France: French Immersion Adventure 2025

June 29, 2025
After landing and momentarily being upheld at baggage claim, the group made our way into Paris by bus. We took time to meet our cool leaders and peers.
It was my first time in Paris and all I thought was that it’s really cute and really clean, who knew it would also be really hot?! There is like, no AC in France, and in most of Europe. Everything is really sticky and warm. After gathering at our hostel in Paris, we had a cool lunch at a popular falafel place and some people had shawarma. It was very yummy and we ate in a dainty little park.
We were then guided to see the Notre Dame. It looked so dramatic and the inside of it is somehow even more dramatic. Some guy was talking over the speakers as everyone craned their heads and gawked at all of the cool church stuff and then an organ player started playing the ginormous organ above us; it was really pretty.
After that visit, we walked around Île de la Cité to checkout other famous spots, then went back to the hostel and then back out for dinner which was savory crepes and some sweet crepes. Some kids went to get ice cream and others headed back to their rooms for some nice sleep.
Everything was super hot but at least the view from my room was a really cool looking church. Et voilà (there you have it).
By: Iman
June 30, 2025
Today we woke up at the hostel in Paris, ready to head to the mountains. We had breakfast at the hostel before heading to the train station in Paris. Once we arrived at the train station, we had a few options for lunch and were able to grab what we wanted to take onto the three hour train ride to Grenoble. On the train ride we were able to rest and we also wrote our French intros for the trip leaders. Towards the end of the train ride we each interviewed one other person in French in order to get to know each other better and to present this information to the rest of the group later in the day. After getting off the train in Grenoble, we headed straight to the bus that took us to our gîte in the mountains. The hour bus journey went pretty quick, and we were treated to much better weather up here, as it was very hot in Paris. This evening we had a great lasagna dinner at the gîte and were able to spend some relaxed time together as a group. After dinner we all met together to present our interviews from earlier in the day. By the end of the day all of us were pretty tired so we had a chill night; some of us played some darts in the downstairs area of the gîte. We are all looking forward to white water rafting tomorrow.
By: Logan
July 1, 2025
We woke up this morning at 7:00am, and after getting ready for the day we eagerly got on the bus to head to our whitewater rafting activity. After a 45 minute bus ride along the river, we were greeted by the rafting guides and instructed to put on two wet suits, along with a helmet and life jacket. Although we were very hot while waiting in the sun with all our layers, we were still excited to get on the rafts and begin our adventure. After the guides explained the basics of what we were about to do, we quickly loaded the rafts and were surprised by how fast and cold the rapids were after a storm the night before. After an amusing first half of the activity, we stopped to get off at the river bank and our guides showed us a large waterfall to the side of the rapids. At first we were confused as to why we paused the rafting, but soon after we were entering the waterfall and realized how strong the current was. The second half of the rafting was also very exhilarating, as we made some wrong turns and we even had to get out to redirect the boat a few times. After we got out of the water, we took off our wet suits and ate a ‘pique-nique’ in the sun. We were all fatigued on the bus ride back from rafting after spending so much time in the sun and some of us napped during that ride.
After getting back to the gîte, we were quickly introduced to our service guides: Laurent, Marie, and Fabrice. Although we were tired from rafting, we went to the hiking trail with our guides and were given useful tools for our work before we started following Laurent down the path. He showed us what we will be doing the next few days to clear up the hiking trail, which included taking rocks out of the way, draining water channels, and building a rock wall on the side of the trail. After we were shown what to do and how to use the tools, we began our work and cleared large rocks out of the path. While some of us were with Laurent making a canal in the ground to drain the water, me and a few others were with Fabrice moving rocks and pruning the trees. By the time we were done, we walked down the path to meet the guides who drove us back to the gîte.
When we got back a few of us went to see the café in Mizoën to have something to drink before we showered and settled into the gîte for the night. At 7:30pm we had a classic French dinner, with melon and prosciutto as the appetizer, a French pasta dish for the main and a chocolate cake for dessert. After dinner, we finished our community agreement before playing darts and going to bed.
By: Alex B.
July 2, 2025
We started off our day relatively early waking up at 7:30 ready for a full day of service with our guides and new friends Laurent, Marie, and Fabrice. We ate our breakfast while waiting for their arrival, a delicious mix of yogurt, granola, bread, and jam. When they arrived, Laurent was joined by his son Gaban (Gabon) who was coming to work with us for the day. Laurent explained the plan for the day and how we could improve from our work the day before. We would continue to restore the trails in a small town in the Alps, working to build canals and stabilize the walls surrounding it. After reviewing the plan, we split up into 3 teams we would work with for the day. We packed up our lunches consisting of delicious baguette ham sandwiches with fruit and chips, packed our work gloves and materials, and headed up the mountain with our leaders. Once we arrived we got straight to work and used various tools on the trail for a few hours up until it was time for lunch. We all sat in a nice shady part of the trail enjoying a nice break from the work and also working to get to know Gabon better while practicing our french. After lunch we continued to work for a few hours more, up until it started to unfortunately rain down on us. It happened to start right around when we were finishing up anyways, so we all hiked back down the trail as fast as we could, hopping into the minivans soaking wet. We headed back to the Gîte and everyone took some time to shower and enjoy some snacks. At around 6pm we all met up to do a tour and scavenger hunt around the town of Mizoën were we’ve been staying in. We split up into four teams racing around all trying to get to each location searching for answers. We all met back at the church next to the Gîte when our time was up, and are awaiting the reveal of the winner for tomorrow. We then enjoyed a delicious home-cooked dinner sitting outside for the first time and taking in the beautiful views from the deck.
We reflected on the day and now are looking forward to conquering the continuation of trail work tomorrow!
By: Palmer
July 3, 2025
Today we woke up a little later than usual, at 8:00, and we were all feeling rather well as we ate our breakfast. After eating, our guide Laurent explained to us what trails we would be working on for the day, but more importantly the impact our work has on the local environment. We realized that while our work may seem small, it is very important to the people of the alps, since it allows for the continuation of their way of life, which is threatened by climate change.
We left for the trails and got to work creating canals to drain muddy areas and make them safer to traverse. After our lunch at 12:00, we got back to work and finished early at 3:30 thanks to everyone’s great teamwork. We then went back to the gîte and some of us played a basketball game against Laurent, his son Gaban, and Fabrice, another one of our guides, who claimed to be the kings of basketball. After that we rested until dinner which was at 7:00. Once we were full we cleared the tables and played trivia with the beautiful view of the Alps in the background. After 3 rounds we called it a night and headed in to rest and prepare for our hike tomorrow.
By Alex N.
July 4, 2025
Bonjour tout le monde! As the moon was high in the sky back at home in the States on independence day, we here in France, woke up early to the vibrant turquoise waters, ready to conquer our long awaited hike in the Alps and step foot on the mountains we had been seeing for days at the gîte. After fueling up at breakfast with yogurt, granola, fruit, juice, and tartine, we warmed up our French side of our brains with a group bonding activity where we got to know more fun facts about people like their unique talents and what instruments they play. We laced our hiking boots, smoothed the wrinkles from our socks, grabbed our poles to aid in agility, hydrated, and made sure to pack lots of snacks for the long day ahead. We met up with our friends and mountain guides for the day, Marie, Fabrice, Laurent, and his children who we got to know better throughout the day while utilizing our French skills. With an eager attitude we walked out of the gîte and began the long journey ahead. After 2.5 hours of hiking various terrain: rocky uphill, slippery gravel, and flat, loose dirt, we arrived at our scenic lunch destination. We took a long, much deserved break in the shade, with some even taking quick cat naps. After, we refilled our water bottles at the last available spot, used the restroom, and even felt the harsh, refreshing breeze as a supply helicopter took off beside us. We started the second leg of the hike, naturally splitting up into groups that matched our pace. After four to five hours of seeing beautiful views and hiking up the most challenging terrain, we finally made it to the stunning french Refuge des Mouterres at 2240 meters. We were exhausted but proud of our hard work and how far we had come. We were all fatigued and some of us experienced the effects of the high altitude but after acclimating for a few hours and replenishing out nutrient levels, we all returned to our normal selves. We refueled our bodies with delicious homemade crepes made by our hosts for the next two nights, Steph and Raf. After refreshing showers and changing into layers to match the cold mountain breeze, we relaxed and eventually headed down to have a traditional French meal. We savoured the first course of a carrot and vegetable soup, complete with bread. For our entrée, we had chicken and gratin dauphinois. That was followed by authentic, fresh french cheese and brownies for dessert that fufilled our hunger. After the delicious dinner, we relaxed before getting ready and heading to bed, exhausted but proud of our big accomplishment. We look forward to exploring the Alps more tomorrow by either ascending further up the mountain to see a glacier lake or resting at the refuge and doing a bit more service.
Thinking of you all, especially at sunrise and sunset. XOXO, Hannah and Marin (aka Bananas and Bear), and the rest of the Global Works mountaineers.
By Hannah and Marin
July 5, 2025
We woke up in our isolated refuge 2240m up in the Alps to the vast scenery of mountains and hills (which reminds some of us of “The Sound of Music”). Most of us had a delicious breakfast of rip off Nutella and bread. Then, we rushed to get our stuff because the leaders informed us that we had 10 minutes till our meeting. In the meeting we split into 3 different groups which were decided by what we wanted to do that day. One group went on the challenging hike up “Le Pic du Mas de la Grave” another went on an easier hike to a glacier lake, and the last group stayed and did service. I, Lara, went with the first group which had a fun car ride to our starting point. The hike started with a bumpy trail that then gradually became steeper and steeper until it turned into a harsh incline.
To add to the struggle, the air became thinner as we ascended up the trail. Once we arrived at the top we were extremely tired and hungry, but were able to sit down and enjoy the beautiful view and eat our lunch. Once we finished our lunch, we started our descent down which turned into a run until we reached the river mid way. Once we got there, the mountain guides – Gaban, and Margot- quickly plunged in. Then the rest of the hesitant people got coaxed into the river by their encouraging statements. Once in, it was freezing but refreshing and we got to spend some time talking and listening to music. After a good amount of time we were warned of the time and scurried out. Because most of us were unprepared to be going in a river we did not have towels and had to walk shoeless for part of the rest of the walk to let our feet dry. From there we only had the last part of our hike which we stumbled through to get to the cars which took us back to the refuge where regrouped with the others.
The other group, with me, Iman, departed from the refuge to hike to two glacier lakes around a hill close to us. On the way, we were told of the endangered species in the area and also how swimming in the glacier lakes contaminates the waters. So we didn’t swim, but we were more than happy to just take in the view. During the hike, our guide Marie pointed out all of the cool flowers. We also saw a marmot or two before getting to the first lake and having our lunches. It was a rather uneventful and peaceful hike to the second lake and then back to the refuge, though the rolling hills were annoying to traverse.
When we got back we took refreshing showers in chilly Alps water. We had an amazing dinner and rested after a long day. Around ten, we started a campfire and took out chocolate cracker cookies and marshmallows to roast. Some people were adventurous enough to stack multiple marshmallows and cookies to make the ultimate smore. After singing a few songs in French and English, we played a game where you clap each other’s hands and try to get each other out, and Marie won! After that, it was light’s out and as the night went on we got to do some stargazing.
By Lara, Mills, & Iman
July 6, 2025
After a long day of hiking, stargazing, and making smores, we woke up at 8:30. Today was the day for the hike back to Mizoën. On the way back to Mizoën, we would need to hike down the height of over 3 Eiffel towers. While most of the girls got up and packed their stuff ready for the hike, all of the boys stayed in bed, destroyed from the summit hike the prior day. It took blasting music like Wake up Boo! by the Boo Radleys playing from downstairs at the refugee to wake us up. Finally, they got the boys out of bed almost an hour later.
After a quick breakfast, we packed our ham sandwiches for the day and set off for a long hike. We left the refuge in the opposite direction that we had come from two days prior. Mizoën was 8.2 kilometers away. Today’s hike started with a steep downhill trek through the valley with only mountains in sight for about an hour before we took a break to wait for the rest of the group. When everyone had caught up, Laurent pointed out to us thousands of sheep being hearded through the mountains by dogs. We then continued down the trail with our ongoing talks of the best food places in New York City. About 25 minutes later, we arrived at the campground where we ate lunch and had snacks like Belgium waffles that had been given to us earlier. During lunch, we talked politics and rode on the swings at the campsite. After a refreshing break on our legs that had been slowing, turning to mush over the past few days hiking, we headed back on the trail to continue on the journey. For the next 30 minutes, we hiked through the forest until we finally reached the road outside of the town Besse. In Besse, we first stopped at the Sheep and Shepards museum. This museum detailed the lives of sheepards in the French alps, showed off some local artwork, and allowed us to write letters to sheepards in the area. While some bought honey as a gift for their homestay parents, others bought socks. After the museum stop, we got a well deserved ice cream.
After a cooling ice cream break, we set out on the last leg of our hike, which mostly consisted of walking on the side of the main road until we finally saw the roads of Mizoën. Our three day long hiking trip was finally coming to an end. As we reached the gîte, some people ran straight to the showers while others went straight to lie down on there beds. After a few games of Uno, our French friends departed. We will all miss teaching Gaban English and Laurent’s questionable jokes. At 7:15 we were treated to a French specialty of well done chorizo with rice and vegetables for dinner. Right after dinner some of us went out for a final day of soccer while others watched the movie “The Parent Trap” at the gîte. Bonne nuit !
By: Owen Bergman
July 7, 2025
Bonjour tout le monde! We were awoken at 9am, as we were all tired and sore from the downhill hike back to the gîte. We were all kind of all over the place as we tried to find and collect our laundry from the night before and finish packing our things. Some of us had our last breakfast at the gîte outside, taking in the breathtaking views of the glittering lake and the mountains above. Once we were all ready, we hopped on a one hour long bus ride to Grenoble. While some people tried to sleep, others played hand games or made up a fake government to attempt to overrule Patrick when they heard a Snap Chat notification and thought it was their phones ringing from one of the Carrefour bags.
Once we arrived at the hotel, we were given our big, heavy silver keys and went up to our rooms to put our bags down and get our lunches. Upon finding a TV in our rooms, some of us scrolled through the channels to find something interesting to watch, but to our dismay, it was all in french. After regrouping in the hotel lobby, we walked to a nearby park to have our lunch. We noticed that there were not a lot of tourists, and many locals were sitting down on benches or lying in the grass talking amongst their friends. As we were eating, some pigeons and a few sparrows gathered around us in their search for breadcrums, but later left us alone once a lady started feeding them.
After lunch, we met Nathan and Simion, two of Patrick’s former students. They explained to us that they were architects and urban designers, and they immediately dived into explaining what we would be discussing today. Once all together we hopped onto Les Boules, which were a kind of ski lift, just more colorfull and bubble-shaped, hence the name. As we rode to the top of the Bastille, we took in the beautiful view of Grenoble, from the terracotta-colored roof, to the snaking river surrounded by trees. At the top, Nathan and Simion explained the history of Grenoble through both pictures and words, and even had us share our ideas for how we think the city should be if it were to flood almost every day, or if it were surrounded by the mountains like the Atlas. At one point, we were disrupted by a group by what we think were German scouts shouting for a group photo at the lookout point. Following this, we had a quick bathroom break to refill our water bottles, and started our descent down the Bastille. On the way down, the two architects explained to us that they could feel it when the stairs were made incorrectly, which is something I thought was really interesting. Once we reached the bottom, we quickly admired a water fountain of a lion in battle with a snake, which was meant to represent humans fighting with the local river. We walked a bit in the town to get ice-cream or to the grocery store to get snacks. At one point we realized that some boys entered a bubble tea shop, and some of us complained that we hadn’t known it was an option, but then laughed when the adults hadn’t known it was either.
We walked some more through Grenoble, listening to our guides talk to us about the city’s architecture. Suddenly, we looked up at the sky to realize that the clouds were dark with rain and a very nice local warned us that a storm was coming. But nonetheless, we reasoned that we weren’t made of sugar and pushed forward. Before we knew it, the wind and rain were picking up and we took refuge in a shopping center. We finished the tour huddled under a not-so-efficient roof, trying to shield ourselves from the cold summer rain. Once we said goodbye and thank you to Nathan and Simion, we were given an hour to explore the shopping center. Some people went to the pharmacy, others to find water flavoring, and a few went to get some barb a papa, aka cotton candy. As we were waiting for a few people to come back from Decathlon, the boys decided to hop on a carousel!
Once we were all together again, we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner, where some people watched the Spain vs Belgium women’s football game. After a quick walk to the second oldest restaurant in France, La Table Ronde, we sat down and took a look at the menu. We were given a budget and we could order almost anything we wanted as long as it was within budget. Everyone really enjoyed the food there, and some even got mouth-watering dessert. Once we finished dinner, everyone rushed back to the hotel for a well deserved sleep.
Bonne nuit !
By: Juliette Volpe
July 8, 2025
Today started early, waking up at 7:45, and having breakfast at 8:30. Breakfast had a few more options than usual, including eggs and pancakes. Once we had all finished, we walked to a nearby park, to play a game in french, and overview the agenda for the day. The game consisted of writing down a character on a post it, and trading it with a nearby partner. The names could be real, or even fictional. Some of the names included Winnie the Pooh, Travis Scott, and even King Charles III. Next, we all went back to the hotel to retrieve our bags and when the bus arrived, we put everything in it.
The bus was a long ride at almost 3 hours. At lunch time, we stopped at a shopping center and were given the choice of three restaurants, Burger King, Poke bowls, and even McDonald’s, which we were all begging for the day prior. Once we were all done, we got back into the bus, and traveled one more hour south to the town of Baux-en-Provence. When we arrived, we walked as a group to the top of the town to the towns medieval fortress. At the fortress, we split up into smaller groups to explore.
Inside, there were catapults, batering rams, and even a certain prison devices. Once each group had finished, we were able to walk back down to the main town to look at nearby stores and restaurants. After a few hours of buying soaps, meats, and even cheeses, we all met up at the bottom of the town to get back onto the bus.
From Baux-en-Provence, it was half an hour to the next town, Saint Remy. At Saint Remy, we had once again split up to shop for 20 minute. Once we were all done, we met up at the city center to head to our cooking class.
At the cooking class, we had split up into groups depending on what part of the meal they were making. One group made a charcuterie boards as an appetizer. The next was in charge of cutting the different vegetables and cooking them in order to make ratatouille. Their was also a group making sweet drinks for everyone during and after cooking. The final group was set on making chocolate dipped cherries as a dessert. Once all groups were done, we moved the tables outside and set the table. The meal tasted very good and paired really well with the rice which was made along with it. Once we were all done, we got back into the bus and drove another 45 minutes to Avignon. During the bus ride we reviewed everything we needed for the next day. The final part of the day was harsh, consisting of a 10 minute walk with all our bags to the final hotel we were staying in until the homestays. When we arrived, we got our rooms and walked up the 2 flights of stairs to our rooms. After many people received their AP scores, we all headed to bed.
By: Andersen Marks
July 9, 2025
Bonjour à tous! Today we started our day at 8:30am to beautiful weather. First we went to the Palais de Papes (Pope’s Palace) where we learned about the history of why there was a second pope at the time, and saw beautiful blue and gold glass art on the floor and hanging from the ceiling. We used the iPads they gave us as maps of the Palais, and to scan posts on the floor which gave us oriented views of what the room would have looked like in its prime, as well as information on certain historical objects. While the iPads were at first confusing to use, we found it really interesting to learn about how the uses of the Palais have changed over time, and to look at the beautiful painted patterns on the ceilings, and murals on the walls.
After this we went shopping at a local indoor market for our picnic lunch. We were split into groups of three or four and given envelopes with either 30€ or 40€ for the food type we were meant to buy for the group. I was in the group that bought cheese, and we collaborated to use our French and buy as many types of cheese as we could, including brie, goat cheese, and parmesan, spending down to the last penny. We actually purchased 10 cents over our budget, but the store clerk smiled and said it was a gift.
The groups came back together for our picnic lunch. We walked from the market to a park where we set out our food on a white paper sheet and sat on the grass. The food we had bought as teams consisted of avocados, bread, humus, cheese, meat and salad, and a vast array of deserts such as meringues, apple tart, chocolate eclairs and caramel almond pie. We then realized that it would be impossible to pass all the food around to eat sitting down, so we stood up and rotated in time to collect food and drinks in our plates and cups and eat it. The food was delicious and we were stuffed with not only food but a great time! After this we went back to hotel for a 15 minute break to freshen up, as some of us had juice on our hands, or chocolate stains on our clothes.
Then we headed off through the streets of Avignon to the Place de Pie (pronounced place de pee) for a scavenger hunt. We were broken up into groups and given a pen, a map showing where we were and where we were allowed to go, and a list in French of things in the city we were tasked with finding and taking photos of as proof. Excited to begin our mission, we set off, but quickly realized that this scavenger hunt was far more difficult than the one in Mizoën. This was not only because we were less familiar with the area, but also because some things on the list we simply didn’t recognize. However, the simpler items such as a photo of a fountain or non-English speaking tourist were completed within the allotted hour, and we received prizes based on our speed and results, such as lavender soaps or sachets, or large candy sticks. We also got to try a provincial almond paste treat called Calisson d’aix, which was delicious!
After that we had the options of staying in the café where we met up for the hunt and do some people watching while ordering snacks and calling our parents, or going out into the city in groups of 3 to shop and hang out. Those of us who went out had a great time shopping for t-shirts and lost Amazon packages, and a fun ride on a carousel.
As we transitioned to our next activity, we looked at the lively streets packed with performers and their crowds, and watched a muscle man dance and do feats in the square just outside the Palais de Papes. After this we visited the final historical site of the day: Le Pont d’Avignon. We struggled to walk over the remains of the bridge in the wind – particularly those of us in skirts – but enjoyed vlogging and taking pictures of each other in front of the beautiful water. At the entrance we were given an audio guide with the history of how it was built and local stories about the saints associated with it.
After returning to the hotel a second time to freshen up, we walked to a local restaurant, where we enjoyed delicious fish, mushroom ravioli and other French dishes. To finish off our day, we returned to the hotel for a homestay workshop to alleviate our nerves about living with a new family. We practiced communicating and solving possible situations using charades and our French skills, and learned relevant vocabulary. We were also told the names and some basic facts about our soon to be homestay families, who we are very excited to meet.
Finally, after a few of us called our parents, we happily went to a well deserved sleep.
By: Noelle O’Neill
July 10, 2025
We started with an early wake up (7:45 am) at the hotel we were staying at, Hotel Danieli. Our wake up consisted of the usual: the group leaders knocking on our door, then 45 minutes to get ready and pack up all of our bags, preparing us for the long day ahead. We had a variety of options for breakfast spanning from yogurt with granola to croissants and pain au chocolat. We began our day fueled with high hopes and exciment to meet our homestay families for the next week. While lugging our millions of backpacks, suitcases, and Carrefour bags, we walked to where we would be meeting our bus. But before we mounted the bus, a game of “Mafia” was declared necessary. The game includes one host or “story-teller,” a detective, an angel, townspeople (AKA the innocents) and of course, a couple of mafias. The bus arrived and we had to end our game on an unresolved note with one mafia out and 2 more still in. We had a 45 minute bus ride from Avignon to the place we would be kayaking.
We arrived and were immediately instructed to put on our life jackets. We were also informed of specific ways to paddle that would help you to get you where you needed to go. Packing away all of our belongings in a sturdy bucket and our lunch in a ginormous cooler, we shoved them onto our collective kayaks and began our journey. By the start, people were ready, some being so ready they felt the need to jump into the cool lake immediately after mounting their kayak. The beginning of the kayaking was difficult for a few; some “ping-ponged” from side to side while trying to figure out their rhythm while others kayaked peacefully down the river. After a while of boating we took a well deserved rest on a beach just off the river and ate our lunch under a shady tree. Lunch was delicious and many people took naps while lying out in the sun, enjoying the gorgeous weather. Some chatted while others performed spa treatments for one another. After almost an hour of eating, sleeping, tanning, and chatting we were back on the water, eager to complete our journey. We kayaked under the Pont Du Gard, known for its impressive foundation, known as an aquaduct, providing water for the citizens of Nimes. A quick group photo later and we were back to being focused on our kayaking, being about 30-45 minutes away from the end destination. By the time everyone finished, most of the group was exhausted. We changed out of our bathing suits and into our clean dry clothes. The bus ride from there was around 3 hours but before that, we had a quick pitstop for anyone that wanted snacks or just needed to use the bathroom. Some got candy, while others got chips and drinks. Just like that we were back on the bus again. Music played and people slept, by the time everyone was awake we were only an hour away from meeting our prospective homestay families! We arrived and descended from the bus where we were greeted by all of our homestay families, all equally eager to meet us. Everyone brought snacks, pizzas and drinks for our potluck; some people were really hungry and treated themselves to all of the French treats while some decided to wait for dinner. Then we were off, we waved goodbye and said “au revoir” to one another as our group was slowly split up.
My “famille d’accueil” (homestay family) consisted of our homestay mom, dad, two younger sisters, ages 7 & 11, three dogs and us (Juliette and I). Our drive back was fun, we listened to a random mix of American and French music, their favorite American artist being Will Smith. We were greeted by the three dogs named, “Vanille,” “Olaf,” and “Happy.” We were given a tour of the house and the room we would be staying in and later shown where we would eat meals. We rested for a little while and then had dinner: watermelon, cucumber and tomato salad with balsamic vinegar, then French parmentier potatoes with mayo or ketchup, grilled lamb, and to end the meal we had fruits, cheese and some French pastries. We ended our long day with feeding the chaotic dogs who all stole from one another and later we were surprised to find one of the dogs, Vanille, bursting through our door and trampling us in our beds at exactly midnight.
By: Abby Berman
July 11, 2025
This morning, Palmer and I woke up in our host family’s home after a good night’s sleep, wondering how everyone else’s nights went after being separated for the first time. We got ready for the day and each got to make our own breakfast before heading out to meet our group; I enjoyed some eggs with baguette and Palmer had granola with yogurt.
We met the group at a high ropes course, where we partook in a challenging but fun ropes course up in the trees. Along with the rest of the group, my favorite part was the long zip line across the river which had a great view of the water. After everyone finished, we walked across the park to some picnic benches for yet another picnic lunch. Everyone had different lunches packed by their families, and we enjoyed our food while catching up on everyone’s nights. We then changed into our bathing suits to prepare for the lake, which was an hour bus ride away. Most people took naps on the ride over, so when we got to the lake everyone was ready for the afternoon ahead. Some people decided to play mini golf which was right across from the lake, while others like myself headed straight to the water. We got to swim in the cold, refreshing water, and a lot of us also laid out to take advantage of the hot summer sun. Almost everyone went over to the mini golf’s snack shack at different times for ice cream or drinks after some time in the sun in order to cool off. After about two hours, we boarded back onto the bus where we drove to the local high school to regroup with our host families for the evening.
Before heading back to the house, Palmer and I were taken to the small village of Carcassonne within a big castle. The stained glass in the chapel was breathaking. We then grabbed some ice cream to keep us energized after the long the day in the sun. After our quick visit, we drove back to the house where we took showers before dinner. In France, dinners tend to be longer, and we enjoyed our two hour dinner filled with conversation in French. My favorite part was trying the Violette ice cream which is Coralies, our host mom, favorite flavor. It is made from small blue flowers, and it was delicious!
We wrapped up dinner around 10:30 and packed our picnic lunches for the next day.
We fell asleep to High School Musical 3, and have been taking advantage of the TV in our room which we think is the biggest perk of our room. Our day in the sun and exploring the town was very fun, and we look forward to what we have in store for tomorrow.
By: Emi Chan
July 12, 2025
Bonjour ! Today, we all awoke at our second morning in the homestays. I, personally, awoke to a spread of pastries from the local boulangerie that my host dad went and bought earlier that morning. Hannah and I learned that in the South of France, chocolate croissants are known as “chocolatines.” My host mom explained that if I was to go into a store and order a “croissant chocolat” they would immediately know I am a tourist. After a quick lesson on French pastries, I ultimately chose to eat a giant almond croissant. It was delicious, to say the least. Hannah and I quickly changed into our clothes for the day before packing our bags and heading out the door with our host parents, Marc and Ann. We drove to the local high school to meet up with the rest of the group. Ann explained that our afternoon activity, a potluck of food followed by field games with all of the host families, would have to be canceled due to incoming storms this afternoon. Therefore, today we would have a short day with the entire group before rejoining with our families at 1:30pm.
Upon arriving at the high school, everyone reunited and we all shared about our different experiences from the previous night. Once everyone arrived, we all took our seats on the bus. Today, we went to the Château Malves en Minervois and met up with our new friend for the day, Miriam. She immediately offered us an array of different breads and drinks to welcome us into the community. Then, we discovered that today’s exchange included learning about the long and difficult process of restoring old buildings, like the Château. Miriam guided us through different rooms in the Château where we had the opportunity to see how the building was lived in hundreds of years ago. In one of the rooms, there was a French monarchy seal, which represents loyalty and support to the French monarchy. The owners of the Château are some of the few loyalists left in France so finding the crest is a rare sight to see. We also visited a room in the Château that was previously rented out by a Circus to practice for their performances; therefore, the walls were filled with circus posters and colorful pictures.
After a long tour, we went back to the sitting area at the front to indulge in the picnic lunches our host parents packed.
For Hannah and me, this included a sandwich, chips, a banana, and a peach. Abby and Juliette’s host parents gave them a big bag of chocolate chip cookies to share with the group for dessert. While everyone was eating, we split up into three groups to prepare a skit that could have taken place in one of the rooms in the Château. My group did a spin-off of Romeo and Juliet mashed with Snow White. We watched the french skits as a group outside before ending our time at the Château. We said “Merci et Au Revoir” to Miriam before heading back on the bus to meet our host families.
When Hannah and I met Marc and Ann, they explained that we were going to spend the rest of the day exploring “La Cité” of Carcassonne with our friends, Marin and Lara, and their host mom and sister, Florence and Jade. We drove up to La Cité and saw that it was an enormous castle from the olden days that had now been converted into shops and boutiques for the city. Even though the storm was looming, the town was suprisingly crowded with lots of people and dogs (including some adorable Australian Shepherds). Marc acted as our personal tour guide, as Ann and Florence followed behind us chatting. Marc ensured that we all understood the significance of the castle, searched for pamphlets, and took us to the best stores in the village. We all bought jars of jam and honey to take home to our families, and we all found postcards to mail off to our loved ones. After finishing our time in the shops, it began to rain, so we decided it would be best to go home and stay in for the evening. Hannah and I said “bye” to Marin and Laura, and we went off for the night.
Upon arriving home, Ann and Marc offered for us to have a relaxing movie night (en Français!). Hannah and I quickly agreed as we were tired from the week’s activities. We hung out with the cats on the couch and we all took naps during the show. Finally, dinner was served around 8:30pm. Marc cooked us chicken wings, potatoes, and watermelon. We ate together with the family, practicing our French and English. For dessert, we ate ice cream popsicles outside while watching the rain fall. After dinner, Hannah and I decided to go to bed early in preparation for our 6:15am wake up call the next morning. We are looking forward to spending tomorrow at the beach town of Collioure!
Can’t believe we’ll be home in less than a week!
By: Cameron Holt
July 13, 2025
Bonjour familles ! Today marked the third day of our homestays. We had the earliest wake-up yet at around 6:30am. Everyone ate an authentic French breakfast with their homestay families and gathered at the nearby school parking lot at 7:30am. We then hopped on a 2-hour long bus ride and began heading towards the beautiful beach town of Collioure. Upon our arrival, we walked through the town together and were shown our boundaries of where we could walk during our free time. During this time we took in the beautiful views of the Mediterranean and came across a huge coastal château. We quickly found spots to lay down on the pebble beach and put down our towels. Groups began to form based on what we felt like doing; some went for a swim, some tanned, and others went to explore the town. After an eventful three hours, we reassembled for lunch, where we ate picnic lunches packed by our homestay families. Following lunch, we resumed exploring the town and swimming in the water. At 2:30 we regathered at the beach to pick up our belongings and eat a quick goûter at a nearby gelato shop. We were given countless options of flavors which ranged from a basic vanilla, to a mysterious Pokemon flavour which nobody tried. From there, we went back on the bus which brought us back to the parking lot where our homestay families were ready to drive us back to their homes.
We were met with a delicious home-cooked dinner, where we conversed in French about the upcoming Bastille Day while getting to know each other even better. My family brought us to La Cité, the fortified city located in downtown Carcasonne. During our exploration we came across many shops and restaurants situated inside. On our way out, we came across many sculptures that we took photos with, one of which included a huge blue gorilla. We then concluded our night out by driving back and eating ice cream with our family on the porch. Finally, we got ready for bed and rested to prepare for tomorrow’s Bastille day!
By: Henry Sorkin
July 14, 2025
As today is Bastille day, France’s independence day, all of the students on the Global Works trip spend the day with their homestay families.
After a lengthy sleep and a 9am wake up by one of my homestay brothers, Alex N. and I, Owen, quickly got ready to go and visit the medieval castle in Carcassonne. The castle first started being built in the 4th century by the Roman’s and was a thriving city for more than a thousand years. Tonight thousands of fireworks would be fired from the castle for all of Carcassonne to see. Over half a million people were expected to watch the fireworks. When we arrived at the city, all of the streets surrounding it were closed in preparation for tonight so my host parents reluctantly payed for parking. While we walked into the city, we observed lots of people outside dressed up as medieval soldiers hoping for tips while burning in the sun. A once bustling city had now just become a tourist attraction. After a short tour of the city we went to the museum which used to be the main fortress of the city where the leader used to live. In the museum there was lots of art work which showcased a false, yet believable, tale of how the city was saved by a women throwing pigs at Charlemagne’s army which caused them to back off as they believed that they had ample food and would never surrender. While walking through the museum we saw the fireworks being set up for the show tonight. The museum was followed by a walk through the Basilica.
After a tour of the city, we split up from our family for an hour to go shopping. As it was my real mom’s 50 birthday, I spend the whole time buying her gifts. After we finished shopping, we met back up with our parents who were buying homestay gifts for their son who is doing a homestay in Brazil.
When we left, we were unable to make it far before being forced to take a picture. After a 20 minute ride back to my family’s house, we ate a lunch of kebabs and curry prepared by my homestay brothers and their friends. While the chicken was ice cold, it tasted really good. We were given some free time before we had to go to the fireworks show. While Alex, my homestay partner, took a nap, I started my long packing journey as my clothes were everywhere in my room. Two hours of harsh packing later, I was almost halfway done.
Despite it only being 4:30pm and the fireworks being at 10:30pm, we went on a bus that the village had come together to get for the night. The entrance to the park we were going to closed at 5pm so we had to go very early. After a hot bus ride with not enough air-conditioning, we arrived at the park. Despite being far, it had a beautiful view of the castle. While we waited in the sun for the fireworks there was lots of entertaining things to do. From a band playing American classics, to destroying french people in Molky, a French game where you try to knock down wooden blocks from far away. At 7:30pm we were really hungry but dinner was not for another 2 hours and goûter was not for another hour, our family took us to get ice cream made from sheep’s milk. It had a very unique taste that was much different than cows milk. It was very smooth similar to soft serve ice cream.
As the sun started to set at 8:30pm snacks were brought out for everyone to eat in order to hold off our hunger until dinner. The goûter consisted of barbecue flavored chips, peanuts, and plain crackers. At 9:30pm dinner was brought out which was just tons of salami, prosciutto, sausage and bread. My family brought cantaloupe for us, but all of the German people that had been in the city for the week for Jumellage attempted to steal it. As 10:30 finally rolled around, the music stopped and all the lights were turned off. It was pitch black with the only light coming from the castle. Fireworks were shot for 10 minutes straight before a short break while red lights shined on the castle which looked like the city had been raided and set on fire. After the intermission, the fireworks continued for another 10minutes with at least 3 being a crazy finally. As the fireworks ended we quickly packed up and headed to the bus.
The ride back was much cooler than the ride there. When we finally arrived back to the house everyone was near falling asleep. A crazy Bastille day ended with another 2 hours of packing before falling asleep with more work to do in the morning.
I, Lara, started my day with a leisure wake up followed by some relaxing down time were I got to catch up on my journaling and learn some new games including Yams. After the relaxing morning, my host sister, Marin, and I got to making our main dish for lunch which was a mushroom, ham, and cheese pizza. Accompanied with the pizza we had sides of vegetables, sausage, bread, and homegrown tomatoes. After the delicious lunch Laurent, my host dad, convinced everyone into going to the pool. Once in the pool we played multiple games including, monkey in the middle, colo-maya (marco-polo), and just pacing a ball. After quite some time in the pool we were all very tired but had to rush to get ready to see the fireworks for Bastille day. Once ready, we piled into the car and headed to a viewing point of the castle.
Once we arrived we realized how many people were there and how hungry we were. Because of this, we went searching for a place to eat nearby and we decided on McDonald’s. From here, we split up so half of our family went to get our food and the other half including me set up our picnic spot getting ready for the fireworks. Soon after we finished setting up, the other half of our family showed up accompanied by my host families neighbors who we would spend the rest of night with. With everyone and our food here we had a nice picnic and played Yams and Uno while waiting for the fireworks. Once we were a few games in we heard cheers and realized the fireworks had started. We sat there watching the spectacle for a while owing and awing at all the different colors and types. Once they finished we piled back into the car exhausted but that didn’t stop us from blasting music and dancing while getting judgey French stares by those around us. After a little bit of traffic we arrived back home and went straight to bed.
By: Lara Landell Mills & Owen Bergman
July 15, 2025
Today was our last day in the south of France, as we began our last leg of the trip in Paris. We all woke up in our homestays to begin the day. I awoke, again, with a spread of chocolatines and watermelon. Hannah and I ate our last meal with Anne while spending time with the cats and feeding the turtles. We said “Merci et Au Revoir!” before exchanging la bise. Anne then drove us to the train station where we met up with the other students. We all talked about our fun experiences with our families from the day before. It was really cool to see how each family spent their time on Bastille Day.
The journey today consisted first of an hour train ride from Carcassonne to Toulouse. We all jammed onto the metro and took our seats on the train. After we arrived, we had to quickly run to the next train which would take us directly to Paris. We took our seats, and we all pulled out our lunches that our host parents packed for us. My lunch consisted of a sandwich and some chips. For the next five hours we played card games, read books, called home and took naps. We also took advantage of the tables and chairs facing each other by playing Uno.
Upon arriving at Paris, we took a forty minute bus ride to the hostel where we will be staying at for the rest of the trip. The girls are all staying in one room with triple decker bunk beds, and the boys are also staying together. The next couple nights will be fun, to say the least. We unpacked, claimed our beds, and got our things ready for the evening before meeting again in the lobby to head out.
To get to the restaurant, we had to take the train. For some, this was their first metro experience in Paris, so it was exciting to show them this new mode of transportation. We arrived at dinner at 8pm, and we were all excited because it was Italian cuisine. Most people ordered pizza or pasta. I, personally, shared my budget with Marin, and we got rigatoni pasta with eggplant and a margarita pizza. It was delicious! Then, for desert, most people ordered the restaurant’s famous tiramisu.
After dinner, we headed on our night time boat tour. Because the sun sets so late in France, this didn’t start until 10:45pm. We took our seats on the boat, and set sail on the Seine River. At 11pm the lights on the Eiffel Tower sparkled, and our boat had the most perfect view of the scene. We finished the tour by looking at the Louvre, the Notre Dame, the National Assembly, and a ferris wheel. It was a spectacular experience and a great way to begin our time in Paris.
Finally, we took the train back to the hostel. Everyone returned to their separate rooms where they got ready for bed. Everyone is looking forward to spending the day in Paris tomorrow. Instead of looking at the Eiffel Tower, we will actually be on it!
Au revoir et on se voit dans trois jours !
By: Cameron Holt
July 16, 2025
Bonjour tout le monde! We started off our eventful day at our hostel in the lively Opera-Monmarte neighborhood of Paris with a 8AM wake up. We got 45 minutes to get ready in our rooms, some getting to navigate what it is like being in one room with 10 girls who are all trying to get ready at the same time (it is definetly an experience). We got an extra 15 minutes to get ready this morning, as opposed to our usual 30, and there was definetly a sense of excitement in the air when that was announced yesterday. At 8:45, we headed downstairs to a delicious breakfast at the hostel. We ate a spread of breads, juices, meats, cheeses, jams, and honey, making sure to fuel up for our next task – climbing up the Eiffel Tower.
We exited the hostel and headed to the metro, where we took the subway to a viewpoint across from the Eiffel Tower. There, we took pictures and tried to avoid tourist schemes. Then we walked down to the Eiffel Tower itself as we got a history lesson from Katie. We walked under it, got our tickets, and began our hike up. We went up to both the first and second levels where we explored and shopped for ice cream, macarons, Eiffel Tower keychains, and more! Sadly, the very top of the tower was closed, but we greatly enjoyed our view, being able to look down on all of Paris and her beauty. We went down the Eiffel Tower in the elevator and took the metro to the gardens located outside of the Louvre, walking through a beautiful pathway. We sat down to eat at a small café in the gardens that contained many French classics: crêpes, croque monsieur, baguette sandwiches, chocolat chaud, and quiches! After a delightful lunch, with a fast-moving waiter who served us in opposite order (dessert, lunch, bread, then drinks) and who was single-handedly running the restaurant, we split into groups for our museum adventure. The options were the Louvre or Musee D’Orsay.
I headed to the Louvre, where we were led by Katie to view the classics: The Mona Lisa, Lady Liberty, and more. After walking through as a group, we split into groups of 3 and explored even more, visiting masterpiece paintings, sculptures, jewels, and the gift shop. Then we reunited outside. Meanwhile, according to Hannah, the Musee D’Orsay was “breathtakingly beautiful” and they got to see the incredible impressionist works of Monet, Van Gogh, and others. Before meeting up with us, they stopped for a quick snack.
Once reunited, we took another group photo, and took the metro to another neighborhood, where we were going to do some shopping. Before shopping, we stopped at a café for goûter. We split into groups, explored, and shopped of course! Shopping took place in a neighborhood that we had visited on our very first day in Paris, we all saw how far we had come and reflected on how different we felt back then. After shopping, we walked to a local French restaurant for a delicious dinner.
We feasted on really yummy food, and with this being our last “French resturant” of the trip, many tried new French dishes – some, including myself, trying escargot! After dinner (and dessert of course), we split into groups based on what we were feeling up to: one group went back to the hotel, another went souvenir shopping and then back to the hotel, and the last one went souvenir shopping and viewed the Sacre Coeur. The groups that went souvenir shopping braved the intensely ched cobblestone, with an incredible view at the top complete with a sparkling Eiffel Tower.
Once we arrived outside the Sacre Coeur, we shopped in the many souvenir shops that can be found there. After 30 minutes of shopping, one of the groups continued on to view the Sacre Coeur. We viewed its incredible architecture, enjoyed the aerial view of the city, and also the music. There were multiple street performers playing on the steps of the Sacre Coeur, we sat, listened, and some even got up to dance.
The air was filled with the sound of good music that reminded us of home: Twist & Shout, Billy Jean, I Gotta Feelin’, and the Macarena. Then after the millionth encore, we hung up our dancing shoes and walked back to the hostel, exhausted from our long day but our hearts full from the wondsrful city that Paris is. We promptly headed to bed, excited to soak in our last day together and explore this wonderful city even more! We miss you all so much and are looking forward to seeing y’all in a couple days!
XOXO,
Marin (AKA Bear)
July 17, 2025
Salut mes amis! The soft sun fluttered gently this morning into our Montmartre, Paris hostel as we prepared for our long-awaited, last bittersweet day here in France. Most of us chose to have an extra early rise so that we could visit one last pastry shop. The delicate layers of croissants, pain au chocolat, twists, and other delightful delectables enlarged our smiles for our long day ahead.
After regrouping, we strolled through different neighborhoods, chatting, people watching, and admiring the novel cuisines placed at the various shops along the way. For possibly the first time on this trip, we arrived at La Gare de Lyon ahead of schedule and were able to catch an earlier train to Versailles. As Paris faded into the hazy distance, we were able to admire various other styles of architecture and reflect on our favorite parts of the trip thus far.
Upon arrival, we were greeted with “the kind of rain that does not get you wet,” according to Patrick, though it did indeed give us a not-so-nice shine. We walked up to the gargantuan gold palace where we met our French guide for the day, Laurine. After going through security and getting audio guides to listen to Laurine, we used the tourist restrooms as there were none at the time in the extra large palace.
We admired illustrious paintings, lavish furniture, and revolutionary ideas of the time. Laurine was extremely helpful, sharing her knowledge of the Sun King, or Louis the fourteenth, and his family’s history. Some notable mentions are how “God Save the King” came to be, the mischievous scheme that was the hall of mirrors, and weekly party affairs. I found it particularly interesting how everything there was for a show. Laurine said Louis XIV had a “big head” meaning he was egotistical and people would watch him arise in the morning, use the chamber pot, and view the spectacle of his wedding night.
After seeing the queens and kings wings along with the rooms in between, we headed out to the gorgeous gardens to navigate the maze and find our lunch destination. We savored our last long French lunch, though many chose to get more “traditional” American food such as burgers, fries, and chicken tenders. After lunch, the sky cleared in perfect time for us to see an interesting water show in one of the fountains. The splashes were very refreshing and the courtyard music made it easy to picture life hundreds of years ago. We viewed other fountains such as those with different Greek gods to represent different seasons. However, they were all placed in the opposite direction to prove that Louis XIV could control the weather.
The bike rental reservation delay provided some much-needed rest before hopping on cushy cruiser bikes to explore further into the gardens. It was all simply stunning and many of us felt it was the quintessence of our strengths; light riding, picturesque views, and fun with friends. We stopped briefly to visit Marie Antoinette’s “peasant cottage” and took in her movie set-like design. There were fresh gardens, animals, a pond, and lodging for plenty of her friends and family. We even got to try the local royal fruit of Mirabelles which brought about mixed opinions.
Looking over the view, we took in some of our last moments together and wrapped up with a group photo in the color order of the French flag as we were all coincidentally wearing red, white, and blue. We completed the tour, said “merci beaucoup” to Laurine, and headed back to Paris on the train. When we arrived, we did some last-minute shopping for goodies to bring back home and then went out to dinner at La Mosquee. The food was delicious with many getting fresh juice and tea to accompany couscous and tagine dishes. We captured some last memories by the Seine to remember our fabulous French adventure. The macaron on top was quite literally on fresh gelato in the shape of a rose. I got lemon (citron), strawberry (fraise), and raspberry (framboise) sorbet with a tiramisu macaron and it was chef’s kiss. We happened to see a certain blue glowy movie star, Zoey Saldaña, who we chatted with briefly before taking our last metro, returning to the hostel.
To tie the bow, we played a complimenting game, shared our roses and thorns of the trip, and wrote letters to our future selves that Global Works will distribute during the year. We all tidied our things for the plane ride ahead and packed up our bags before returning to the World Wide Web that is our phones. Some people caught up with friends and their family while others took power naps. Tomorrow is an extremely early wake-up, that is if one chooses to sleep, and then a bus ride to the airport before parting ways and saying goodbye for now.
We have all had an amazing time on this trip; we improved our French skills, grew as people, and enlarged our perspectives. I personally will cherish these memories for a lifetime and look forward to making so many more. Je t’adore France!
À bientôt!
Hannah