Ivan’s Journals

September 10, 2025

A New Horizon

Bonjour! So far I've been in France for a little over two weeks, and I have been fortunate enough to experience many things, starting at my arrival. As soon as I landed in Paris, my host district was waiting for me and the other 30 exchange students from around the world to depart for Vannes for our orientation camp. Although I had slept very little on my last day in the States and on the plane due to my immense anticipation, I felt fine once I arrived (drank a miniscule coffee) and the jet lag actually ended up being relatively nonexistent since I arrived in the morning.

Immediately, the other exchange students and I got to know each other, and it turned out to be an unforgettable experience. I had the opportunity to interact with people from diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and beliefs, and I was able to communicate with every one of them since they all spoke some form of English or Spanish. Shoutout to my parents for encouraging me to learn Spanish.

On our way to Vannes, I finally began to grasp the magnitude of what had just happened—that I had traveled from one side of the globe to the other. I started noticing the small and intriguing things, literally. Detachable bottle caps were replaced by non-detachable ones; massive Fords were replaced by arms length Fiats, cotton and peanut fields gave way to triticale and corn; trains ran alongside highways; and wind turbines were everywhere. Each change was captivating, with different reasons behind each transformation.

The next day, we visited the town's port and downtown area, known as the centre-ville. There, my friends and I participated in a scavenger hunt, spotting various items, including something blue, white, and red, as well as the town's famous door, among other things. Immediately, I realized that you could just walk to places from anywhere, similar to college campuses in the U.S. The feeling was exhilarating and somewhat relieving. Later that week, we went bowling and took a boat ride to the nearby island of Île-aux-Moines, where we bathed in the cool Breton waters for the first time followed by a full day of biking, surrounded by salty breezes and rugged granite rocks.

As the camp ended on Saturday, I finally met part of my host family, which includes my host father, Thibaut; my host mother, Aude; my little brother, Ewenn (10); and my sister, Lila (9). After leaving the camp for my host city, Landerneau, I went straight to sleep but later talked with my host parents and even played some games with my enthusiastic host brother. Once we arrived to what will be my home for the next few months, I met the rest of my host brothers: Hugo (13) and Noa (14), who eagerly asked and told me all sorts of jokes and questions about the U.S. and France. Honestly, my host family and siblings have been incredibly helpful, whether it’s learning the language, answering cultural questions, or advising me on what to do at school.  The following day, I rested, and my host siblings showed me around different parts of the city and the route to school that I would take the following Tuesday when school started.

In my school most students are laid-back and easy to befriend, which has really helped me. In fact, I made friends in my very first class which I am truly grateful for since they have helped orient me in this new environment. Additionally, I have noticed that French courses tend to emphasize the humanities more than STEM subjects, reflecting the cultural appreciation for literature and politics. For example, one of my specialties is a geopolitics course where we focus on Puissances, a term that roughly translates to a country with the capacity to influence and impose its will on international events which really illustrates how the French culturally elevate the importance of politics.

Classes here can last up to two periods, or around an hour and 45 minutes, while school days vary between grade levels. However, start and finish times remain consistent on a weekly basis. For example, on Monday, I start at 8:00 but end at 14:20 (2:20) and Tuesdays I start at 8:00 but end at 16:30 (4:30) while my host brothers, Ewenn and Hugo, start at 8:50 and finish at 10:50 and 11:50 Wednesdays, which they never fail to tease me about since my school day ends way later. But before you start comparing, the entire lycée, or high school, has an hour and 40-minute lunch break to relax and socialize. To top it off, school lunch here is top notch with meals changing frequently. My friends have come to the rescue once again, teaching me about French food culture. They explained that fruits and yogurt are actually considered desserts here, which my host family later confirmed after they were both shocked when I began by eating my peach instead of the entrée. Additionally, not all “breads” are created equal in France, as sweet pastries like croissants or pain au chocolat don’t count.

As of the time of this writing, there is a nationwide strike (Bloquons Tout) against the government following its deposition on Monday, targeting the country's transportation network and supermarkets. However, all government systems remain operational, unlike an American legislative gridlock, and you might not even realize there is a strike unless you check the news. That being said, strikes are quite common here and even have their own special terms: Grève for strikes, and Manifestation (or Manif) for protests. This has truly shown me how engaged the French are in civics and their passion for standing up for what is right or opposing what is wrong.

This past week, I had the opportunity to visit the French equivalent of Walmart, called E. Leclerc, (founded in Landerneau) and the entire experience turned out to be both surprising and fascinating for me personally. Initially, I expected it to be just like any typical grocery run, but nope. For starters, French hypermarchés have smaller stores at the entrance, designed for convenience both to the shop and the customer, somewhat like a mall. They also offer a wide variety of raw meats and cheeses, which can be sliced to order based on the quantity you want. After seeing that this was new to me my host mom gave me some rabbit pâté to try, along with several cheeses I had never heard of before, which brings me to my next point: everything in the store is incredibly fresh. I even saw live crabs in the seafood section. Adding to the novelty, you can scan items with a barcode scanner as you shop, making checkout quick and easy. Regarding prices, if a label says an item costs 7 euros, it actually costs 7 euros, as all taxes are included in the advertised price—truly revolutionary. Finally, I noticed that people use reusable bags to carry their purchases, a thoughtful way to help save the planet.

To end this journal I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has helped me reach where I am now. I would not have been able to do this without my parents' daily inspiration to step out of my comfort zone and explore the world, I would not have been able to do this without the support of my local Rotary Club, the Rotary Club of Thomasville, and I would not have been able to do this without my communities' support. After all this incredible help I would also like to acknowledge my home district, 6900, and my current district, 1650, for training me for this incredible experience and shipping me off to my new home.