Best. Day. EVER!! I can't believe how much our class bonded today and love the friendships I've further developed with people I rarely hung out with during the school year.
Our morning was spent working on our street project. Julia, Skye, Anuja, and I chose to interview tourists at the Catholic Church of Saint Jean to understand what brings them to France and what they think of the country so far. We talked to several Americans, a Canadian, several German high school students, and a lovely Australian couple. All were happy to help us with our project and to be filmed except for the Canadian lady, who was comfortable with sharing her experiences with us but did not want to be on camera. The common themes among all the people we interviewed were: 1. French cuisine is amazing, 2. French people are nicer than anticipated, and 3. Lyon is a beautiful city with a lot of culture and fun. The most challenging aspect of this project was actually gathering the courage to approach tourists! None of the 4 of us are shy girls, but when it came to thinking of the best way to talk to strangers and explain concisely what we are doing and to trust us, we had some difficulty. We were taught before the trip to keep our belongings close, to be wary of strangers who approach us, so we completely understood why several tourists turned us down when we tried to talk to them. In general, Americans trusted us the most because there is no language barrier and we share the same American accents!
(Catholic Church of St. Jean next to some ruins)
(My street project team: Julia, myself, Skye, and Anuja)
Ok, fast forward to the evening. We went to Beaujolais for dinner and wine, and this was where the best bonding experience I've ever had occurred. Sure, I enjoyed the food, the wine, learning more about the French culture, but my favorite part of the evening was getting to know my classmates better. I really feel like we are one, big family, from encouraging each other to play French games to supporting JR, Alba, Skye, and Joseph in the French ceremony/initiation at the barn to an hour-long karaoke party on the bus on the way back. I've never felt such camaraderie among such a large group of people from various cultures and backgrounds before. Without a doubt, lifelong memories were made tonight, and I will cherish them forever. I think many of us feel the same way I do - that our friendships have grown deeper and stronger. Oh, and a big shout out to Lisa, Monica, Rickie, and our bus driver for putting up with our drunken singing! Hope y'all enjoyed it though :)
(Some of the girls next to the vineyard)
(Le chien + breathtaking views)
(Enjoying a cultural experience and dinner in the barn... Except for maybe Lisa. Haha!)
Au revoir, Beaujolais! Until next time :)
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