CRESTVIEW — There were hugs, tears and chocolate mousse aplenty Wednesday and Thursday as Crestview High School students bid heartfelt “au revoirs” to their new friends from Noirmoutier, France.
After almost two weeks of bonding with host families, the kids from Crestview’s sister city treated their hosts to a farewell party with homemade chocolate mousse and apple tarts.
But before the treats arrived from the culinary arts kitchen, tears were already flowing and hugs abounded. Students made plans to reunite as soon as possible in each other’s hometowns, and reminisced about the fun they’d had during their brief visit.
“It was wonderful,” Lucas Charier, one of the French students, said. “It was better than I had even hoped. My (host) family was wonderful to me. I was made to feel like their own child. There was nothing I didn’t like in Crestview.”
Lucas stayed with Quinn Stegner and his family.
Across the room, Nathan Moore and Karly Celana, members of the Crestview High French Club, received a warm hug from Imane Laurence.
“You’re going to make me cry!” Nathan said as Imane’s tears flowed down his shoulder. “I’m ugly when I cry.”
Nathan said he hopes to spend a month in Noirmoutier after he graduates, before going to college.
“It’s been very interesting to learn the differences in our cultures,” Karly said. “I learned from her (Imane) and she learned from me. I really want to go to Noirmoutier now, but it’s kind of expensive to get there.”
At Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport Thursday morning, tears flowed again as another round of hugs was exchanged before the 34 visiting Frenchmen boarded the first leg of a long journey back to their island home.
“I will miss my Crestview family,” Lucas said. “But I will come back.
"And next time, I will get to play piano in the church,” he said, adding he’d received an invitation to play at the First United Methodist Church.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview High students bid visiting French guests 'au revoir' (PHOTOS)