Mary McKay

Ten girls from Marian’s French classes took an immersion trip to France on March 2-9. Students enrolled in either French III or IV were able to sign up for the trip around spring break of last year. The cost was just under $3,400 per person.

These trips were common before the Covid-19 pandemic, but Mrs. Janet Tuttle brought them back on an every-other year cycle similar to the summer trips.

On this year’s trip, students stayed in Nice, which junior Darian Jones said “[is] similar in population to Omaha and not super busy with tourists.” 

The students were placed in groups of two with host families to stay with for the entirety of the trip.  “I really loved our host family, and I think it made the trip more enjoyable,” Jones said. The chaperones stayed in hotels.

Although it was spring break, the students attended classes from 8 a.m. to noon every day. Some days it was just learning the language but others they were taken into town to learn about the culture. They learned in and out of class.

“I think that the best part of the trip was being able to use my French more than I thought,” senior Emma Koch said. 

 After class, they went on day trips by bus or train to other parts of France, one favorite being Monaco. Then, when they returned, they would buddy up and explore Nice on their own. Each location they visited was entirely different; one bus ride took them from a modern city to a medieval town. 

The culture in Nice consisted of a slower, calmer pace than in America. Smoking was also common which was shocking for the students. Another surprise was how “[French citizens] get this bad rap for being rude when really they are helpful and kind as long as you are kind to them,” Jones said. 

Trams and trains were more common than cars which was something the students were not used to. 

“This was really cool because for everyone who was on the tram, it was their main form of transportation which is so different from everyone going to school in their own car,” Koch said. 

Both Jones and Koch enjoyed their trip to France and would return if given the chance. “If I went back, I would definitely want to stay for longer because a week was just not long enough,”  Koch said.

With a small group, the trip created a great bonding experience for Marian students. Koch said, “There were only 10 Marian girls on the trip, so I definitely got to know some Marian students better than I did before.” She continued on to say, “We also made friends with a girl from Italy which was really cool.” With close quarters, new friendships were formed.

Jones ended with some final words of advice, “I recommend that everyone travel abroad if the chance comes.” Take the trip and make new memories or you will forever regret not taking a chance.

Photos from the trip, provided by Mrs. Tuttle: