Knowing they would see each other again, it wasn’t quite “au revoir” between Flathead and Glacier high school French students and their Martinique host family “siblings” at the end of a 10-day trip last spring.

The Kalispell students returned the hospitality of their host siblings with an invitation to stay with their families in Montana Sept. 1 through 10.

While opportunities to travel abroad are commonplace at the two high schools, for students to live with a family abroad and then host them in Montana was a first, according to Glacier French teacher Stephanie Hill.

By staying with each other’s families, students had the opportunity to show how the other lived.

Hill and Flathead French teacher Patty Hodges coordinated the Martinique students’ Montana trip.

On Tuesday, several students related their experience, including Martiniquan Jérémy Cledelin, 16, who was paired with Glacier student Caleb Hill, 16; and Martiniquan Peterson Michel, 17, who was paired with Flathead student Jessica Holm-quist, 18. Although Holmquist graduated in May, she didn’t want to miss out on hosting Michel.

The exchange began last spring when 14 Flathead and Glacier students visited Martinique and experienced daily life and school on the French Caribbean island.

Traveling between Montana and Martinique is a long trip. It took two days and four flight connections to reach the island with its approximately 386,486 inhabitants. The island is about twice the size of Flathead Lake, according to Cledelin.

“In Martinique we got a lot of mountain[s], but there is only one active volcano,” Cledelin said.

The Kalispell students attended school at the Lycée de Bellevue in the capital city Fort-de-France, swam in the ocean, sailed fishing boats, went sea kayaking and rappelling, among other activities.

“Otherwise we were just with the family and doing whatever the family did,” said Caleb Hill.

School was quite different in Martinique, even the building.

With a tropical climate, there aren’t glass panes in the windows and the doors are always open. Students are placed in different groups and attend each class together. Each class is held in a different four-story building, according to Cledelin. He said students also choose to specialize in concentrations such as science, economics or literature similar to Glacier’s academies or Flathead’s International Baccalaureate Programme.

Types of classes vary each day and can last hours — so can lunch and passing time between classes. Michel said school is from 7 a.m. to about 5 p.m. and dinner is at 9 p.m.

Caleb Hill commented that Martiniquans have an easygoing personality compared to Americans, who seem more stressed and worried.

“One of the very first things they told me when I got there was, ‘Don’t worry, be happy,’” Hill said, smiling.

Cledelin chimed in: “Hakuna matata.”

Language immersion was an important part of the trip as much as the culture. Caleb Hill said they not only were immersed in French, but they also learned some Antillean Creole, an informal language spoken between friends.

They dined on some Martinique specialties including seafood fritters and fresh fruit — something Caleb Hill and Holmquist said they miss. Stephanie Hill said everyone misses the fruit.

“There’s at least 100 types of bananas,” Stephanie Hill said.

Caleb Hill added, “They’re sweeter, you can pick them right when they’re fresh.”

When it was time to leave, Holm-quist said they looked forward to seeing their Martiniquan friends again in Montana.

Thirteen of the Martinique students came to the Flathead Valley for 10 days. During their stay they attended either Flathead or Glacier, bundled up and glimpsed snow on Logan Pass in Glacier National Park and visited Ninepipes Museum, the National Bison Range, Hungry Horse Dam and Whitefish Mountain Resort. They also attended a rodeo in Columbia Falls.

“You want to give them the full experience that you can in the 10 days you have,” Holmquist said.

Cledelin picked up on one American idiosyncrasy.

“I have discovered the American way of life all is bigger, for example, the milk is a huge bottle,” Cledelin said, spreading his hands apart.

“It’s a gallon instead of a quart,” Caleb Hill said, laughing.

All the students agreed they were glad for the experience. Caleb Hill said he is already planning to visit France and Spain on a school trip next summer.

“You need to go out and meet the world,” Caleb Hill said.

On Wednesday it was “bon voyage” for the Martinique students who boarded a flight back home.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.