Katie Simmonds (Returnee) - NSW to France

Fri 14 Jul 2006

Katie Simmonds, from Loretto Kirribilli, spent a summer in France on our Summer Language Explorer Program. Here's a piece she wrote for us about her experience.

For me, the adventure overseas started in Sydney airport. It was at the departure gate, when I and the 3 other girls I was to travel with were saying goodbye to our families, that I realised I was about to embark on 2 amazing months of independence. It was also at this point that I started to worry about everything we’d learnt about in the pre-departure workshops – homesickness, the language barrier, living with another family…but my travel companions and I found it comforting to share these fears with each other, and these were the first of many great friendships I formed on Exchange.

Even the trip to my host family was exciting, and looking back months later I still remember the excitement of landing at Charles du Gaulle airport on that freezing November morning, working our way through the crowds at customs and struggling with baggage on the TGV train. When we stopped at Bordeaux station, this excitement was barely containable as I was introduced to my host family! It was obvious straight away that they were extremely friendly and that we would get along, however I don’t think any amount of preparation can stop you from feeling like a bit of an intruder in the family at first! After a few weeks, however, I understood how the family functioned and felt very accepted in the household.

For the rest of my trip, my initial excitement rarely left me. There was always a first something…first day at school, first “family” get together, first conversation I could understand completely – every day some small thing would happen and make me realise I’d achieved something. Even if my family and friends in Australia couldn’t understand my excitement. Of course, this didn’t come without minor trials and tribulations, which also happened almost every day. The first month is more than a bit frustrating, because you’re trying to find your place in your family and school and trying to learn the language. The French are very enthusiastic people which, unfortunately, means they sometimes speak very quickly! Just remember to smile – you’d be surprised how much a friendly smile can turn a situation around!

The most important advice I can give is that everything in another country is different: nothing is better or worse, but everything is different, and it’s important to be open to new ways of doing things. That, and to listen when your host mum tells you to wear a warm jacket and scarf – from experience, spending a week sick in bed because you didn’t is not a pleasant experience!

I thoroughly enjoyed my Exchange and learnt a lot from it – not just language skills, but people skills and also learnt a lot about myself and my life back home. It was an experience that will stay with me for life!