If you are anything like I was a year ago, you will already have pre-conceived images of how your year abroad will pan out. Personally, I was dreaming of a winter in the French Alps, skiing every weekend and having a view of the mountains from my bedroom window. When I found out that I had got my first choice of the académie of Grenoble, I was thrilled and my dream was one step closer to being a reality. However, my dreams were quickly dashed when I finally discovered that my school was in a tiny village in the Ardèche called Largentière which has no more than 800 inhabitants, and that the Alps were at least four hours away by car, or seven hours using public transport.