After five years, an opportunity of a lifetime has come about. Seeing part of the world that French classes IV and V have been learning about for four to five years has become available again.

“I’m just ready to get out. I’m very adaptable to change, which helps me go with the flow, and whatever happens, happens. So I’m not really scared,” senior Eva Stafne said.

French classes IV and V are going on a 14-day trip to France this summer. This year, 20 students and French teachers Jackie Parr and Amy Budion are attending. The first three days begin in Geneve, Switzerland, with cheese tastings and touring historic towns. Then they will head to Lyon, France, for a five-day family stay. Lastly, the group ends the trip in the famous Paris, France, sightseeing some of the most famous places in the world.

“I’ll understand more about the world. I’ve only traveled to other countries once or twice. I think I’m going to be different from learning more about other people and other people’s cultures,” junior Kelsey Kapfer said.

This school trip usually happens every other year, but the last time this trip took place was in 2018. With COVID-19 hitting in 2020, it impacted the trip’s inability to happen in 2021 and 2022. There has been immense planning done by Parr to make this all possible again. Parr plans every day’s itinerary and even what the group will do when there is not much to do. This takes a lot of time and preciseness on her part, along with having to wait for the travel company’s approval.

“Planning starts a year in advance working with the company,” Parr said. She made the entire itinerary herself, which is different from last year as this is the first year travel is happening with Xpertias.

One of the most critical aspects of this trip is the use of the French language, along with the immersion in the culture. With this being a school trip, only French will be used. Each student will stay with their own host family for five days. The experience students get from this is incredible, as it immerses one into the culture and the language like no other. With this comes many nerves but also great excitement.

Stafne is excited about the family stay as it will help her “to be able to better my language skills.” 

Kapfer is excited to learn about a different culture and way of living. She is staying with someone she hosted in America for a few weeks in 2022, so they are excited to switch roles this time around.

Taking a language in high school is far from easy, but the lifelong skills one earns from it make it worth it. In addition, studies show that learning a second language helps with brain development, social skills and finding a job in the workforce.

Kapfer said she feels her memory has improved with learning French. One always has to pay attention and stay focused when using a targeted language, which has helped her ability to focus and her memory in many other aspects of her life.

As the trip is quickly approaching, the group is anticipating the new experiences to come. Students will learn so much about themselves as people, the people around them and a different culture and way of living. “I’m not that nervous… I’m excited to watch everyone’s reactions to everything,” Parr said.