U + CIEE Rennes = <3 Forever

The following blog was written by a student intern on a Summer 2026 CIEE high school abroad program in Rennes, France. 

Saying goodbye is hard, especially after experiencing something amazing for the first time. How do you return to normal life after weeks of living what feels like a completely different life? How do you pack away memories that changed you?... I still don't have the answer.

When I first signed up for CIEE, I thought I was just studying abroad. I expected new classes, a new city, and maybe a few interesting stories to bring home. What I didn't expect was how deeply it would change me.

Somewhere between getting lost on unfamiliar streets, laughing with people who were strangers only days before, trying foods I couldn't pronounce, and learning to embrace the unexpected, I became a different version of myself. A version that was more curious, more confident, and more willing to say "yes" to experiences that once seemed intimidating. The hardest part wasn't leaving home, it was leaving the life I had built abroad.

Goodbye Diner, HSSA 2026 

It's strange how quickly a place can become home. The cafés where you studied, the streets you walked every day, the friends who became your family, the routines that once felt foreign but soon became second nature. Then suddenly, it's time to pack your suitcase, hug everyone goodbye, and board a plane back to a life that somehow feels both familiar and unfamiliar.

People ask, "How was your trip?" How do you answer that in a sentence? How do you explain that it wasn't just a trip? It was growth. It was independence. It was discovering parts of yourself you didn't know existed.

Thank you flowers by our students, HSSA 2026

Coming home isn't the ending people imagine. Your room is the same. Your neighborhood hasn't changed. But you have. That's the strange thing about transformative experiences, they don't stay behind when you leave. They become part of who you are.

So maybe the goal isn't to return to normal life. Maybe it's to build a new normal that carries everything you've learned. To stay curious. To keep saying yes. To keep reaching out to people, even when they're strangers. To continue exploring, whether that's across the world or just around the corner.

Goodye Diner, HSSA 2026

CIEE Rennes gave me more than memories. It gave me friendships I'll treasure, lessons I'll carry forever, and the confidence to believe that I can find a home almost anywhere. Goodbyes are painful because they remind us that something mattered. And if that's true, then maybe every tear at the airport, every final hug, and every "see you again" is simply proof that this experience was worth every second.

So this isn't really goodbye. It's just "until next time."

U + CIEE Rennes = ❤️ forever.

Interested in spending a summer learning and traveling with CIEE? Check out our wide range of high school summer abroad programs and consider applying today!