I have been living in La Rochelle, France for a little over two months now. Time has really flown by so fast! I am starting to feel comfortable and really at home. I ride my bike all around the small city and I have found some boulangeries where I go every morning before class to get a croissant and an espresso. I have started to see the same faces around town and some people even remember my name! I like La Rochelle because it really is a small town! The other day at one of my favorite coffee shops “Chez Albert”, I was able to meet a local that talked about her yoga class that she was having each month and she asked if I could join. Going to the same spots every day has made me feel right at home!

I also joined the rowing team to meet friends and learn new words in french. I’ve been able to meet French locals my age which has made a difference in relating to the culture and my language abilities. Being a part of the rowing team here in La Rochelle has given me the chance to meet such wonderful and amazing people. I’ve met locals as well as people from other countries like Brazil and Germany. These friendships really are helping me create a home here in France. Plus, having local friends and interacting with them has pushed me to practice the language and helped me to learn many colloquial phrases. There are many! I think only good things can come out of joining a sports group while abroad. I would 10/10 recommend anyone study abroad to get into a group because the experiences you get out of it are priceless. Joining the rowing team has been the best part of my time abroad so far, and I hate thinking about leaving.