Aini lives abroad for junior year

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live in a foreign country? Do you want to learn more about other cultures? Is one of your life goals to see the world?

Juliet Aini answers a resounding yes!

Aini will be spending her junior year in Tours, France, as part of the Rotary Youth Exchange. Students ages 15-19 are eligible to take part in the exchange, which can be short (days-three months) or long term (one school year).

Aini’s French teacher Barbara Cook received an email from Spanish teacher Melissa Foster explaining the exchange. After learning about the exchange, Aini emailed a Rotary member and “things just took off from there”.

“I wanted to experience another culture and learn about a place different to Aurora. One of my life goals is to travel, and I seized the opportunity,” said Aini.

After being accepted into the program, Aini learned she will spend her year abroad in Tours, France. Tours is close to Paris and lies in the Loire River Valley. The city is full of castles, cathedrals, and cafes, making it an ideal place to soak up French culture.

Aini will live with three different host families over the course of her 11-month stay. Rotary interviews potential host families and conducts home inspections in order to ensure students will be safe. After messaging two of her three host families, Aini said they are very kind and she is excited to meet them.

She will attend a public school which “prides itself on having exchange students”. Even though she isn’t exactly sure what her daily life will be like, she expects it to be similar to her daily life in America-with some differences. For instance, she will more than likely take public transportation to and from school, and will have the opportunity to explore a true French city once her homework is done.

In addition to living in France, Aini will have the opportunity to travel to several other countries, including Italy, Germany, and Spain. Aini also plans to explore other parts of France, including Paris, which is only an hour and a half away by train.

Aini is looking forward to her year abroad. She said she is most looking forward to living life as a French person, and hopes to become fluent in French in order to “get the full French experience”.

Aini will spend the entirety of her 11-month stay in Tours, but says her family will come to visit her. She will miss her friends, family and “definitely” her cat, but is looking forward to meeting new people and learning about French culture.