My Experience Living With a Host Family in Rennes
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The following blog was written by a student intern on a Summer 2026 CIEE high school abroad program. Read on for a first-hand account of what it's like on program in Rennes, France.
Living with a host family can sound a little frightening. I mean, who are these people, and what do you mean I'm going to live with them for several months? Will they like me? Will I like them? Will it be awkward? Those are all perfectly normal questions. But fear not, because living with a host family is far less scary than it sounds, and it might just become one of the most rewarding parts of your exchange.
Living with a host family gives you the opportunity to truly immerse yourself in a new culture and, in the case of Rennes, in the language too. It can also mean experiencing many "firsts": your first time having siblings, your first time living with pets, or even your first time spending two hours around the dinner table every evening.
For me, one of those firsts was having pets. My host family had two cats and a dog. I had always wanted pets growing up, and thanks to this experience, I finally got to know what it was like. Safe to say, it confirmed two things: I will definitely have pets one day, and I am absolutely a cat person.
One of the most unique aspects of the Rennes program is its emphasis on language immersion, and living with a host family made that possible. I would spend my mornings learning French in class and then come home and put everything I had learned into practice by chatting with my host family about my day. Those everyday conversations made all the difference. Not only did they help me earn great grades in my French classes, but they also gave me the confidence to use the language naturally and accelerated my progress far beyond what I could have achieved in the classroom alone.
I also believe that if I hadn't lived with a host family, I wouldn't have learned nearly as much about French culture and cuisine. Every evening, we shared dinner togethero. From the entrée to dessert, we talked about everything: our days, our dreams, current events, cultural differences, and the little moments that make up everyday life. Through those conversations, I got to see the world from a French perspective while enjoying delicious French and Breton dishes. I'll never forget my very first dinner: a galette complète, one of Brittany's most iconic meals. Looking back, I can't think of a better way to have been welcomed into my new home.
Living with a host family doesn't just mean having a place to stay, it means gaining another family. Now that I'm back in Rennes for my internship, I've had the chance to reunite with my host family and even travel with them! Seeing them again warmed my heart. It felt as though no time had passed at all. What began as the slightly intimidating idea of living with complete strangers turned into one of the greatest gifts of my time abroad. Somewhere along the way, those "random French strangers" became people I love deeply, people I know I'll always have a home with whenever I return to Rennes. They will forever be my French family, and I couldn't be more grateful that our paths crossed.
Are you a high schooler interested in studying abroad for a summer with CIEE? Find out more about our high school summer abroad programs and apply today!
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