Farewell Toulouse

It seems like yesterday when a group of young students from all over America arrived in France. Many of them were unsure of what to expect and even a bit fearful of stepping outside of their comfort zone. Four weeks later, as our journey together comes to an end, the French teachers, program leaders, and CIEE staff are so pleased to see how this group has embraced new experiences, grown in the French language, become more internationally minded, and made new friends. This has been an incredible experience for all of us. As a French teacher, I can say that there is no greater joy than seeing a student communicate in French in a French-speaking country. There is no better classroom than this one!

Today, we gathered for one last time at the CIEE center in Toulouse. We celebrated by sharing a huge variety of delicious French pastries prepared Loma, by one of our favorite neighborhood establishments (About a two-minute walk from CIEE, many students visited daily for a chocolatine during class breaks). We also heard some inspiring words from the director of CIEE Toulouse, and some final travel instructions from the CIEE Toulouse HSSA coordinator. It was a heartfelt event that celebrated an amazing four-week journey.

Thank you to the CIEE staff in Toulouse for bringing together this experience for our students (Merci Isabelle, Julie, Julia, et Christine).

Thank you French teachers for sharing your knowledge of OUR beautful language (Merci May, Julia, Juliette, et Ioana).

Thank you, students, for stepping outside of your comfort zone and expanding your world view.

Thank you host families for welcoming us into your homes.

Thank you to the people of Toulouse for sharing your beautiful city with us.