This post features student writing, reflecting on their experiences with their homestay families.

De Bodie:

I had an amazing time with my host family in the small village of Soultzmatt. I often compared it to my home in Chicago. Almost exactly the opposite. It was very quiet and peaceful. It felt like everybody knew each other in the area. My host family taught me the basic customs of Alsace and their culture. I learned about the food of the area such as bibalakas and chucrute. My host brother, Eloi, was very kind and understanding. He was able to help me find my way around French and in return I taught him how to throw an American football. That is a relationship I will cherish forever and I’m very grateful for everything he taught me. I am very glad that I took a daily journal while I was with my host family so I could remember all the little adventures such as mountain biking, hiking, or cooking dinner. I wish I could’ve stayed longer but my time in Alsace was unforgettable.

De Zach:

It’s been only five days since we said goodbye to our host families in Alsace and headed to Aix-en-Provence but I already miss living with Arneau and his family. I went into the homestay with the expectation that I’d be spending my week the way I do at home (with the obvious difference being that I’d be doing everything in French). I was totally wrong. Not everything was foreign to me, but there were definitely things I do differently in New York, especially when it comes to the way we eat food.

Paranoid I’d wake up late to find the whole family had been up for hours, I asked the parents each evening what time they’d like me up the next morning. The days usually started around 9:45 with a very light breakfast. Tia and Elliot had prepped us a bit as a group so we knew a bit what to expect and they mentioned the French often eat the first meal of the day as a family and expect everyone to be there. With this in mind, my first morning, I dutifully woke up at 9:30 (my host brother gave up his room for me to sleep in) and went downstairs. I soon discovered that this family did not eat breakfast together and you simply ate when you got up. Most mornings, my breakfast was a peach or a small cup of yogurt. The late mornings were a mix of exploring their small town and just relaxing at their home.

The biggest culture shock came with the first lunch: We set the table and started what would be a very long (from my perspective) meal. Before we even got to the food, we sat around a tray of apéritifs and talked for about 15-20 minutes. The first few days of this were difficult as I had trouble following the family’s conversations and felt like a deer in the headlights when they turned to ask my opinion on whatever they had been talking about. After some beer or wine (water for me), we cleared the drink tray and brought out the food. We ate like we do at home, family style, and everything was consistently delicious. After everyone had finished, we began the clearing routine: First scrape all leftover food onto one plate, place all utensils on top, and place that plate on top of the other plates. Complicated to explain, easy to execute. We cleared everything but our drinks and cups and everyone then got a new, smaller plate and a knife. It was cheese time! The cheese plate was served with a baguette, cut directly on the table. Alongside the cheese, there was lots of conversation until the last person was finished. At this point, the cheese knives and plates were cleared….to make room for the dessert plates! The food just kept coming! Dessert was usually fruit or yogurt but one day, we got to enjoy homemade raspberry ice cream made with fruit picked fresh from their garden.

I asked Marie, my host-mother, if today was a special occasion. She smiled and said we would have drinks, cheese, and dessert along with every meal. EVERY MEAL (sans breakfast, of course)! It was amazing.

Bonus Fact:

For Bastille Day, my host family had a big family lunch (with guests) that lasted around four hours. I learned, thanks to a kindly quiet comment from my host-brother’s girlfriend, that it was rude not to sit with your forearms or wrists on the table. I had been sitting as my mom taught me to: My elbows were nowhere near the table. I sat with my hands in my lap when I wasn’t eating. I learned that in France, it is more proper to sit with you wrists resting on the table. Who knew?

There is so much I can say about the homestay. It was a truly amazing experience, so I just wanted to share a small part of my time living the French life.

À bientôt.
Zach C.

De Celeste:

My week at the homestay was very relaxing. The family was welcoming and showed me around their town. I got to see how they celebrated Bastille Day by going to a local park to see fireworks. They took me to a ropes course in the mountains. I got to experience the local life and the daily routine of Alsace.

De Dahlia:

Living with a French family in Alsace was incredible! My host family was super welcoming and friendly. Dom, Valerie, Lucas, Sandy and of course, the cat Guimauve (French for “marshmallow”) were glad to open their home to me. The Jubert family shared many a laugh with me during the week. We ate traditional dishes such as du pain with munger cheese and tartiflette that were delicious.

We celebrated my host sister and brother’s birthday with a soirée Friday night.

I loved spending time with their friends, and together we played cards while eating lots of cake and sorbet. I was the first American to have ever interacted with them and I personally loved representing America, an ambassador for my country.

In Alsace, the Vosges mountains in the distance were beautiful. It was amazing to be only 15 minutes from the German border. With my host family, we created a list of over 100 words that I had not learned before. Sandy helped me a lot with the vocabulary and local Alsacienne phrases.

Throughout the week, we traveled to the only concentration camp on French soil, the castle of Haut-Koeniezburg, the European Council, and the capital of Alsace, Strasbourg. All of the adventures and excursions were educational and meaningful to have everyone ensemble.

Together, we also enjoyed picnics, celebrated Bastille Day with fireworks, and explored the nearest city of La Petite Venise in Colmar. The traditional houses, with vibrant colors, were stunning and I was so happy to share its beauty with my new French friends and family.

À bientôt,
Dahlia