Fwance! (as Henry calls it)

​Okay, so as I am coming out of my third day in Saint-Cast-Le-Guildo, I am feeling so many things: Joy, lonliness, heartache, artistic drive, nervousness, etc. I recently had a skype lesson with a voice teacher, and we talked about hating the term “gap year” and how this should be a year of growth and exploration. Gap year has such a negative sound to it, and makes it sound like college is the end-all be-all of all 18-22 year olds. It makes it sound like you’re taking a break from life and not being productive, while really it should be the opposite. Doing something huge and scary like this is a big deal, and being taken out of your comfort zone and being placed in a totally different culture can only help you grow as a human being in the long run. So, I am only excited for what is to come. Obviously, I’m having somewhat of a hard time adjusting and not being with friends and family, but that’s what made me realize that I can do nothing but grow here.
Being with this family is fantastic. The kids are awesome, and I’ve had so many great talks with their mom, and their dad remembers to teach me everything there is to know about everything. The social aspect is hard since I don’t speak the language… BUT I was taking a walk today and some locals greeted me, and I said “bonjour” back and I don’t think they knew I was American… so 10 points for Gryffindor, am I right? The town is beautiful. There are a lot of world war two memorials and famous landmarks which is awesome. I love learning more about history and culture. Speaking of culture, I went to my first mass today… in French… so that was about as confusing as it gets. But I did pick up some words like God… that was about it. I guess I didn’t do as well as I thought. It was still a great experience, and it was cool to think about how everyone was there for the same purpose, no matter what language they spoke. I think the language barrier will be the hardest thing while I’m here. There are so many people I would love to talk to and learn about, but I get embarrassed that I literally know maybe 20 words in their language… definitely not enough to have a conversation. Unless they want to talk about how their cat is white, or how their children are eating strawberries. I know I just need to get more courageous and try to talk with people, but that will come with time.
Today was the first day I really had alone time, and it was fantastic. I went on a walk and explored. The nice thing about not speaking the language is that I couldn't read private property signs lol. I'm pretty sure I ended up in a meadow I wasn't supposed to be in, but it was so worth it. There was a trail that led all the way to a cliff that had more trails leading down to a little private beach. It was across from a beautiful old naval station. Let me tell you... I stood there for a while in so much peace. I'm looking forward to more beautiful experiences like that while I'm here. It made me very hopeful for the rest of my time. 
Do any of you have any suggestions as to how to immerse myself in the culture more fully/ how to learn languages? Leave some comments please! I’m lonely in a foreign country J