Month One Photo Dump!

One Month in France!

It’s officially my one month mark of living in France! Sometimes it feels like I’ve lived here for months because of the amount of things I’ve done and the places I’ve been in just four weeks. Sometimes it feels like I just arrived last week because new things shock me everyday!

Here are some of my first experiences from this month!

-Crossed the Bay at Mont Saint-Michel

-Visited two castles

-La Gacilly Art Exhibiton

-Attended a scouting event

-Thrifted around Rennes

-Got lost in the city without a phone

-Court Metrange Film Festival

-Had my first French Politics Quiz

-Started taking the bus to school

-Tried galettes for the first time

-Archery class

-Found the most beautiful library

-Visited the Museum of Bretagne

The list could go on about all of the amazing new experiences I’ve already had. It’s crazy how fast this month flew by! I’m starting to get into a routine here in Rennes. The switch from visiting to living has finally set in. As cliche as it sounds, I find myself loving my time in France even more each day. Let’s see what October holds!

Living With My Host Family

A huge part of my year abroad is living with my host family. It was a significant appeal to me when deciding on study abroad! I’d been living in a dorm for the past two years and I lacked feeling truly at home. And even when I did live at home, I never had a “normal” family life like my friends and classmates. My mom is a single mom and has always worked to provide what two parents would usually do together. I also have two half-siblings, who are the best people in the world, but we don’t live together in the same household. I love my mom and our moments of just the two of us, but I always felt lonely and embarrassed when my family was brought up in a conversation, or when I would hear friends’ stories about family game nights or vacations. When researching my study abroad program, I was really intrigued about the opportunity to live with a host family. For a year I could experience a completely different family life than my own while still having my family at home. Living in a French home would also give me the most authentic perspective of life in France, so it was a yes for me!

In the spring before arriving in France, I received a host family form to help place me in my new family. You list your preferences, and important information about you: personality, dietary restrictions, allergies, culture, hopes for the year, etc. I also had the option to request if I wanted host siblings, two parents in the household, and pets in the house. I wanted this experience to be completely different from my life at home, so I requested to have siblings and two parents in the house. I received a letter with information about my new family in the summer, and that’s when it somewhat felt like France was seriously a go!

I have a host mom, a host dad, and four host siblings: a 22 year old brother, a 21 year old brother, a 17 year old sister, and a 14 year old brother!

So the initial meeting of my family? I contemplated this a lot before actually meeting them, wondering if the moment would be awkward, strange, happy, or neutral. My host mom picked me up once I arrived to my school in Rennes. She had a big smile and took me in for a hug, I instantly felt very welcomed. The drive home completely speaking in French went smoothly, even after not studying the language all summer. Stepping into my house for the first time, I met the rest of my family, it was a happy and lively moment which I’ll never forget; they were so welcoming to me in making me apart of the family. My first dinner with my family had it’s moments of confusion with language, but everyone in my family knows a little bit of English which is helpful when I get really stuck. I gave them some gifts from home: a puzzle of Newport Beach, caramels, beach hats, and chopstick sets. When I think of host families and the way they willingly add another addition to their family for a year, it wows me, and makes me so grateful.

During my first few days in the house, I felt really nervous to do anything: I showered after everyone went to bed, only ate whatever was reachable on the table, and crept like a cat. It’s now been a few weeks and most of that apprehension has gone away, but I still don’t feel 100% at home all the time, which is okay. Before actually arriving in France, I envisioned that I would instantly feel at home, but that definitely hasn’t been the case. And that’s the way life is! Nothing will be instantly perfect at first, so I’m just going with the flow of becoming comfortable and acquainted.

There are definitely lots of awkward moments of silence, times when I don’t understand and just say “d’accord!”, and moments when I feel like a guest rather than a family member. But you have to understand that it’s not only unusual for you to live in a brand new home; It’s also odd for your family to suddenly welcome a stranger into their home, whether it’s their first or tenth time hosting. Some days I really feel apart of the conversation, actively engaging, laughing and feeling at ease. Other days I’m quietly listening since I don’t have the vocabulary to chime in yet. Both are okay, and both are progress.

When it comes to living with host families, only your own personal experience will tell its story. And what you put in is what you receive! You will learn so much just by solely living with a host family, so really appreciate them for volunteering to host you. Engage with them, and don’t be afraid to teach them about your upbringing and culture as well. They want to have you apart of their home, so give them the same respect and enthusiasm. Biological or not, they are your family for however long you are studying abroad, make the most with them!

Culture Shocks!

From a girl who’s lived in America all her life, France has MANY cultural differences from the USA. Some of the changes were very easy to adjust to, and others not so much. Here are some of the contrasts I’ve gathered during my first week in France:

-meals: You have probably heard that the French eat late, and that's true! Every night I eat dinner at 20h, or 8pm. The French people eat very fast, which you might not expect because of the long meal times. How do they eat at lightning speed? The fork and knife work together to speed up the eating process. But engaging at the dinner table for deep conversation is not forgotten! Meals last around and hour, maybe two on a Sunday. At my house, everything is family style and you grab what you want and how much you want. There are multiple courses in French food, so there’s no such thing as a light meal. In my family, we start with small appetizers or a salad, move to the main dish, add some cheese and baguette in between, then end with a dessert.

-food: There’s absolutely no such thing as a meal without bread in France, carbs carbs carbs! But the quality of a simple bread is like heaven here! There’s also always dessert here with meals, which is something I’m not used to in the US. I guess breakfast isn’t considered to have dessert, but I consider pain au chocolat, jams, and the many pastries apart of the bunch. For lunch at my school cafeteria, there is always at least five dessert options alone: tiramisu, pudding, eclairs, etc. Dessert after dinner at my host family’s house usually consists of fruit, yogurts, or pudding, but a few times a week we have cake or pie. I haven’t come across many "healthy” restaurants or cafes here in France with vegan, vegetarian, or strict diet options. In the US, smoothies, salads, and vegan chains are popping up everywhere, but the French value enjoying the foods they love.

I also haven’t come across any oat milk here:’( {sad} If it exists please let me know! I actually haven’t seen any milk alternatives but maybe they’re out there somewhere! Something I didn’t know until arriving to France: French people don’t have ice, or cold coffee drinks! I love iced coffee drinks so this one’s hard to get over… If you’re looking for a classic French cafe, a hot coffee is the only option;)

-cars: France has miniature cars! Cars are petite and lots of them are from brands I’ve never seen in the US. Peugeot? Citroen? Never heard of her! And I haven’t seen a single SUV yet in Rennes! All I see back in California are Teslas in every corner, and now I see busses in every direction.

-public transportation: Public transportation is very common in France for all ages. I see six year olds getting on the bus by themselves everyday! This is very normal in France but so different for me. California is so spread out and public transportation is not very developed in my area, so I’ve always relied on trusty Uber for a ride. But once you figure out the bus and metro system, it’s so easy and convenient, pretty clean as well. I wish our public transportation in America was as harped on as it is in France.

-kindness and greeting: The stereotypes of French people being rude, not true! French people are as kind as any other country! When you step into a store, a restaurant, the bus, it’s impolite to not say hello and the workers will always greet you nicely. Greeting is very important in France. You can’t walk into a cafe to order your drink without saying “Bonjour!” first. Often in the US, I enter places without greeting or making eye contact with anyone…not in France!

-smoking and vaping: This cliché is true, everyone smokes or vapes in France, and everywhere. I definitely wasn’t expecting so many teens to vape, especially out in public, even right in front of their schools!

-sports and activities: Sports or extracurricular activities are not as prominent in the French school system. Students usually do sports through outside clubs or organizations, not their schools. In America, I dance everyday after school for two hours. In France, activities are only once or twice a week at most, and for recreational purpose. There’s not much time carved out for activities in the French school system because schools usually end around 4:30pm. With homework, dinner, and family time, activities must be set for Wednesdays (half days in France) or Saturdays. If you’re committed to your craft, there are sometimes practices held in the evening until 10pm or even midnight!

Here are a few culture shocks in France that really made me double-take. And there are so many more…I’ll definitely be writing a part two when I’m even more familiar here!

My Arrival in France

And so it begins…

An arrival is something you can dream about on end. You can make hundreds of scenarios in your head about what will happen and ask every person you know about their personal arrival to your intended destination. But no one else’s experience or your make-believe fantasies will exactly compare to the real moments of arrival. That’s the greatness of it: suspense, fear, excitement, magic. Here’s my arrival in France:

The journey began at JFK International Airport in New York. Heart pounding, tears potentially filling my eyes, I walked into the Air France terminal with my mom. We instantly saw a group of huddled teens with their parents, so we knew we were in the right place. As I stood in line to drop off my checked bag, intrusive fears hit my head, but optimism for what I was getting myself into overturned the doubt. I met a few students in my study abroad program in the long bag line; it was nice to begin to meet some people so early into the journey. My bag was a few pounds overweight, but thankfully the nice lady let it slide. When there are 20 other French-bound teenagers waiting line plus normal frequent French flyers, you’ve got to keep the line moving. Right after that, the president of my program said a few remarks, but the words flew over my head. Excitement and daunt continued to crash and fog my mind. And then, everything went at lightning speed.

We took a group photo then we were off! I said the quickest goodbye to my mom because everyone started rushing to get to security. I had no time to take in what was happening; I was physically moving, but my mind was not processing everything occuring so fast. Next thing I know I was on the plane to Charles de Gaulle Airport. The seven hour flight was thoroughly enjoyable. I didn’t sleep, but I watched Twilight and the second Mama Mia movie. Once we landed, we got our bags, and we sleepily drifted towards the bus. I think I slept for two hours of the five hour bus ride to Rennes. My first impression of France was the rest stop half way through the bus ride. The quality of this rest stop? Superb. There was a buffet, sandwich shop, mini grocery store, clean bathrooms. If this is what life is like out of the United States, I’m all in!

I was groggy for the rest of the bus ride, disoriented on what was happening in my life. Two hours later, I saw signs, cobblestone streets, charming little buildings; I’d finally made it to Rennes, a moment worth the nine months in the making. Hopping off the bus, luggage everywhere, people sleep-walking, I excitedly stepped into my new school for the host time to find my new family. I awkwardly waved at a women who I thought was my Host Mom, but it wasn’t…Eventually, through the pool of eager families, I found my host mom! My nerves about meeting my family quickly disappeared when my Host Mom gave me a nice, warm hug. The drive home didn’t feel quite like home, but something unknown waiting to become discovered. I honestly didn’t know what to expect from the first meeting and the drive home, but it was nothing to fear. Did I feel prepared to speak only French after a twelve hour travel day? Not one bit, but we made it work. We drove home to a tucked away neighborhood twenty minutes outside of Rennes. I opened the door and was greeted by the rest of my family: my Host Dad and my Host Siblings! With excitement in the air, I toured the house then proceeded to unpack my luggage in my new room. This is the story of my arrival, the beginning of fun, excitement, fear, hardship, success, and everything in between. Let’s see where the journey will take me…

Packing for a Year in France

One carry-on, one checked bag, and one backpack, c'est tout! Here's what I packed for my year abroad in France:

Packing my bags was an exciting process for me because this is my first year without uniform since I was eight years old, and my style has changed quite a bit since then🤓. But how to condense all of my favorite clothing pieces plus new items into a checked bag under 50 pounds and a carry-on under 25? It was a struggle until the very morning of my departure. But let me give you the rundown!

Before we begin, let's talk about my style before my arrival in France. My style was very “California girl” with LOTS of athleisure. So the opposite of Parisian flair…I knew that I wanted to throw that style out of the window, I’ll return to it next year😉. This year I want chic, I want classy, I want to be a posh little Parisian serving the streets of France. So I left my favorite Aviator Nation sweatset at home, and shopped with my mom, aka the queen of styling people. We did a lot of damage at Aritzia… Aritzia is the perfect casual yet classy store for a sophisticated and mature look, while still fitting in the teen age demographic. I love their simple yet timeless basics which are easy to style with a limited wardrobe.

My study abroad program gave me a general packing list which I mostly followed. They highly advised to under pack, and I TOTALLY stand by that! If you’re studying abroad in a mid or large-sized city, you will find what you need there, and it may be worth it to buy the item in your new country versus paying the price for overweight luggage.

So here’s the gist of what what’s in my luggage:

-BASICS: one simple tank top, t-shirt, and long sleeve in both black and white; cashmere top and sweater for winter

-two graphic tees for when I want to spice things up

-JEANS: one charcoal, one light wash, one dark wash; two pairs of demin shorts (not really needed for Northern France but just in case)

-trousers and black leather pants from Aritzia (for days I want to look business casual😎)

-black blazer from Aritzia (perfect to dress up or dress down an outfit)

-two maxi slip dresses and one short formal dress

-one casual maxi skirt

-raincoat with a built in puffer

Did you think I forgot about shoes? Here you go!

-rubber Birkenstocks

-Converse ALL STAR Lugged Baskets

-low top Golden Goose

-Doc Marten boots

-nude Steve Madden heels (not necessary)

I recommend that you limit your shoes since they weigh your luggage down so much😒. And FIND COMFORTABLE SHOES! If you are buying new shoes, make sure you break them in before your trip, that’s what I did with my new platform Converse and now they fit great and are blister-free on my feet.

Now I knew that my checked bag had to be under 50 pounds (which was already stressful enough), but I didn’t know that my carry on had to be under 25 until the day before my flight😧. So make sure you check your airline in advance to see if carry ons have a weight limit too🤗. Because I was not aware of this rule, there were a few items I had to send back with my mom in the airport, such as my robe and extra shirts. I’m glad I did because it freed so much space! Just remember, if you’re not in a remote location, amazon can save you. Don’t pack your full shampoo and conditioner bottles or your hair dryer!

But some items to keep in mind that are not so general:

-outlet adapter/converters for your new country

-cash for your new country

-raincoat and weather specific clothing

-SIM card if needed

I hope my packing list helps you if you are studying abroad soon! If you have any packing recs for me, please forward them over pour moi!

A Welcome Note

Hello and Welcome to my blog! I'm Clover, it's nice to meet you! Thank you for stopping by!

So who am I, what are you reading, and what can you expect to see on this blog? Let me tell you now!

My name is Clover! I'm a sixteen year old student, creator, influencer, foodie, and now a blogger! I've always loved taking pictures, making videos, and creating content since I was 4 years old with my little pink Nikon camera. On a summer day last year, I decided to take my real passion of creating content to the next level, so I started an Instagram account to showcase my love of fashion, lifestyle, and food! I'm from Los Angeles, California, and post content about yummy restaurants and fun things to do in my community, to healthy living and romanticizing life. Things that make me happy show up on my feed the most, such as sunsets, cheeseburgers, fun outings, and of course, dessert!

In a few short weeks I will be making the move of a lifetime! I will be studying abroad for a year in Rennes, France. This blog in dedicated to my travels, adventures, and even some advice for students looking to study abroad. Plan to see writings on my new divergent lifestyle, my favorite local spots, and of course, Parisian fashion! I also promise that by the end of my year I will find you the #1 croissant in France.

So that’s a little snippet of me:) Au Revoir! See you en France!

-Clover🍀