Settled at last!

So, sorry I haven't been keeping up to date as much as I would like. But if been really busy!! Everything here is going great. France is amazing, the people are great, all is swell. Of course I miss home like crazy, but each day I'm starting to think less and less about home, and more about french culture, language, and live.

School here is different, as I stated before. I don't have ANY classes on wednesdays :D and the rest are not bad! Yes, of course, taking tests and trying to explain the effect of technology on modern day society is extremely hard...and of course, Im pretty sure I failed that test, but I always get 20/20 on my math exams!!

This weekend, it was my host brothers birthday. So, last night we had a Fête four him with his friends. It was so much fun, and so different than back at home. I've realized, especially with the teenagers here, my favorite words are "oui" et "d'accord"....even if I don't understand :p

Now, today is Sunday the 19th of September, and I had my first experience of French VTT. I've always learned about it in french class...but it is nothing that you can imagine. You literally are biking through puddles of modd (3 feet deep), flying through cow crap, dodging trees....etc. It is amazing, dangerous, but FUN. Also, I started playing handball with my host brother in his club. Again, we play european handball in gym class, but it is nothing here. It is like basketball, with soccer nets, yet you play like football...since you can push and shove and all that fun stuff. AND also, tomorrow I start my swimming team. I wanted to swim so I went to the pool, and then I asked if they had some teams. Next thing you know, Im swimming with the Dole Dauphins ;]

I miss everyone at home but Ill try to update as much as possible! I have to go shower now, since i have cow crap on me from vtt. yumm.

Avec l'amore

Ryan :]

Bonjour!!!

I am very sorry for not updating a lot. But, i just got to le Deschaux on Sunday!! But. France is amazing. Everything is SOOO old where I live, 700 and something years!!! Paris was gorgeous. the tour eiffel was bigger and more amazing then one could possibly think. I stayed in a hostel with afs people and it was a once i a life time experience! The food was different and the culture took some getting use to...since almost every one smoke in france. On sunday, I took the train from Paris to Dijion. I was extremely nervous to meet my family, but they are super nice! I couldn't ask for a better placement! We had lunch with the other afsers, and then we left for le Deschaux. When I arrived, I unpacked all of my clothes...which took a while...and then I went with Antoine to a "fête de moto"...like a bike show but for mopeds. There, I met all of his friends from deschaux and they were very welcoming. However, none of them go to the same high school as me since you can choose were you go to school in France. After that I learned how to play a french game with big metal balls and a little ball, its kind of like batchi ball in amercia. The next day I had to go to school. So....high school in france is NOTHING like high school in america. I go to a lycée in dole, which is a wicked old town (im going to take a video tour of my route from the bus stop to the school...you will see what I mean ;] also Ill take pictures of the school and the village) on Mondays I go to school until 4 o'clock...but I have 2 hours for lunch! the same with Tuesdays except, I finish at 3 one weeks and 2 the following week! However, today, which is Tuesday I had class for only one hour beacuse two of my teachers were on strike. so those classes were cancelled. However, when I went to get on the bus at 12..it never came. So i waited until 2...then was told the bus driver was on strike. So I went shopping, and waited for Antoine to finish his classes at 3 so he could help me!!! It is literally the same thing as college.... I have to walk out side in the poring rain to all of my classes, because there are like 5 buildings. Also, there is a since of freedom and trust that we don't have in the US. You do what you want, you go where you want, and you can leave when you want. For lunch, if I was to leave and go to a café or go shopping, then I can. It is way easier then going to a high school in the united states.

I have never kissed so many people in my life. It goes as follows, "salut! Ça va (kiss on right cheeck, kiss on left cheeck) oui, bien et toi" to all of your friends, people you are meeting for the first time, and your family. It is way more welcoming then "hi (do nothing....walk away). When I told my friends that we don't do the kisses in America they said "COMMENT?!?!!? Qu'est-ce que nous faisons" or what do you do?! and I just said, we say hi, and if it is someone that you know well then you may hug, and they thought that was the most bizzare thing in the world. c'est ça...simplement diffèrent

Bread. It is one word. But it means soooo much in France. I literally have not gone one meal yet without eating bread. This morning I woke up and I ate bread for breakfast. Not toast, but bread with nutella and jam. With breakfast I drank coffee...but its out of a bowl here :D For lunch, I had errr oh yea bread. And it was with pork and rice. The cafeteria is like a restaurant in the USA. IT has GOOD food. It is extremely strange to me. But i like it :] For dinner I ate bread. bread. bread. The main course was cucumbers in a balsamic-creame mixture hahah it was interesting but very good!!! After every dinner, we eat cheese :] with bread. and then we have yogurt and fruit, with bread. and then finally we eat some sort of chocolate :D but there is not bread with that :[

France is amazing, beautiful, and amazing. The people are all of the preceding as well. I love everyone at home, but for now I am at home!!! I promise I will come home eventually and I wont forgot you guys :]

Avec beaucoup d'amour et bisou

Ryan

p.s. Sorry if my english is really bad and its not flowy or smooth...I havent used it that much here :] and it is bad to begin with!!!!!!

ALSO- pics to come! check my fb, merci!

Au revoirsss

So,

I leave in 2 days. AHHH I AM SO EXCITED.

But. My sister left for college and I know I wont be seeing her again until February!! Every time I say goodbye to someone else I ask myself, WHY RYAN. WHY. I did it to myself!!!!

BUT then there is the other side saying, Ill see you in 5 months! It's not that long!! Plus, Ryan, You will have the best time of your life!

So, all in all, its a bitter-sweet situation. and though I'll miss everyone, I know for a fact that I will have an amazing time.

Now all I can say to myself is Bon Chance et Bon Voyage :]

~Ry

Less then a month

I haven't posted in a long time. So, i probably should!

It is SOOO weird to think that I will be leaving America and LIVING in another country. AHHH.

Yes, I know, I do always harp on the USA and how I dislike a lot of things....but I really do love it here! We are lucky to have what we have and do what we do! I'm not saying I won't like France, because I will, but now that I am actually leaving...I will miss the USA. and I appreciate our country more then ever.

BUT, France will be amazing :] and I will have the time of my life! I'll be sure to update frequently while I am abroad!

AHHHHHH!

WOOOOOOO. SO....today, I already was having a great day. But then I opened my e-mail and it got even better!!!!! I found out where in France I will be living and with whom!

I will be living in a town called le Deschaux, it is a rather small town with a population of 800 :D

My host parents are 38 years old, and their names are Marie-noelle and Jérôme

I have three host siblings, two brothers (15 and 7.5) and one sister (12)

I'll be going to school in a near by town, Dole.

Welp, this is what I have been waiting for forever, YAYAYAY! But, now I cannot sleep :[

More then just presents for Christmas

Well,

I said in the begining of the year that I wanted the year to go by fast.... BUT I was not expecting it to go by this fast! 2 months of Christmas songs litterly came and went, and now it is almost 2010! Eventhough there were quite a few amazing presents under the tree, the best one that I recieved was from AFS. I now have only 3-5 weeks untill I found out where I'll be staying! Not only that, but they sent me my "survival kit" for France. :D

Well I hope everyone had a "joyeux noel"

Avec Amour,
Ry

:D :D :D

I have just been informed that I have been accepted into the AFS program! AND they are sending my application to France, meaning that's the country I will be going to, if France accepts me. SO, it is not a guarantee that I will be going to France, but it's a "most-likely." My app. will be sent to France in the begining of January and I should hear from them around February/March with my host town and so forth XD Let's just hope for the best!

WOOOT!!!!!!

Dear everyone and anyone who cares,

I finally, after 3 months of working on it, submitted my FULL application. It's all about waiting form here on out!!!!!! WOOOT, now, its time to celebrate.

jk. I actually have to go write a report for english, so that way I'll have enough credits to graduate when I get back from France.... :[

Bonjour :D

Bonjour!!

My name is Ryan Colburn, as most of you know, and I am currently a sophomore at Whitesboro Highshool in NY. Ever since I started taking french in 7th grade, I have absoultely loved it! I speak french all the time(most of the times my friends would like to hurt me!) and am extremely intrested in the French culture!

So with that said, I have decided to study a semester abroad in France :D The main reason for going is just because I love French; however, I would like to gain the knowledge of how people live around the world.... not just life in New York.

The number on question I have been asked about this whole situation is "WHY?!? WONT YOU MISS YOUR FAMILY!?!?"..... and I have to answer truthfully. I will. I mean come on, I'm like half way across the world for half a year! But, I've been with them living this life for 15 years... and I am sure there will be many many more Christmas', Thanksgivings, Halloweens, etc. that I'll spend with them! It will be hard, but in the end, experiencing Christmas and New Years through a different cultures perspective will be... just amazing!!

...BUT this does come with a cost. My family has come (key word: has come... it has NOT always been this way :] ) to support my decesion to study abroad. But, I can not expect them to pay $9,500+ for me to become multi-cultural (if thats a word :p). So, I now work at Piggy Pats BBQ, http://www.piggypats.com/ (check it out and come one in!) and have been doing various fundraisers! If you have ANY ideas or would like to help, please feel free to leave comments or contact me!

I promise I will keep you guys all up to date pre, during, and post my trip to France

Thank You all SOOO SOOO MUCH for all of your help and support so far.

~Ryan :D