Nathan Joachim is a foreign exchange student, hailing from France, who is a Junior. He plays football on the JV team, wearing the number 87. When asked how he ended up in Idaho, he explained how the system works. He got here because one of the exchange houses that was available was in Blackfoot, and he didn’t get to choose where he went, not that he’s disappointed, but that’s how it played out. Joachim took a tour of flights, going from Paris to Amsterdam, to Salt Lake City, and then Pocatello. 

When asked if Joachim preferred Nikes or Adidas, he said that he likes Nike for shoes whereas he likes Adidas for clothing. In his free time, he likes to either hang out with his friends or play video games. Some of the video games that Joachim likes are:  Grand Theft Auto 5, Rainbow Six Siege and Dead By Daylight. When hanging out with his friends, Joachim says that he really likes to go to the movies and play Laser Tag.

The first two things Nathan noticed when getting here was an advertisement for an Oreo pizza, and the fact that there is no door on UPS trucks. He described them as shocking. One thing he mentioned about the US being different from France is that everything is bigger here. Nathan specifically described our vehicles, buildings, and meal sizes to be bigger than France. He said France typically has small cars, usually for one or two people, whereas America has large SUVs and pickups, as well as semi trucks. Apparently, the water level in toilets is way higher in France compared to the US as well, Nathan explained. They also have sales tax factored into their displayed prices in France. Nathan told me that having to account for the sales tax when paying for things in the US really annoys him. 

Some of the things he likes about America, specifically Blackfoot, are American football and the dances after the games on Friday nights. Joachim states that his hometown also has organized dances. The best food Nathan has tried so far is mac and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, and Rice Krispy treats. I was surprised when he said he hadn’t already tried mac and cheese, but he told me they don’t have mac and cheese in France. Fun fact: Joachim is a vegetarian. I was informed of this when I asked him if he had tried a burger yet. When asked if he misses France, Joachim said that he didn’t miss it at all, he said that he hardly thinks about France.