First Day in Rennes

We just finished our cultural orientation in Paris (seeing the sights, learning some history), and today is our first day in Rennes! Last night we moved into our host families’ houses, and today we had meetings regarding how to behave and what to do in cases of emergencies and such.

My host family is extremely kind. Dominique and her husband are grandparents, so three of her five grandsons were here to greet me and to spend the night. They were a laugh, and the four-year-old even corrected my French once. This morning, though, Dominique didn’t wake up before I had to leave, so without breakfast, I set out to make my way via public transportation to the university. The stop Dominique told me was wrong, but I asked the bus driver, and he told me the right one. Then I had to ask a lady who got off at the same stop where the metro was. Then I went the wrong direction from the metro station, but in the end, I made it to the meeting only a little late.

My way home was even more interesting. The bus stop near the metro for the bus going the other direction was closed. I didn’t realize, so I waited there for quite a while before three French girls came along and figured it out. A lady told us which direction to go to find the next stop, but that stop didn’t have the line that I needed. The three French girls and I waited for a while there before they decided to go to a third stop which was definitely on the line we needed. Thankfully, I overheard and asked if I could join them, and we found the right bus and all got the right place.

In conclusion, with the help of 6 different people, I successfully navigated Rennais public transportation!

 

Prayer requests:

• Continued safety while traversing the city (especially when I’m alone)
• Opportunities to make friends (without partying until the sun rises)
• Courage to talk to other students, members of my host family, etc.

Merci encore!