American student shares her exchange experience with a Norman family in Gauville-la-Campagne

She left Dayton, Ohio (United States), to put her suitcases in Gauville-la-Campagne, near Évreux (Eure). Since September 2022 and until July 2023, Aamah16, shares the daily life of a Norman family and continues her education at the Modeste-Leroy high school in Évreux.

“The choice of France was logical for me, because I had been studying the language for two years”, explains the young American, in now impeccable French. She had been pursuing this international exchange project for a long time. ” My father was against the fact that I’m gone for so long at my age. I worked all summer to pay for my trip and he understood that I was not joking. So he changed his mind! »

On her arrival at Évreux station, she was greeted by a couple from Gauville-la-Campagne, David and Vanessa Marie. As a volunteer host family, they joined the association’s exchange program at the end of 2021. AFS Living without borders. “Initially, Vanessa wanted to welcome a young foreigner so that our 7 and 11-year-old daughters could develop their English,” says Damien. Vanessa understands English well and I speak it, so we complement each other! But the goal is that the teenagers welcomed speak French at most. So, after two receptions, our daughters still don’t speak English…” laughs Damien.

Tour de France

During the year, the Marie family takes Aamah to discover the French territory and culture. “We visited Mont-Saint-Michel, Étretat, Honfleur, La Rochelle, the island of Oléron, Paris… lists the father of the family. It’s great, because it allows us to rediscover our region. »

From these excursions, the young American remembers above all “architecture”. “I find the buildings really pretty in France, with a lot of variety between cities. I loved the food too, especially the raclette and cheese! »

But it wasn’t all that simple for Aamah. “When I arrived, people were all very nice to me, but I wasn’t comfortable with the language,” she recalls. It took me three months to adapt. And the American high school student has managed to find her place in the Ebroïcien high school. “All my friends are French. Here, young people smoke a lot more, she observes. I was surprised to see how the French were curious about the United States, they asked me a lot of questions like “is high school like in the series? » »

The relationship between students and teachers is also different. ” There is more distance here. In the United States, we eat with them and we do not hesitate to go see them to ask them questions. There, we finish classes at 3 p.m. Here, it’s 6 p.m., and we have a lot of holes in the schedule,” Aamah seems to regret.

“No motor vehicle, no hitchhiking, no drugs”

Within the family, cultural differences can lead to difficulties. “Dialogue is essential as soon as we feel that there is a misunderstanding,” says Vanessa. “We have to act as we would act with our own daughter, adds Damien. And respect the three basic rules from the AFS: no motor vehicle, no hitchhiking, no drugs. »

In any case, Vanessa Marie assures him, after this exchange, “it will be over”. Following the departure of the Latvian high school student they hosted last year, Vanessa confides that she “cried for a week”. ” Emotionally it’s too complicated, adds her husband. It’s harder for us because Aamah will be reunited with her family and friends. For us, there will only be a void…”

But the story could only be just beginning, since the Marie family will be going to Latvia in July to visit Nora, welcomed last year. “And we have already planned to go visit Aamah, in the United States, in two years ! »

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