Post-Program Reflection

Having been in America for two weeks since returning from Nice, I've been able to reflect on my experiences with Abbey Road and come to an even greater appreciation of my time in Nice. Going to another country to be immersed in the language and culture is one of the most valuable experiences a high school student could have. My summer was great partially for the obvious reason, I was living in the French Riviera, but I owe my great experience truly to the Abbey Road staff who worked so hard to plan activities and trips for us that we loved and who made sure that we were improving our French as much as possible. I really enjoyed that our French classes always included activities outside of the classroom like a trip to a museum or a scavenger hunt in Old Town. Those really made the classes interactive as well as instructive and they allowed us to take full advantage of our surroundings. 

We went on many trips and enjoyed numerous activities but a few definitely made my trip! Eze was probably my very favorite trip, as it included the most spectacular view of the Riviera and we toured the famous Fragonard perfume factory. I also loved Antibes which had the best outdoor market as well as the Picasso museum. We had activities planned very often but I have to say that parasailing on the beach and par cours in the Alpes were two of the most amazing experiences of my entire life! I had never done either before and both were so much fun! I also can't leave out Monday night Zumba! Every Monday a group of us attended a Zumba class on the beach which was an awesome way to spend an evening!

One of the best parts about my Abbey Road experience was our living arrangements. I loved that all of the students stayed in the residence together because it really encouraged us to bond with each other and get to know everybody on the program. By the end of the trip, we had all become very tightly knit and great friends which was one of my hopes for the program when I signed up. It was nice having our own rooms though so we could have our own space and rest time when we needed it. The neighborhood around our residence was particularly great because we were so close to restaurants, gelaterias, shopping, great museums, and not too far from the beach either! All around it was a great living experience.

This summer has been the greatest adventure of my life! I loved every minute of it and would recommend spending a summer abroad with Abbey Road to anyone in a heartbeat! I hope that someday in the not so far future I will be able to go back to Nice and explore the many locales I came to love!