MENDOTA – In May, The Mendota Reporter published a story about Rosalinda (Rosi) Lopez becoming a foreign exchange student in Italy and Addy Allensworth boarding a plane to France.

Both Mendota High School students came back in July. They didn’t return alone as both of them brought back their foreign exchange friend they stayed with across the pond.

“France was so exciting. When I got back, I was just as excited to tell people about my trip,” said Allensworth, who had always wanted to go to Paris. “I want to get more people to be a foreign exchange student because I had so much fun. I had more fun than I thought I was going to have. Knowing that, I think others would have fun and think it was cool.

“My favorite part was seeing the Eiffel Tower, especially when it sparkled at night.”

Allensworth also enjoyed the coastal aspect of France, the food, and the people.

Her favorite dish was galette, which is a breakfast-like dish consisting of ham, cheese, and an egg, made similar to a crepe, but consumed at the dinner table.

When Allensworth returned to Mendota, she was glad Anais Bouvier came with her so she could make her the French delicacy.

Bouvier and Allensworth stepped off the plane on United States soil on July 17. Bouvier returned home on Aug. 19, but not before she enjoyed the Mendota Sweet Corn Festival and American culture.

“My trip has been very good. Perfect. Going to Chicago was my favorite. I love Chicago,” Bouvier said. “I liked that there is a river that runs through Chicago and all of the big buildings. We went to a White Sox game against the (New York) Yankees and we went to a Cardinals game in St. Louis. It was cool to see the arch. I stood underneath it and was amazed.

“Food is very different here. It isn’t bad. It has more sugar and processed. Food in France is more organic, fresh. School is more chill here. We don’t play games or watch movies in class in France.”

When speaking about Italy, Lopez is all smiles.

Her lifelong dream of going to Italy is now a countless real-time souvenir she won’t forget.

“It was everything I expected and way more. Every single night I had fun. There wasn’t a second where I was miserable or wanted to come home,” Lopez said. “Every moment was a memory. I loved everything about it. It felt like home.”

Lopez loved her time in Milan, Venice, Verona, and Sirmione as she traveled Italy. Her favorite attractions were the Milan Cathedral and the beaches.

She attended family parties where she was introduced to Italian rapper and singer, Anna, and new Spanish and Reggaeton music.

“Every single day, I felt like I gained 100 pounds because of all of the food I ate. It was so good,” Lopez said. “I love their gelato. Every night, we went to a soccer game and then had gelato afterward. It’s one of my favorite things now.”

Maila Gorgaini hosted Lopez in Italy and returned with her Mendota friend from July 4 to Aug. 18.

In similar fashion as Lopez gravitating to Gorgaini’s friends and family, Gorgaini did the same with Lopez’s inner circle.

“There were moments when I was looking for Rosey. She was with my friends. It was fun to have her come to Italy and be with us. It was really cool,” Gorgaini said. “My experience in the United States, I love it so much. Her friends were really cool and know they’re my friends. I also loved Chicago. It was one of the reasons I wanted to come to the United States. I couldn’t stop smiling when I was in Chicago.

Gorgaini immediately became a fan of American breakfast as waffles, pancakes, French toast, bacon, and sausage are now her favorite food group.

One aspect of American culture she said was very different than Italy was the relationship between teachers and students. She noticed American students have a “friend-like” interaction with their teachers, while in Italy, they cannot use teachers’ first names.

School was one of the first differences Julia Carvalho talked about when she came to Mendota from Brazil.

Carvalho came from Brazil alone on Aug. 14 and will stay with junior Elaina Reddin and her parents, Kent and Angie Kirchner, for the next year.

She also noticed food and stores.

“So far, I like it here. The first place I went to when I got to Mendota was Cindy’s (Cindy’s on 34). The food was so good, so different, and so much,” Carvalho said. “In Brazil there are smaller portions and it’s more expensive. At Cindy’s, there was a lot of food for a good price. I took some home for dinner.

“I was excited to go to stores. In Brazil, we don’t have a lot of options. The stores we do have, it is very expensive. When I went into stores when I got here, I wanted to buy everything, but I controlled myself.”

The foreign student exchange was made possible by the Mendota Rotary Club and the Rotary Exchange Program.