Almost time to head home

For the final week, Notre Dame High School of Acadia Parish, St. Michael School and Rayne Catholic School will welcome its foreign exchange students from Guatemala.

The students return home Friday, but will definitely miss the schools and life they’ve come to love in Acadia Parish.

“I like it here,” said Mario “Andy” Skinner-Klee, who, along with six others, has been attending Notre Dame since Oct. 17.

“The people are friendly.”

All seven Notre Dame exchange students have enjoyed the friendly atmosphere, the school and, of course the Cajun cuisine and will definitely miss all three when they return home. But, for many, it will be nice to see family and friends again, and the fact that lakes and beaches are within an hour’s drive back home is also high on the “missing” list.

Still the students seemed reflective and a bit saddened that their time at Notre Dame is coming to an end very quickly.

“I really like the ‘block’ schedule here,” said Marianelha “Ella” Montepeque. “Here, you have four homeworks a night, but back home it’s seven every night.”

The seven students have become pretty good friends since arriving in Acadia Parish. Many of them knew of each other, but did not really know each other until this eight-week program.

It hasn’t just been the school-time that has been a part of the experience, however. The students have experienced various aspects of Louisiana life with their host families.

One had a chance to tour the Tabasco factory, another learned how to skeet shoot, another hunting,  and, several attended an LSU game or two during their time here.

“We don’t have stadiums as big as Death Valley back home,” said Skinner-Klee. “That was really cool to see.”

There was also camping trips, swimming, trips to New Orleans for both scenic and sports-related trips and more.

Then, of course, there has been the food, through eating out and at home, the seven have come to love Cajun food especially gumbo and boudin. The group was also lobbying to try crawfish one time before heading home as they all have heard stories about Louisiana’s famed crustaceans.

“Most of the time it’s you ‘eat to live’,” said Skinner-Klee. “Here, you ‘live to eat.’ I like that.”