Throughout the years, Carlsbad High students have learned how to say “auf Wiedersehen” in German, “adeus” in Portuguese, “do svidaniya” in Russian and many more phrases thanks to our foreign exchange students. CHS annually hosts a plethora of international students from all over the world. This year, two girls traveled across continents bringing with them their foreign charm, with an aroma of freshly baked bread and sweet hot chocolate.

Senior Péroline Rouillard is miss France and senior Lisa Loré is miss Belgium and both will make Carlsbad their new home until July where they will return back to their countries. So far, the U.S have made a significant impact on them.

“Even from the first day people were very nice, we went to a shop and people were asking us how was our day, something that doesn’t happen in France a lot,” Rouillard said.

Student life was a major alteration for both girls. Both said life in Carlsbad feels more relaxed and slow paced.

“For students the life here is very different than in France. Here students have all afternoon to do sports and other things but in France you finish at 6 and you just have time to do your homework and sleep,” Rouillard said. “I don’t really have time for anything after school, I have to come back home and do my homework, and I also have school on Saturday morning, but that’s only in my school, not in other schools.”

Both Rouillard and Loré have busy schedules in their countries and being in the states feels like a nice change of routine for them.

“School here is more laid back because in Belgium you have 8 hours of classes every day and school ends at 5, being here is like having a one year vacation,” Loré said.

Loré misses the activities she did back in Belgium, specifically horse riding. At 18 Loré occupies the first spot in jumps and is the youngest one to have received that rank.

“Here it is a bit more expensive, but in Belgium I participate in competitions and I am number one in my city in the ’18 to 25′ year old jumping category,” Loré said.

Both girls are looking forward into seeing more of the U.S toward the end of the year where they will go on a trip around the country.

“Thanks to the International Rotary association, we will go on a trip in all of the U.S and I really can’t wait for that,” Rouillard said.

Rouillard will also go on a separate trip with her host parents who will take her to see Mexico and the Grand Canyon. Rouillard sends her regards to her friends and family back home and appreciates the opportunity she has been given to travel across the world to experience new cultures.