Only minimally knowing how to speak French, sophomore Lorna Kelly decided to jump at the chance to study abroad; thus living in another part of the world would end up being a future goal.

Lorna’s mother, Mrs. Polly Kelly (NHS Technology Specialist) went to study abroad when was about the same age as Lorna was. Mrs. Kelly suggested the idea to Lorna at dinner, she soon would be jumping on the bandwagon. Though planning did take up most of her sophomore year, it was busywork that would be paid off. Mrs. Kelly recommended the same program (AIFS) she went through when she was in high school.

An obvious choice: France.

Finding her way, she was now with a host family living in the Southeast part of France. Rhone-Alpes, France. She resided in Tournon Sur Rhone At first, Lorna felt like a fish out of the water, but would soon feel like she was back in the water.

Going to school was a bit strange at first. There were major dress differences in America compared with France. A major difference was her lunchtime, getting about 2 and a half hours to eat. This allowed plenty of free time to explore. Classes were a different affair, though still learning how to speak French; however, she did get help from her peers. She was becoming fluent and loved it.

Outside of school was different, though. She did not really get to know her host family that well, they did have a single child who was 11. Dinner was set at an unusual time as well. In America, she ate around 5 o’clock. In France, it was around 8 o’ clock.

Going out with new friends was fun. Seeing the beautiful landscapes was something totally different from Neenah. There was not a major difference weather wise but she did appreciate Tournon Sur Rhone’s warmth and gentle winter. Before coming to France, she worked enough to make a sum to bring and spend in France. She loved to walk and see different shops.

She shared that the most unusual thing she encountered was: “Everybody smokes! It was disgusting!”

Being alone in a different country made Lorna think that she would better herself. She began to feel more independent, meeting people and traveling to new places. After her experience in Tournon Sur Rhone, she loved the idea of traveling more. After school, she would plan where to go next, possibly hinting about taking a gap year.