Total coincidence plants Romain Wacongne, junior, in the same area his sister had been a year before: 4,053 miles from his home in Versailles, France.

This distance does not seem as far as it originally seemed.  Last year, Wacongne’s sister had been a foreign exchange student in the Appleton area, and she had made a close American friend.  The Clark family, who’s daughter is his sister’s friend is now his host family; the connection makes him feel more at home.

Even with Wacongne’s relation to the Fox Valley, it is still wildly different from France.

“Our city is like: house, house, house, house.  No grass, and just a road.  It’s very different.”  

Other differences include food.  Although Wacongne enjoys French cuisine more, he finds American pancakes rather tasty.  Beyond expected differences, an unusual contrast Wacongne discovered is that American and French keyboards are arranged differently.  With a gesture of his fingers, tanned from summer, Wacongne explained that since the letters in obscure places, it has been hard to  adapt to his school issued chromebook.

Fortunately, Wacongne did not have to adapt to everything.  For example, most of his hobbies, such as dirt biking and skiing, can be done right here in Wisconsin, with an exception of surfing, although he does enjoy other water sports that are plausible on Lake Winnebago.  

Wacongne also plays on the NHS football team.  Beaming, he confessed his enjoyment in the American sport: “It is very fun.”

Because, even in the United States, Wacongne is able to find activities and people he enjoys, making Neenah his home away from home . . . even if it is 4,053 miles away.