I’m here! The last few days have been very busy with my new host family showing me around Toulouse and other parts of France so I havn’t been on the computer much. But anyway, the flights here were good but rather long. However, many of the Rotary students from the USA (there were about 60 of us) who were going to France all met up in DC before flying over to Paris and it gave us all a chance to meet one another and talk about the amazing year we were going to have. I even met a few people who would be living near me so that will be nice knowing that I will already have some friends who live close by. After the flight to Paris, there were a few of us who would be flying to the Toulouse airport where we would finally meet our host families. I was greeted with warm hugs from all of them and then I said goodbye to the friends I met on the plane (I will see them all on Sept. 11&12 for a rotary weekend) and away we went. The first day, my host mom, Martine, my host sister, Noemie, and my host brother, Rudy, and I went to a pool to hang out and get to know eachother. It was very nice and relaxing because the first day I arrived it was so hot. That night I went to bed early because I was tired from the very long day I had on the planes. The next day, Rudy and I went to his friends house to go swimming and later that night we went to another friends for a birthday party. Rudy’s friends were very nice but I couldn’t really understand what they were saying unless they spoke very very slowly or in english. But anyways, it was good to meet some people and to know some familiar faces when I go to school, which by the way starts this Thursday! AHH. Wish me luck. Yesterday, once again, Rudy and I went to go visit his friends but this time in the city. Toulouse is SOO pretty! All the buildings are red and the town is located right on the Garone River and there is lots to do. I also got to see my new school which looks quite nice.  And finally, today we went a la mer (to the ocean). We went to a town called Gruissan which is situated right on the Mediterannean Sea. It was so cute! We had a picnik lunch on the beach and then we went in the ocean for a bit but it was freezing. Apres, we headed back towards Toulouse which was about an hour and a half away but we stopped to take pictures at a town called Carcassonne which is a fortified castle. Early tomorrow morning, we have to go to the airport to take Rudy, my host brother, to his plane. He leaves to go to Chesapeake, VA on exchange for the year with Rotary. I’m sure he will have alot of fun and he will definitely be missed! I need to go get some sleep because I am waking up in a few hours but I will hopefully write more later!

Miss you all!

Rebecca