came over for dinner and stayed late, my host dad made a delicious desert with ice cream and raspberries and my favorite, whipped cream! But while we were sitting in the living room and talking, my throat started hurting and I could tell I was getting sick. The next morning I diagnosed myself with a small cold and read in my favorite book, The Exchange Student Survival Kit by Bettina Hansel, that getting sick is common in the first weeks because of the drastic change in diet and routine. Although I am definitely undergoing these huge changes (I’ve eaten more meat in the past week than I have in my entire life) it was just a small cold and didn’t stop me from participating in the fun my host family had planned for the next afternoon!


   Sunday afternoon (after a lunch of duck) we all packed into my host family’s green car to go to “les arbres” which is what my host mom calls the zip line/rope course that is 50 minutes from my house, in the countryside. My older host sister is learning how to drive and she drove us there. I was learning how to drive when I left home so I know how she felt as everyone told her what to do and was talking to her at once. I also noted that it seems much harder to learn to drive here because a. the cars are all stick shift b. the roads are tiny and c. at least to me, the road markings and signs make absolutely no sense. 


   Also, I’m not a big fan of traffic circles but apparently France is; I was literally dizzy from going around at least a hundred by the time we go to the zip line park.

Can you spot the American in the tie-dye? 

   We met another family at the park, the host family of one of my roommates from the hostel in Paris. It was good to see her again and fun to talk about all that we’ve done in the week since we last saw each other.



   It was really incredible to zip line over the country side; you go so fast but can still appreciate the beautiful view you get from the trees.


   We were there for a few hours and all the climbing made me hungry. My friend's host mom brought Oreos, which made me very happy since I love Oreos and they’re familiar to me, unlike most of the food I’ve eaten since I left home. 
All in all it was a really fun weekend and the fresh air and exercise prepared me for the week of school to come!