Hey guys! I know that it’s been a long while since my last post. I was traveling a lot this past month and time got away from me big time.

Truthfully, there is so much I would say to my anxiety-ridden August 2021 self about living with a host family. There are so many things that would placate those anxieties, because the experience has been one that I’d never change and that I’ll always be grateful for. But there are too many to name specifically, so instead, I’ll just tell August 2021 Clare what living with a French family in Nantes has been like so far.

There was a lot that I was worried about coming into studying abroad. Some of you may want to ask, “Why? What’s so scary about moving to a foreign country for the first time in your life for four months where they don’t speak your language and where you know no one?” Actually, I hope you’re not wanting to ask that. If so, you scare me a little, but kudos.

Making friends when you’re studying abroad for just a semester can go one of two ways: either you create quick friendships because you think to yourself, you have very limited time here so might as well make the best out of it and get to know as many people as possible and have a blast with them. Or you think to yourself, one semester is too short of a time to make real, long-lasting friends, and that you need more time to create genuine bonds with people.

¡Feliz casi Navidad! This is a shorter blog than normal, but in my opinion just as relevant. Now that December is here Madrid has turned into a bit of a Christmas town and it is AMAZING. It’s gotten colder but somehow it seems like there are even more people around the city, especially in the areas that have Christmas lights or shops. Personally, I hateee cold weather but being here and seeing the entire city light up at night has made it much more bearable. 

Like with college, every day is a new day with a different schedule and different events, but of course, there are aspects that stay the same. In general, living in Nantes, France is like living in a big, modern city with public transportation and a lot of walking. Coming from a small town, it’s a bit overwhelming, yet exciting because there are so many opportunities and things to do. No matter how much I compare and contrast in my head, the one daily reminder is of the mix of modern and ancient architecture.

As you might imagine, my diet while abroad in Nantes, France these past few months has been vastly different than my typical diet in the United States. I certainly feel fortunate to be studying in a country where gastronomy is one of the most significant parts of their culture. Therefore, I have plenty to choose from every day when I am looking for a bite to eat.

When I was looking at study abroad programs, I read about all the excursions and fun extra activities offered, but what I really wanted to know was what a normal day looked like for a student. So, here's a look into my daily life in Paris! 

My Mondays/Wednesdays

London is compared to New York City for a variety of reasons, but it’s definitely true for the theatre scene. London’s West End is home to shows for every type of theatre-goer, from the super popular musicals and Disney shows to super new and innovative plays in small theatres. I have been incredibly lucky to have seen 33 shows so far in my time here in London, but it has also been a lot of work, strategizing, and learning how to get into so many theatres with a strict Study Abroad budget.

The first weekend with my host family, my host parents took me to their beach house at Quiberon. I wasn’t sure what exactly to expect, but I was definitely nervous about speaking French the whole weekend and having to hang out with my host siblings in a social context. The past couple of weekends I’d been hanging out with the other IES Abroad students, so this weekend was going to be my first complete immersion in a French family.