The past 2 weeks, I have had the pleasure of staying with the Reignier-Tayar family, who have been absolutely wonderful. They are extremely kind and accommodating and have made my stay here so amazing.
In the mornings, my host parents travel to work, my host brother goes to school, and I spend the day with my host sister, Dana. In the evenings, we eat family dinners together almost every day. This is around 9 pm, and afterward, we have family game night almost every night. We have played Monopoly, chess, and a lot of different card games.
The primary language spoken in the apartment in French. However, my host parents, brother, and sister, are all very good at English and make an effort to speak in English when possible, for my benefit.
Also, my host sister has an older sister, Marie, who attends college in Switzerland. She came to visit a few days ago and I got to know her. When the family was reunited, we visited Annecy, stayed in a cabin in Manigod, and then spent quality family time at home back in Grenoble. A game we often play is Mario Party on the Wii, and I take the opportunity to read the instructions and captions in French :)
My host family has been so wonderful to me and I am so glad I am staying with them. The family dynamic is certainly different than mine back in Phoenix, but I feel very accepted here and the environment in my host family's home is so welcoming. I absolutely love taking part in their family traditions and I have learned a lot about household norms in France.
