X is for Aix en Provence

I can't believe we are almost done with the A-Z Challenge!

Today we're travelling back in time to 2005, to France, this time for a week's exchange program in Aix (pronounced the same as "X") en Provence. I was housed with one other girl from my class in the home of a local French woman in this picturesque town.

I remember being so thankful that I had my friend staying there with me. Our houser picked us up from the airport and so began the week long experience of stumbling through conversations in French and exploring this town in the Southern region of France.

Aix is such a pretty little place and just oh so charming and French. In the mornings, after a breakfast of buttery croissants we would head out of the house and attempt to figure out the directions to the bus stop that we received from our host "mom." We'd hop on what we hoped was the correct line and head into the town for language classes. We only got off on the wrong stop once. For lunch we'd venture out  and put some of what we were learning into practice-ordering food, asking for directions, shopping,

We also took a day trip to Avignon and saw the historical Palais des Papes which became the residence of the Pope in 1309 during a period known as the Avignon Papacy. While there we also saw the Pont du Gard and the Pont d'Avignon (the inspriation for the song by the same name).

Of course looking back I don't think I really took this trip too seriously. Mostly I remember just hanging out with my classmates and probably relying a little too heavily on the actual French kid in our group to help out with homework and getting around.  But I promise opportunities like this are not wasted on high schoolers...