Marguerite Niquel and 520 other are members of the EF exchange program that started its year with a 10 day camp atNorwhich University. “My first flight to go to camp was from Montreal to Boston so it only took one hour and fifteen minutes,” Niquel describes her journey to a city she is familiar with, adding “it was not my first time.
She then continued on a four hour flight from Boston, stopping in Charlotte, and then landing in Kansas City. “Since I am with my family in Missouri, I went to Oceans of Fun, it was fun! And to my first real baseball game to see the Royals” Niquel describes her adventures.
By staying the entire year in Lee’s Summit Niquel will have time to do what she enjoys most, “hanging out with my friends and going shopping. I love to travel, sew and taking pictures too.” She also looks forward to her first dance, with homecoming fast approaching and prom.
But what makes one leave a home, family, and friend for a new one, only for a year? “I wanted to be an exchange student to have the chance to live this experience, to learn and new language and because I just wanted to leave home” Niquel goes on to say, “And to choose America? I wanted to live what people in the movies live!”
In Quebec, a French speaking region, television shows such as One Tree Hill and the OC portrayed an unreal life to Niquelm with the big football game, cooking and parenting classes, and dances.
Although Niquel may say, “I think that Canada and USA look the same” there are quite a bit of differences one being the more fat food digested.
Niquel explains her experience the weekend of the Nationally aired Staley game saying, “Before my first Titan’s football game, we went in the parking and I saw people doing ‘camping’ or something, in the parking lot, to have a good place. I think it’s weird because at my school we have football to,real football, not soccer, and there’s 50 people, a lot who arrive late. Here, you have to be there two hours before the game and it’s already full!”
Although Niquel recognizes many simlarities and differences between Kansas City and Quebec, she has fallen into a nice routine in her day to day adventure.
