The first morning, I slept until 11 o'clock. What a gift that was after an unforgiving 12 hour plane ride of which I slept less than half the time. My first stop that morning was downstairs to the kitchen, where a tray of fresh pain au chocolates awaited their disposal. My host mom set me up outside on their outdoor patio and handed me a cup of orange juice to eat with my croissant. The sun was out, to my arrival apparently. For the past month they had been met with horrible rains, but that day was almost out of a movie. Their backyard, a soccer pitch compared to the backyards in California, sat adjacent to a vegetable garden. And in America, maybe it would just be your average cluster of planting beds, but in France, it was magical. It was made for barefoot infants seeking warm grass to run through in the summertime. Or maybe it wasn't. But that first day, maybe because I was fighting jet lag, the sun shined brighter, food tasted better, and life had never been better.
After lunch we went golfing. Or at least we tried. A youth tournament put that plan to sleep. So instead, while the parents practiced long driving, the two girls I was staying with, and I, went on a walk. The two of them talked while I tagged along trying to decipher what they were saying. It was sweet, seeing my friend and her sister interact so closely, because in America she gave little indication that they were even good friends. We ended up walking much too far, almost traveling the entire circumference of the course by the end of our adventure. When we met back with the parents, I got the feeling that we weren't supposed to stray so far. But, we had a really fun time together.
At home, we huddled around the TV because France was having a major election. Earlier that morning Herve, the girl's father, sat me and the girls down to go through the different parties and explain the voting/election process in their country. It was actually pretty similar to America. After staring at the TV, not knowing what the news anchors were saying, I was happy that we focused our attention on the Formula 1 racing match taking place. I looked forward to watching because at home, my twin brother had a fascination for the sport and Lando Norris of McClarren, his favorite driver. It made me miss him a little because we'd often watch together.
That evening we ate dinner very late, at nearly 10:30pm. But apparently that was normal? In America we eat as early as 6pm, but rarely after 9pm. Not going to lie, I was a bit starved by the time we ate. The food was so nice though and definitely worth the wait. We had chicken and potatoes, which isn't anything crazy or special, but maybe it's because I was eating it in France, that it felt extra fancy. I would find, though, that the portions are very small, and I would, throughout my stay, continue to awkwardly help myself to more food, while the rest of the family sat happily full. I guess that says a lot about America! Another thing I noticed about the family is the amount of fighting that goes on between, most notably, my friend and her mother. And, it's not just a quick remark here or there about each other, they easily yell at one another over the dinner table. Of course I don't know everything they're saying, but the wave of tension that rolls over everyone at the table speaks for itself.
That night I settled into bed after a warm shower. I talked to my best friend for a little while, as she was visiting Italy at the time, and was in the same time zone as myself. I was happy to have her nearby, especially because she could understand the travel difficulties I had on my flight over. I'd soon find that the nights I spent alone in my room would be my favorite comfort on the trip. I loved my French family, but in that room alone I could be myself. It's difficult going through the day making sure you're doing everything right, being a perfect guest. But at night I could listen to music too loudly in my headphones without interruption and text my friends and family without being self-conscious about how much I'm using my phone. I could take a break and process the trip, and all the changes it's brought to my normal lifestyle. And that only made the trip all the more special, if I'm being honest.