The Party and the Unexpected Friends

Bonjour!

I have been here for days now and I have yet to see Montélimar! I have been living just outside of it and will hopefully visit very soon. The first few days were relatively uneventful as I have slept a lot more than I was expecting. But hey, staying up 30 hours straight will do that to a person. My sleep schedule has been really strange. The first two nights, I consistently slept from 1am - 4am and then 5am - 10am. That was thrown off last night though.

My host family took me to a party celebrating one of their friend's 50th birthday. There were two other people who had recently turned 50, so it was turned into a huge gathering. When we first arrived I was very nervous and hoped that I would be able to talk to someone without being a bumbling idiot. I awkwardly followed my host sister through the crowd and came across a British family. Now I hadn't heard consistent English in over 48 hours, so I was quite relieved. I love learning French and hearing it, but it can be a lot to handle! I have been so tired from all the concentration, and meeting these people was relaxing in a way. They were a family of five that was very nice and quite funny.  

At this party, there was a folk duo that was playing and teaching everyone group dances. They were so much fun and I cannot remember the last time I was so happy in one night. Everyone was laughing and the music was wonderful. Many of the French guests there spoke English, but I still attempted to respond in French when I could. The entire night was so wonderful. My host father brought my mandolin from the house and they must have told who they were sitting around, because I was eventually being called over to perform. 

Mind you, I have never performed in front of a group like that, but it was alright. Except for the part where I forgot the words two verses in (I blame the fact that my English is rusty)..... I just sat there awkwardly hoping they would return to me and that no one would laugh at me for being so incompetent. No one did laugh though, and when I eventually remembered and continued, the violinist in the folk duo improvised along to the song. It was a truly wonderful experience. 

After dinner, cake, and more dancing, 3/5 of the British family and I jammed a bit. And by jammed I mean we played one song that had 3 guitar chords and a piano part. So naturally, it was very upbeat and fun. The folk duo joined in on that two and improvised along the way. They were a very talented pair and the party was lucky to have them. I hope to stay in touch with the family and maybe see them in England when I go to visit my grandfather. 

This exchange has already been quite the experience and I'm only 4 days in! I have met so many wonderful people, talked with (but sadly have yet to meet) so many exchange students, and have already made memories that I hope will last a lifetime. With that I must once again thank Tacoma Narrows Rotary for this opportunity, and also Rotary Montélimar for having me! 

Au revoir!

Amelia