As you might be able to tell, I have this weird, fierce loyalty to Bethune, but when I was first going to France, I had a tough time deciding whether to live in a town or city. I was seriously considering living in Lille, the closest big city to where I was assigned. I’d always lived in the suburbs or in small towns in the past and didn’t want to keep relying on friends in the city for a couch to crash on. I fully expected that if I was living in a smaller town, I’d be bored and would want to keep commuting into the city.
We were very attached to our beffroi numerique
I was so wrong. Here are the reasons why:Read more
I know I keep saying that I got really lucky with my TAPIF experience, but once again, I was fortunate to be able to stay with my host teacher’s family when I first got to France, and they were really understanding when I could barely understand French and passed out for something like fourteen hours on my first day (maybe my second too…). For people who don’t have that option or really prefer their own space, here are some alternatives, from cheapest to more expensive: