A French exchange student made me see home differently

The big picture: The Japanese fan in awe of free chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant? Magical.

• The videos of visitors who couldn't get enough of Buc-ee's, Costco and Popeyes? Yeah, buddy!

Closer to home: I had a little taste of that joy earlier this year when my family hosted a French exchange student for two weeks.

• Everyday things I'd stopped noticing suddenly seemed fascinating again.
• Capucine, a high school junior, had never been to America and was looking for a "normal American experience" in south Louisiana... at my house.
• She dove right in, eating hot sauce and chargrilled oysters for her first meal and then dancing at the Irish-Italian parade.

🇺🇸 New Orleans according to Capucine:

• "The roads are so big, like Grand Theft Auto." Same for the cars.
• Lake Pontchartrain looks like an ocean.
• High school baseball is exotic, especially the National Anthem.
• We eat dinner really early.
• We keep our homes and buildings very cold.

🧠 My takeaways:

• French is hard, even with Google Translate.
• Bad words make teens giggle in any language.
• Music is a common denominator.
• Chargrilled oysters can convert almost any skeptic.

The bottom line: Hosting Capucine reminded me that everyday life here can be just as memorable as the famous sights.