Trip leader, Justin Romick, shares the groups arrival in Arles.
Nous sommes arrivées! Despite weariness from travel and language-brain fog, our group is quick to find easy joy and wonder now that we have reached our home-base in Arles. Laughter, smiles, and anticipation have marked the early moments of our trip as we are fully transitioned into the rewarding challenge of speaking full-time French. Our first step into immersion began at Orly as each student boldly submitted their pastry order in authentic French to an incredibly helpful and generous cashier at the boulangerie counter. The stakes only went higher from there as we worked to carry on conversations during our bistro lunch on a terrace in the center of Arles. The amazing team at Arles à la Carte welcomed us warmly as we covered logistics and took a brief walking tour of this ancient city, sprawling with vines of fragrant jasmine under vibrant blue skies. The late afternoon served as the apotheosis of our journey as host families arrived to greet our students in the center of town. Language immersion is a unique challenge as we all put ourselves in uncomfortable situations for the sake of growth and learning, but these students didn’t shy away from difficulty as they posed questions and sparked chat with their new hosts from the onset. We are all looking forward to the next four weeks as we explore the challenges and wonder that this country has to offer.
