My name is Hannah King and this year I am in Year 13. During the summer holidays I was lucky enough to travel to France for a six week exchange. 

I got to travel over there all by myself, which was a massive journey, taking 30 hours in total. I stayed with my host sister and her family in a very small town called Vaucresson which was near to Versailles and also 20 minutes outside of Paris by train. During my time there I went to high school with my host sister, which was totally different to school in New Zealand. In the beginning I didn't understand much but I could definitely tell that my French was improving over the course of my time at school. The only class I still couldn't understand a word of by the end of my stay was Spanish.

My host family were lovely and while it was hard spending Christmas and New Year's away from my family and friends at home, they made my time super enjoyable and relaxed. They took me all over Paris; the classic places like the Eiffel Tower, Le Louvre and Notre Dame (plus many more), and also got me feeling like a real Parisienne on the metro. I think I probably ate my weight in pain au chocolats and baguettes but I regret nothing. The whole exchange was something that I have never experienced before, and I have learnt so much from every aspect of it. It has really solidified my plans to travel next year and motivated me to attain the highest level of French that I can. I would encourage everyone taking a language to consider going on exchange as it changes your perspective on your chosen language totally and opens up so many new opportunities.

Bisous xx