EF Stories: Sarah from Belgium at EF Los Angeles

I've always loved to travel, so when a friend told me about EF, I didn't hesitate long to join. This way I could travel and learn, 2 birds with one stone. America has always attracted us so we quickly chose 'The City Of Angels' for 3 months full of adventure.

Everything that needed to be organized was done through EF and on site EF was also always available and helpful. When we arrived in the evening, we were taken to our apartment in Redondo Beach. There, our EF contact person was waiting for us and we were warmly welcomed. Our apartment was about 15 minutes from the beach, 10 minutes from all the necessary stores and the school was only a 5-minute walk away.

First day, Fun day!

The first day we were divided into groups according to language level. Then we left for Venice Beach. Along the way, we played introductory games to get to know each other better. After exploring Venice Beach, we left for an afternoon in Santa Monica. There we walked on the famous pier.

Learn it the fun way

Classes were from 8 a.m. to noon or from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and the rest of the day was free. In our first class, we were given a cool assignment right away. We were divided into groups and were allowed to go out. I was in a group that went to UCLA to interview students. We made a presentation for the whole class. After a good month, there were tests to see if you could go to a higher level. At our next -the highest- level we had a new teacher. The first lessons were on politics because the elections were coming up. The rest were more history oriented, which I personally found very interesting.

A Game Day was also organized for the whole school. The idea was to invent a battle cry, name and choreography. We were the Apache, our battle cry was "Be Aggressive" and our choreo was a living pyramid. The previous days we practiced our tactics and abilities. It was a super fun day, but unfortunately we didn't win.

And then I realized adventures are the best way to learn

EF organized plenty of after school activities. For example, we went to watch a Dodgers game. Of course, we couldn't miss the Lakers either. There were also several parties for those over 21, such as Halloween on a party boat and a club in Hollywood.

During the weekend there were bigger trips. In San Diego we visited the city, the port and an authentic cowboy town. On a weekend trip to San Francisco, we got a tour of the city and saw all the famous places, such as Pier 39. On the way back, of course, we stopped at the Golden Gate Bridge.

Once in a while we rented a car for a road trip to "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. We also went to Santa Cruz, to see the Mavericks (super-sized waves that people surf on - which is not recommended).

Best decision ever!

During my adventure I met many new people from all over the world, with whom I am still in touch after 3 years. So you can say that thanks to EF you make friends for life. After this experience, I traveled even more and already worked abroad. In Los Angeles there is something for everyone and every age. I can recommend it to everyone!