It’s hard to believe that almost three years has passed since our Young Ambassadors' trip to France.    

I’m currently in my third year at the University of Otago, doing a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in French and Economics.

Recently, I spent a semester abroad in France as part of Otago’s Global Student Exchange Program. I was studying at University Jean Moulin in Lyon, one of France’s biggest cities.

I had a great time and met some amazing people from around the world. I also had the opportunity to do a lot of travelling around Europe, which was fabulous.    

My parents came to visit whilst I was in Lyon and we spent time travelling around France together. We went back to a few places that I had already visited on the Young Ambassador’s Tour in 2014, such as Arras, Le Quesnoy and Ypres.

I caught up with my old host family in Arras and took my parents to see the memorial of my Great-Great-Grandfather, which for us was pretty special as 2017 marks 100 years since his death. We also attended the Menin Gate Last Post Ceremony in Ypres and visited the New Zealand memorial at Le Quesnoy.    

I’m now in the final year of my degree and will hopefully graduate at the end of this year. I’m unsure what the future holds but I’m looking forward to see what new opportunities and adventures arise.    

Three years on after the trip of a lifetime, I feel like I’m definitely more cultured and have become a lot more interested in history.

I’ve particularly enjoyed following the 2016 Young Ambassadors on their own adventure and various school projects that are part of the Shared Histories Programme.

I’m still in love with the French language and culture, and now more than ever, I love meeting new people, interacting with different cultures and exploring different opportunities that are out there.