Finally Friday

I am going to Paris in a few hours, yippee!! I am basically all packed up. Last wknd I was rushed, so I have been packing throughout the day when I have had spare time. I have been busy today.

I woke up at like 8am because my stomach was bothering me, and I eventually really got up at 9am and ate some muesli. I then ran a path I went bike riding on with the boy and his friend from a few days ago. It was a good run, and I am glad I remembered the way. I then showered and started doing my day of laundry. The washer takes forever, and the dryer is even worse. It decides to stop whenever it pleases without any notice, so I have to check the darn thing every so often. In fact… I should do it now, but I’m not. I then have to put everything on drying racks, and I guess I will iron it when I get back from the weekend. I am annoyed they don’t use dryers… drying saves time and useless ironing but whatever.

I then basically cooked lunch by myself. The dad told me what to do, and let me handle everything. I fried some chicken in a pan and boiled some noodles. The chicken was a pain in the arse, the hot oil kept popping all over my arms.

I just took some socks and the little underwear I was allowed to put in the dryer out and put them away. It seems I have to fold underwear… wow haha. And then I just took out the banana bread…it smells great. I hope I can eat some before I leave tonight.

After lunch, I put laundry on drying racks and took clean sheets to the kids’ rooms… I guess this is welcome to real au pair life. It’s not so bad right now, I don’t think it ever will be. However, the dad invited me to observe the kids doing (basically) homework right now. They haven’t started school, but he is making them do something, and the girl has been throwing a fit the entire time. It will be my duty to make the kids do homework… oh joy. Oh well I will handle it somehow.

I then drove the boy to some tennis courts, and we played for a while. I wasn’t as bad as I thought, and every now and then he would say, “good.” It feels nice to get approval from the boy haha. We chatted a little in the car, but the convo was forced and I had to ask all the questions, but he is a kid. I don’t expect anything less. I had some rough driving to and from the courts, but at the end, the boy also congratulated my driving, so I wasn’t too bad. There was one time when the road was blocked (I had turned the wrong way anyway), and I had to turn the car around in a narrow street. The ultimate test of driving, but I did it. And then I had to stop for road work, and I stalled the car like 4 times trying to go again. The workers saw the whole thing and yelled, “c’est parti!” at me when I finally succeeded. I asked the boy what they said, and he told me it basically meant “Go!” So I guess they were rooting me on haha.

After tennis, I made banana bread. The dad basically supervised and answered all my questions. It was a recipe from the old au pair, and I think it turned out well. The mom left me a note (in French), but I could read it! Telling me what temps to do the laundry and then to make banana bread. So today, I have completed all my tasks, and I think I am well on my way to Super Au Pair… at least for today.

Très très excited for Paris… I have 2.5 hours. I just want to leave. Not to get away from the fam, but I just want to go to the city!! It will go by so fast… sad face, but I will enjoy it while I can. Anyway… can’t be too sad because I get to go into Paris on Tuesday for French class orientation… I will take going to Paris any day!!

Slacker Au Pair

I need so good quality blogging right now as I am a little stressed. The mom asked me after dinner tonight what I planned to do for English lessons with the kids. Every week I have to individually spend an hour with them teaching English. I have no idea what I am going to do. I didn’t have an answer for the mom, so I told her I would think and research it tonight. Ah I really don’t know what to do. The old au pair left all her workbooks and sheets she made, but I don’t really know where to go from there. I don’t really know the kids level; I mean they seem to speak English fine. When I speak to them, I usually have to rephrase and say what I said in a simpler way, but they understand. So I don’t really know what to teach. I think the best method I have found so far is to play interesting (key word) games with them. It looks like the old au pair printed a lot of stuff off the internet, so I will do that to I suppose.

I just don’t think I can really teach complicated English to them. It is weird because I have always learned how to learn French… I have never taken an English class to learn the language, so I would be much better off teaching French if you know what I mean. The chapter the last au pair left off on is liking Present Simple 2 tense or something… I don’t even know what that is. Well I will figure it out… I emailed the last au pair and asked for advice. I need it badly.

I did absolutely nothing today. I was useless to the world. Basically was holed up in my room (I hope they don’t think I am antisocial/weird) watching American TV shows and editing 50 page long theses for my French friends (you know who you are). I guess it worked out I had nothing to do since these papers are due tomorrow.

Anyway the dad woke me up at 9:45am so I could meet the American mom whose daughter is the girl’s bff (I talked about this yesterday). She was really nice and from California. We had a nice chat, and it was so nice saying anything to this lady with all the good ole American slang and she understood. So refreshing. She has lived in France for a year, and she said it is still frustrating sometimes because she can’t fully express herself in French…lucky me, but this is what I signed up for. At least my family and friends speak English, so I will never really be alone.

For lunch, we made pork chops in a crème fraiche sauce (I am learning this is a vital ingredient for this family), rice, and mushrooms. As usual, it was scrumptious. More chocolate milk (real!) and baguette for dessert… this is a good tradition :p

Then I watched Real World- St Thomas. I haven’t seen it in so long… all the drama seemed pretty ridiculous, but it was entertaining.

I don’t really know what the dad does all day. I think he works from home I guess. He is always on his laptop, so I assume he is working. As for the boy, he did his own thing and eventually one of his friends came over. It was awkward because we were never introduced, but I guess he figured out during dinner that I am retarded with French, so I guess it’s all ok (I think I can get away with most social situations because I don’t have to act like a normal speaking person here—once I open my mouth people know I am the poor, cute, dumb American girl). Oh and dinner was roasted chicken (so normal), diced cucumbers in of course crème fraiche sauce, and roasted cauliflower. Dessert: nectarine and dark chocolate yogurt. This family eats A LOT of yogurt, and mostly the gross no sugar kind. Bleh. I tried it with cocoa powder today…not a good combo. The powder doesn’t like to mix with yogurt apparently.

The mom reminded me tonight of the kids laundry and changing sheets. I didn’t know I was supposed to be doing that yet… so I feel bad I was Slacker Au Pair today when I could have been getting shiz done. Well I went ahead and changed their sheets tonight, and I guess tomorrow will be all about laundry. This is good though… I want to feel like I am actually earning my allowance every week and contributing.

Less than 24 hours till Paris. WOOOO! Très excited. The mom asked me in French today what time I wanted to leave and all I said was I don’t know. I didn’t know how to ask her when I was allowed to leave. Ok I could have…but I would not have understood her reply. I can’t understand her, it is so frustrating.

Sorry I am just blabbing random things… I don’t like saying and then and then and then (my posts have done just that). That sounds like a kid writing, and I already sound like that when I speak French… probably a 2 year old.

I also didn’t run today. I didn’t do anything. I was lazy. But hey, I am emotionally spent, so I deserve it I guess. Tomorrow will be good. Run. Laundry. Food. PARIS.

Operation Pinata

I am a happy person right now. I really am settling into my au pair life with my family. They really are great people, and I feel so welcome here. I am glad I picked this family… I think I am really lucky. I am so glad I am learning to appreciate what I have… I knew I would get over my initial culture shock eventually, and I am glad it happened so soon. Now school has not started for me or the kids yet, I am not cooking dinner by myself every night, I am not washing/ironing, and a lot of the other stuff I will be doing, but I think I will enjoy (and if not, tolerate) my job.

I was a busy bee today, which is fine by me. I did the usual of waking up at 10:30am and going for a run around the area, showering, and helping cook lunch with the dad.

Today we made croque monsieurs! Yum yum yum. I have had these before, but these were the best (homemade an all). We began by making a special sauce for the croquet monsieur… consisting of butter, flour, then milk, a yolk (or as the French say-- the yellow), salt, and beaucoup du fromage. We then laid out the bread and buttered it up and put ham and the sauce in layers to make sandwiches and baked them. It is basically a deluxe grilled cheese for those who are unfamiliar.

After lunch, I hung out with the girl. She finally came back from her escapade, and I was grateful because she is easier to talk to than the boy. She gave me a French lesson for like an hour teaching me the French “r” (or rather “errre”). I don’t think I really have it right, but sometimes she would be totally surprised when I said a word absolutely correctly.

We then went to a boulangerie in town and bought two baguettes with the dad and girl. So French J We continued to be French by going to a crèmerie five minutes away from the house. The owner is a French guy who married an American woman whose daughter is (what seems to be) the girl’s bff. The girl goes to their farm all the time and rides horses etc. The family has a big farm with cows, horses, geese and such. We bought milk—real, fresh milk straight from the cows five feet away! So crazy (for me as an American…). When we got home, the three of us drank one liter (sorry not the American measurements—I have to learn them though) of milk. The dad made chocolate milk for me and him, and we dipped the baguettes we had just bought into the milk. Yummy snack for sure.

I then drove to a grocery store with just the girl. This was the first time driving without a teacher, and with one of the kids. Double whammy. I was familiar with the route to the store, though, so I wasn’t too nervous. We bought balloons and candy to make a piñata (the mom’s bday is Saturday), and then headed home. As I pulled out onto the main road to go home, I was on a hill AND car was behind me so that was the cue for freak-out mode. I basically burned rubber out of the grocery store, but hey, I got the job done. Not smoothly, but that is besides the point. Also, when I parked the car when we got home (I told the girl to just get out—I’d be a while) I managed to do it in one step! I have to back in to my parking spot on a freaking hill, so that makes matters complicated, but I did it perfectly today. Usually it takes me ten times backing up, moving up, straightening up, etc.

The dad then left for a Scout meeting…. Which meant the first time with the kids alone. I was given the duty to prepare les frites for our dinner tonight, so I had to peel a freaking load of potatoes and then use a fry maker apparatus (idk what to call it… it gave French fries their shape). Me and the girl also started the task of making this piñata, which turned out to be disastrous but extremely funny. She blew up a balloon and we attempted to paper mâché to make a piñata, but we used a glue stick to stick magazine paper to the balloon, which didn’t really work. We then proceeded to paint the thing with black paint. Half-way through, the balloon rolls over onto the floor and gets wet, black paint everywhere, and the girl repeatedly says, “My mom/dad will kill me.” We use massive amounts of paper towels to wipe it up, but since our hands are covered, it kept getting on the floor. I had a bonne idée to move it outside, but we eventually decided to take a break from everything.

I had to switch into Authoritative Au Pair (she really is a joke) and ask the kids to shower. After some encouragement, they finally took showers. I am glad I successfully completed all my tasks before the dad got home…showers and potatoes. However, the mom came home during the piñata fiasco (it’s supposed to be a surprise), so I successfully used my broken French to engage the mom in conversation while the kids hid everything. Operation Piñata is still ongoing… the girl and I will finish Friday (she is leaving again tomorrow for her bff’s house).

The dad came home, and I skyped my mom for bit, and then headed to the kitchen to help prepare dinner. He fried the fries in a fry cooker, and we prepared mussels. We just added butter, shallots, onions, and rosemary to a big pot, then the mussels, which cooked for 8 minutes, and then crème fraiche at the very end. And thus I ate mussels for the first time. Pretty good. The boy also volunteered to tell me the technique to eat them, which was much appreciated (eat a mussel, then use the empty clam shell as a claw to grasp the remaining mussels from their shells—clever). For dessert, I ate a nectarine, kiwi, and then dark chocolate yogurt. I am trying to eat lots of fruit. I ate a kiwi for desert for lunch today too.

After dinner, I gave the girl her Abercrombie shirt. She really liked it too, and showed her parents. Then she got the mom to take pics of her and the boy with their shirts. They were really a hit! Super Au Pair in the making?

I then took an online French test for my language school. They emailed asking me to take it (I was supposed to at the end of July—oops). I am glad I waited because my French has improved since being in France. I think I get to go to the school this Tuesday for oral tests and signing up for classes. It is in Paris, so I really hope I get to have a reason to go to Paris and not have to wait for the weekend to do so. The kids start school on Tuesday anyway…

Now I am here and writing. I have made plans to do a picnic with Nico and others (hopefully) on Saturday, which will consist of baguettes, cheese, and wine somewhere in a park or maybe the Eiffel Tower. Who knows. I think I also will see Jerome on Friday, so I am looking forward to this weekend! I inherited a Paris Walking Tour book also, so I may try one of those walks out with Jerome on Sunday.

Ma vie est bonne J

Flamekuche

I had another good day today. I don’t really do too much here, so I am a bit bored, but I always find something to fill in my time. I have downloaded lots of TV shows (I am so behind), but I have yet to watch them because I always find something better to do.

I went to bed at a decent hour last night (12:30am). I forced myself, so I could wake up early, so I didn’t look like Slacker au Pair. I woke myself up at 8:30am and didn’t hear voices, so that was my cue for more sleep. Hence, I woke up at 10:30am right when the dad did. Parfait timing.

I then ran and explored the village. I somehow did a loop around the whole village and found myself at my starting point and didn’t even realize I had made a loop. I will learn my surroundings eventually.

I showered and then helped cook lunch, which the dad basically prepared the night before. We heated up potatoes and green beans, and then he steamed lentils. Lentils are so yummy!! We add crème fraiche to them, and they are fabulous!!

I went on a bike ride with the boy. I brought my water bottle and put it in a holder, but it kept falling out when I went over bumps, which added to my incredible lack of bike riding skills. It nearly doubled the amount of stops to get my bearings haha. Luckily the ride was short, and we were home before I knew it. My butt was super sore from riding yesterday, so my butt was happy for the short ride as well.

After bikes, I gave the boy his present of an Abercrombie shirt. The French are all over that store, and I have good intuition because I could tell he liked it a lot. I got him too big of a size though, but he will grow into it eventually. Hopefully the girl will like her shirt just as much when I give it to her (she didn't come back till tonight).

I then went to the grocery store with the dad, and I drove, which wasn’t too bad. I am getting a handle on my little car. We were at the store for like an hour, and he bought a lot of food. I got to buy my cereal finally. I got Muesli, which is the equivalent of granola I think. I got a chocolate one, and the dad got two others. One for each of the kids then me, and he labeled all of them because he said the kids go through it fast haha. He also bought dinners for the rest of the week. Tomorrow it is mussels and fries, chicken the next day, and Ratatouille on Friday. I have never had mussels, but I am sure they will be good.

We got home, and the boy and I had a bowl of Muesli, which was yummy! Then I started decorating my room. I have put up all my pictures in one giant collage, which looks good. It’s nice to look at all my friends and family. I then helped with dinner. We made flamekuche… WHICH WAS YUMMY. I think the best thing I have eaten so far with the family. Everything I eat is amazing, but this was full of extra goodness to my taste buds. Maybe it was because we didn’t eat till like 9pm when the mom got home from work, so I was STARVING, but it tasted great.

Flamekuche some may ask? It was a pizza type food. We made the dough and rolled it out. Then made the sauce out of crème fraiche and fromage blanche, and then put bacon chunks and onions on top. Voilà….stick in the oven and it is ready. Pretty easy and yummalicious. For dessert, I ate a kiwi, banana, and a peach. Yay for being healthy. The peach wasn’t juicy though, so it was weird. It was from France so maybe that’s why…

At the store, the dad really didn’t try to buy fruits and veggies from outside France. That’s noble of him, but I think a little overboard. He wouldn’t buy avocadoes because they were from Peru. Sad face. I love avocadoes. He bought anything that’s had an organic alternative too. It’s nice to know that my body will be going through a detox this year. Mostly organic food, and France absolutely does not allow genetically modified foods. I miss grapes without seeds though…grapes are not enjoyable with seeds, so I miss my GMO’s a little bit. I know that’s sad (and American) to say.

So my day has been fairly busy. I like cooking with the dad because it gives me something to do haha. No idea what is going on tomorrow. I guess more of the same… run, cook good food, and ride bikes. Not a bad existence. Anddd my weekend in Paris will be that much closer… tomorrow (rather today) is Hump Day folks!!

Getting into the Swing of Things...?

I knew I would be in a better mood today, and I was correct. I had a good day, and I am glad to be getting into the swing of things.

I woke up at 10am and ate some cereal! The mom had some Special K she bought, but never ate, so it’s for me now. Yay for cereal and my normal routine… continued by a run! Running was great. I took some time to explore the area, and it was nice to push my body again. Although, one of my legs is sore right now, but it is a good pain. Means I did something. I then showered and cooked lunch with the dad. We cooked some steaks and baked some potatoes. The potatoes are something I am very familiar with, so it was nice to have little piece of home, and they tasted excellent.

The dad then encouraged the boy and his friend to ride bikes with me. That was an entire workout within itself. The boys went so fast! They had to wait for me every 10 minutes or so, so I could catch up. They probably thought I was ridiculous but whatever haha. I liked the boy’s friend. He spoke more words to me than the boy has the entire time I have been here, and he doesn’t even speak English. He was sweet and kept re-explaining things when I didn’t understand.

Eventually we made it back, and I assumed I had time to do as I pleased, so I did my laundry and then laid out in the sun and read my kindle. It was a gorgeous day… warm and no clouds, so perfect for tanning and reading. I also finally unpacked all the clothes and managed to stuff them in my wardrobe. I need more storage space, but I managed to fit everything inside. I am contemplating about going to IKEA or a Carrefour Planet to buy a storage bin or something. We shall see.

I then helped the dad cook dinner, which was une tarte à la tomate. Tomato pie. We hand-made the pie crust, and then I was in charge of cutting all the tomatoes. I have learned the proper way to cut things with knives (hold the object and curl your fingers inward). I am so excited for my cooking knowledge to grow… I will be a master French chef in a few months! I will become a very eligible bachelorette with my cooking prowess hahaha.

After dinner, I drove a 20 minute drive with the mom to this pool/half water park place. She wanted to show me how to get there, so I can take the kids one day. Apparently it has a wave pool, slides, and then a pool, so that’s why I consider it half water park. It was dark while I was driving, which made it doubly difficult to drive. I couldn’t see the gear shifter! But it is more of a feeling type of thing anyway… but I am not that skilled yet. Sometimes when I shift gears, I skip a gear on accident and the engine revs up because I am going too fast for the low gear. I hope to stop doing this soon.

Tomorrow I am going to the store with the dad, so I can pick out my cereal. I am glad the family is open to my (what they consider weird) food choices. I don’t know what else is in store for tomorrow, but I am ok with that. I am assuming helping with lunch and dinner, and the girl comes back tomorrow night. I haven’t seen her in so long… it’s weird.

I am content right now… but I am also super excited for Friday night. Paris can’t come soon enough.

Ups and Downs

My roller coaster of emotions has risen at an all-time high then came crashing down upon my return to my village and now has leveled off at a somewhat decent/healthy level I think. I came and returned from Paris! The city of lights… the city I love and hate to leave! But… Friday is calling my name. I will be back. I really hope my au pair life doesn’t live for the weekends every week… what a sad existence. I don’t think it will, but it does now.

Life was so much more beautiful when I had Paris looming so close… now it seems far away. I am afraid to admit that I sound uber depressed right now. I am really not… maybe a little. But this is my adjustment phase, and I am going to feel sorry for myself for the time being. Like when I got back today (I asked when I should be back, and the dad said 6pm- before dinner and all), so I arrive at the train station and the dad picked me up, and when I got home I learned that the girl is gone through tomorrow night, the boy has a friend over, and the mom’s sister was over, so I basically holed myself in my room like the American mute I am.

I felt guilty and weird for doing so, but what else was I supposed to do? I have no use as an au pair right now. I am just a body living here that eats the family’s food and speaks extremely broken French. I just want to be busy and start doing my au pair job. I don’t like this in-between stage. I guess tomorrow I am starting? But not really. I think the dad will be here during the day, and the boy still will have his friend, so I have shit to do. I asked if I could go for a run tomorrow, and the mom said I could. I think I need a good run to detox myself of all these negative emotions and self-pity. Seriously I know I am being ridiculous. I am living in France. I am living the dream. Paris isn’t THAT far away. But whatever… I am slowly adjusting.

Anyway… yesterday was a good day. I went to a slightly bigger nearby town with the mom (I was sad I didn’t live there… it resembled a little town with numerous people and buildings and such), and I applied for a debit card. I am annoyed because in a week I will have to drive back there myself (no idea how- with the driving and directions), and then ask for my debit card. Well that’s going to be a heck of a day… driving and speaking French all by myself. Why can’t they mail the debit card like in America?

After that, I ate lunch and set off on a sight-seeing tour of the area combined with practice driving my car with the dad. He took me to some great places…beautiful castles!! It was all so rushed though sadly, but I definitely want to go back soon. Driving went fairly well…not completely comfortable, but I am decent enough. I am terrified of driving by myself and with the kids though… I don’t think I am ready.

French driving is WEIRD! Tiny, thin roads. You are supposed to drive in the middle of the road all the time unless someone else is coming. When you are on a normal, unmarked road, the speed limit is 90km/hr. Idk how fast that is in mph, but that’s somewhere near (well I looked it up, not too fast= 55mph), but still!! A lot of these roads, you should def not being going that fast. You shouldn’t even be allowed to let alone. 

THEN….for some reason you have to yield to people turning right onto the road, even if you are on a main road going fast. You have to yield to someone turning on the road? Why do they have the right of way? I am gonna get in a wreck… I know it.

After touring and driving, I headed to the train station for PARIS! I didn’t get my train pass, but the dad bought my tickets and gave me 20 euros (idk if I am supposed to pay him back actually). Oh yea I forgot to mention that I got to leave for Paris Saturday night. Très cool! Anyway… I was so excited during the train ride. Watching as the country-side transformed into the city. It took like 30 minutes, and before I knew it, I was taking the metro to Nico’s. I was so content to be in the city again taking the metro and walking on the old streets. I just love it there.

When I got to Nico’s we just hung out and caught up for a while. I was so nice to talk to a friend! I miss people my age… I go through withdrawals. Later on three other friends came over, two of them mutual, and one new girl, who was really nice (spoke English). We drank wine and started cooking food. I practiced French. Joyful times. And then Jerome came over after work eventually! It was nice to see him. We pre-gamed some more, and then took the metro to the Latin Quarter. We went to the same bar me and Nico went to during one of my first nights in Paris. I was at a good level that night, and I remember as we waited for a cab back home we were across La Seine from Notre Dame and I told myself how cool is it that I am here right now looking at the Notre Dame at 3am!

I woke up at an undecent early hour today for some reason, and it all hit me—I have to go back to my village at the end of the day. But I just cast it out of my mind as best I could. I didn’t do a lot today. Just lounged around all day watching French tv, The Notebook, and eating tortellini and then des crêpes Vincent made. Before I knew it, I had to leave Paris. I was pretty upset and wanted to cry.

I took the metro to a big train station, and I saw the Eiffel Tower in the distance. It was as if it was mocking me that I had to leave, but I will see the Eiffel Tower again soon enough. Then the train ride back to my village was uneventful. I didn’t really wanna watch the city slowly disappear, so I read a book. 30 minutes later I was greeting the dad who picked me up at the station. Then holed myself in my room except to eat a yummy meal. One thing: I eat like a queen here. I had sausage and lentils, then bread and cheese, and then a dark chocolate pudding.

THEN I GOT MY PHONE. It is a dinosaur, but it is great!! I will no longer be stranded and helpless to the world when I mess up and put myself in serious trouble. I have already put in all the numbers of people who could possibly help me the next time (we know there will be a next time) I put myself in a serious predicament, but now it won’t be so serious bc I will have a phone. Happy face!

Ok I have written a novel… maybe I will be in a happy mood next entry? Let’s hope!

Slowly Adjusting

I’ve recently had a huge mood booster and feel a lot better about everything. I found out during dinner today that I get this Sunday off! I assumed I didn’t because I only started on Thursday and getting the first weekend off seemed too hopeful. So that means I’ll go to into Paris on Sunday… yay!!

I really am in the middle of nowhere here… this town has 1300 inhabitants according to the dad. Anyway… I woke up this morning after a pretty good night’s sleep. The bed is a little uncomfortable, but I am used to my plush bed back in America, so I will get used to it. It’s sad to say, but I didn’t really want to get up and go interact with the family. I was just so put down from yesterday, but I braced myself and walked into the kitchen with a warm smile and “Bonjour.”

The dad asked me what I ate for breakfast, and I said cereal to which he replied that the family doesn’t eat cereal. Sad face. Well next chance I get, I am going to a super marché and buying my own cereal thank you very much. I ate 2 pieces of a baguette with butter and called that breakfast… nothing hits the spot like cereal for me. I then showered for the first time in my bathroom, which was ok. The shower door finally closed all the way after some maneuvering, but no other complaints.

I then hung out with the girl and Gros Chat. I forgot to mention him. In English: Big Cat. He is the family cat, although he stays outdoors. The mom never mentioned animals this summer, so he was a pleasant surprise. I love my cats J

I then went into the village with the mom and girl, and they showed me the girl’s school, the pharmacie, a music center, etc. The village is super small, but cute in its own way. We came back and ate leftover lasagna, and then it seemed I could do my own thing, so I finally uploaded all my pics to facebook.

I then got to drive the mom and kids around to see the surrounding area. I have my own car! A little black fiat… super cute. I wasn’t expecting my very own car! Driving was ok… the mom wasn’t a good teacher, and she explained things differently on what I am supposed to do compared to Jerome, so I was a little bit worse than I had been, but afterward, she said I did a good job. However, tomorrow I am driving with the dad for a few hours, so I am hoping to improve and get used to my car!

After driving, I played Wii with the girl, which was fun. I then hung out with the dad and watched him cook a rabbit stew. He literally had an entire rabbit that had been cut into pieces, but I saw the head and heart. A tad weird, but I am all over trying new things. That’s been my motto! I forgot to tell you that one evening when I went out to dinner with Jerome, Vincent, and his Raleigh roommates that I tried tripe, sheep’s stomach. Don’t think I will ever eat it again, but I am glad I tried it.

After a bit of watching the dad cook, I went to my room and skyped my mom for a long time. I immediately started crying and saying how lonely I am. It was a good cry and needed to happen sooner or later. Talking to her helped me, and I talked long enough that I think my puffy, red eyes were gone by the time I was called for dinner (by the boy!) He probably was asked to, but I was still grateful for the social interaction.

For dinner we had rabbit as I mentioned, and I specifically ate râble—the meat around the spine, apparently the best part. The rabbit was good! It is a white meat, so I felt as if I was eating chicken, so I wasn’t grossed out in the slightest. We ate the rabbit with the wine stew it was cooked in and elbow macaroni. I then had a glass of Muscadet wine, and bread and cheese afterwards. Ah so French haha. Then I ate two yogarts. Ah I eat so much during meals here… because they eat like 2 huge meals a day and that’s it. I am never gonna get used to that. Along with cereal, I am buying snacks… and hangers. I am going to the store tomorrow with the mom (I asked if we could go) before we go to the bank to get my debit card.

I am also getting a phone tomorrow (finally welcome to the first world again), and my train card (used for going to Paris!). I am also going to the dad’s niece’s bday party tomorrow. I am assuming I’ll be awkwardly surrounded by people gabbering in French, but whatever. I am going to Paris the next day, and that will pull me through J

We also watched Kung Fu Panda 2 tonight. I like this tradition of watching American movies. Although, I know it won’t happen when school starts, but I will enjoy it for now.

I Thought the "Go" Would be Easier...

I’m sitting in my new room, which is in unpacking chaos. There’s definitely not enough hangers for my clothes in the wardrobe, so I hope I can buy some soon to finish unpacking. I have a double bed, a desk, and wardrobe. That’s all I need. My bathroom is really nice, although, it is upstairs, but I have my own bathroom!

Anyways… I feel very strange right now. It is better than a few hours ago when I wanted to cry mid-way through dinner. I had no reason to cry other than the fact of change, and a lot of change at that. So far, France has been a fun vacation for me, but real life started today and hit me in the face.

The mom and daughter picked me up in Paris in the apartment I was staying at, and I retrieved my luggage from the creepy cave easily enough. Luckily it all fit in the car after a few adjustments. Then we drove 45 mins to my new home. I talked to the mom most of the time about this and that... in English.

We arrived to the house, which was very cute. The family showed me their garden, which was full of plum trees and walnut trees and some other fruit I had never heard of. The house is great too. It has a renovated kitchen, and is very nice overall.

The girl then asked if I wanted to go on a bike ride, and I immediately said yes. The boy ended up coming too, and they we rode to see a donkey and 2 horses, which we fed with our hands through the fence! We then went to a stream area. The girl talked to me a lot, mostly in English, and then in French when she couldn’t say a word or phrases, and I understood most of it. The boy never spoke to me, and he hasn’t really yet, so I am a little worried.

When we returned, I hung out in the kitchen a bit while the dad and girl cooked dessert, and they let me read the French recipe out loud, which was a little challenging. He spoke mostly French to me, and I understood like 50%, which is really cool! When Jerome and his friends talk, I barely understand, so I am not sure why I understand the dad so well.

I then unpacked for a bit waiting for dinner to be ready. We didn’t eat till like 9pm, and I was starving. I barely ate today, so I was looking forward to food. We ate salad, then goat cheese in this baked pastry, lasagna, then the desert: a chocolate cocette (kinda like a chocolate lava cake). I was stuffed after, but it was all super yummy. They talked in French during dinner, and I was so lost. That’s when I wanted to go to my room and just cry, but I was strong. They asked me to watch an Adam Sandler movie after dinner, which was in English thank God. The movie really helped me get over everything. I think I needed a good solid 1.5 hrs of English in my system and good ole stupid, American humor.

I talked to my mom for a few minutes on skype all depressed sounding. She is probably worried about me, but I feel better. I talked to Jerome after for a few minutes, and I felt a lot better after his words of encouragement. He told me that I have nothing to stress about which is true… I mean my summary describes a much better description than my actual feelings. I have nothing to be bummed about, but I just am. I am just overwhelmed and need to adjust. That’s all. This is all a lot tougher than I imagined… I am going through culture shock. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day… I know it will be. I just don’t know what to expect, and that’s a scary thing!

I can just imagine myself months from now reading this thinking how silly I am being (I sure hope I feel that way), and that makes me feel better. I just need to get into the swing of things. Change is always a challenge.

Ready. Set. Go!

We ended up not going rock climbing, and instead we hiked to the top of that mountain. It was a difficult steep hike, and we headed up there around twilight, so when we got to the top around one hour later, we saw the city of Nice in lights. It was very beautiful. The weather was also amazing since the sun wasn’t out; the heat was no overwhelming. We sat up there for ten minutes or so enjoying the view, but I was starting to get nervous because it was quickly getting dark. We headed down moments later, and I used Jerome’s iPhone for a flash light. Somehow, he made it down the somewhat treacherous trail in the darkness, while I barely made it through with a flashlight.

I was happy to reach solid ground again, but I couldn’t enjoy it too much because Jerome forced me to drive his stick shift around for a bit. I am getting better, but I am a nervous wreck every time I drive stick shift; it’s so different. Especially with the weird French roads. Their rules, signs, roads, driving styles, etc. are so different, and it is all so overwhelming. Hopefully I will get comfortable soon enough.

When we got back, we ate an amazing dinner his mom made; an eggplant (from the garden) lasagna type dish with mozzarella cheese. We didn’t eat until like midnight, but that is just the French way, although usually not that late, then we headed for bed.

The next day was our last day in Nice; sad face. We woke up at a more reasonable hour than usual and ate a fabulous lunch with his parents. Shrimp and scallop kebabs, a rice and zucchini dish, and of course, fresh, yummy bread. We then went to St. Paul de Vence, which is a world famous village near Nice. It was full of art galleries and small, claustrophobic, classic European streets. It was very quaint. I had to drive there and was in a bad mood for a while after (I really don’t like driving stick haha), but I got over it soon enough to basically head back and do it all over again. When we got home, it was basically time to head to the airport. So I packed my bags and tried to enjoy mu last views of Jerome’s village and Nice. It is incredibly beautiful, and I didn’t want to leave at all. Not even for Paris, which says something!

We landed in Paris after an uneventful plane ride and took the RER back inside the city. The weather was cooler, which was much welcomed. That was the only downside to Nice; it’s hot. We took the metro to Jerome’s friend, Vincent’s, apartment (which is now Jerome’s apartment too), and it is small but cute. The only thing that is too small is the bathroom…a shower, sink, and toilet are crammed into a ridiculously small space, but I must get used to it!

We hung out a bit with Vincent and the other roommate, and then headed for bed. The next day was my last full day before starting my au pair job, so Jerome and I basically did errands. We walked to his new job to time how long it would take, then ate lunch at a nearby brasserie, walked along the Seine, went to the pharmacie, and made a copy of Vincent’s key. We then headed back after our long day, and could not get back in to the apartment because Jerome forgot the entrance code. His phone was dead, of course, and mine is completely useless here, so we had to wait for someone to come back to the apartment and follow them inside, which took make 20 minutes. After relaxing for a bit, we had to head to Justine’s to retrieve my luggage.

Thank god Jerome was there because he did all the heavy lifting up and down the metro, so the excursion didn’t turn out as bad as I had imagined. Jerome informed me I would be storing my bags (there’s definitely no room in the apt for them) in the cave, and I looked at him weirdly, and he corrected to basement. However “cave” was a much more accurate description. Vincent lead us down to a dungeon: literally. It was super creepy down there, and as I walked downstairs away from the open door and warm lamplight, I knew I would get murdered down there. It was full of twists and turns, old wooden doors, and cave-like walls. I was glad to finally get away after storing my luggage.

Then we went to a restaurant and had dinner with Jerome’s roommates from Raleigh: Nico, Alban, and Romain. Most of the time I sat there in complete silence unless one of them was kind enough to speak English, but I am used to it by now, and soon enough, I will be able to join the conversation! We got back by midnight and headed for bed soon after because Vincent had work the next morning, along with Jerome who had his first day of work.

I had to get up early with them this morning, so they could get ready. I then slept for a few more hours. I have showered in the ridiculously small shower and now am writing this. The mom of my French family is coming to get me in like 2 hours. The email made it sound like just her, but I have no idea if the kids or her husband will be there. I am nervous about going down to the dungeon and carrying my luggage up the stairs because I’ll have to do it by myself, but I know it will work out. I also hope all my shiz fits in the car haha… I worry about everything.

In a few hours , the next phase of my life starts. My au pair life in Paris. I have been waiting months and months for today, and now it is a mere 2 hours away. In a way, my life has been leading up to this moment. All the schooling and being raised by my parents to finally make my decision on what to do with my life, and I sit here in a little apartment in Paris waiting. This is all so amazing, and I have gone through so many barriers to finally get here, especially in the last week.

I know this year will be the best year of my life (so far), but will also be the hardest. I am ready for the challenge though (mostly). I am ready to be an au pair in Paris!

Living the Hard Life

The night after my last blog post, Jerome took me to Vieux Nice—the old, touristy part of town. We drove to the city center and walked to this park that overlooks the whole city and has gorgeous views of La Méditerraneé and Le Promenade des Anglais—the main strip. Afterwards, we hiked back down to the ocean and “took a bath in the sea” as Jerome would say. The “beach” had these awful, big pebbles that were so uncomfortable to walk on and made it completely awkward to walk down to the sea with the steep incline. Once in the water, is was nice. Beautiful and clear. We then sat on the stony beach for a while enjoying the sunset. Then we set off for something to eat. Jerome had a specific restaurant in mind, so we headed there. I was soooo starving by that time (I feel like I always am here), so I was excited for a good meal. I ordered in French, and the waitress congratulated me since she could tell I was American. My meal was completely AMAZING! I ordered a ravioli dish that apparently was a classic dish from Nice. I took a picture, but it doesn’t do it justice—oh well. But it had ricotta cheese, pesto, pine nuts, and all sorts of yummy things.

We then went to two bars that Jerome likes to go too. He bought us a shot he wanted me to try called a White Rocker where you take the normal shot, then eat this flower that makes your mouth all tingly, and then you take another shot of the same thing, and it tastes a lot more intense. It was a cool experience. We headed home afterward and went to sleep at some early hour in the morning.

The next day I met Jerome’s parents. I had anticipated this for so long, and of course was worried. I was worried for no reason (as usual), and they have been completely welcoming towards me. I have been practicing French with them, but they speak English as well thankfully. Two of Jerome’s friends came over as well and we swam in the pool and played the classic French game of pétanque—to put it simply you throw your balls at a small, yellow one and score points.

Then Jerome had a concert that night—his last one before he moves to Paris. It was a lot of fun! I sat with his mom most of the time, and I really enjoyed the music. They play cover songs, so I knew most of them. A of his friends were there, and we hung out after the concert. Everyone has been so nice to me here; I didn’t expect anything less, but I still really appreciate all the hospitality.  They all think I am too cute with my accent and make me say funny phrases sometimes, which I find funny as well seeing their reactions.

Now it is the next day. I had a big lunch with Jerome and his parents. They cooked fish (whole fish), rice, a salad with cheese, apples, and all sorts of things, and of course bread. It was super yummy. I am not used to eating a big lunch, though, but it is a nice change. His parents asked me a few differences I have noticed between our cultures, and the first thing I mentioned was eating here is an experience. As an American, we eat for energy, but here it is all about the company you share the meal with along with what you are eating. It is a nice change of pace, and I love how the French love and appreciate the food here. I am going to become incredibly spoiled.

Later today, I am going rock climbing! This is the mountain I am going to climb—well a small portion at least, and this is the view I see every day. Quite amazing to say the least!

Locked Out

I had a HELL of a day after my last blog post. This literally was life or death—or pretty close to it. I cannot believe all the crap that has happened to me. This has been a great adventure for sure!

So I packed up my carry-on bag at Nico’s to take to Justine’s (where my big suitcases were) to repack for my trip to Nice that night. It was a bit of a struggle lugging my carry on suit case through the metro, but it was nothing compared to last summer’s nightmare when I had my big suitcase in the metro. It took an hour or so, but I arrived to Justine’s just fine. I opened the window in the kitchen to let some fresh air in and took an hour or so packing for Nice and tidying up my suitcases, which take so much room in her apartment. She is so sweet to let me leave my suitcases there.

Right when I finished packing I decided to use the bathroom before I made the trek back to Nico’s. The bathroom is separate from the apartment, and she has a personal bathroom right across the hall that you need to unlock. I slowly closed her apartment door to turn around the bathroom and without any warning the door slammed in my face. The wind from the kitchen window forcefully closed the door for me. I immediately pushed the door to open it again, and It. Would. Not. Open.

I had proceeded to like myself out of Justine’s apartment. All my luggage, purse, semi-working iPhone, and passport were in that apartment, and I had managed to freaking lock myself out. How did this happen to me? After everything else I had dealt with. I panicked and started talking to myself and wimpering. I was pitiful—for good reasons. Ironically, I had just put on a necklace with a key at the end-- what a way to mock myself.

I knocked on her neighbor’s door, who could speak English, and I knew I could get this settled with her help, but there was no answer. What to do now? I paced back and forth up and down the hall for a few minutes contemplating my limited options. I decided to go against my will and knock on random doors for someone to help me. The second door I tried, an old lady answered. I said Bonjour and asked if she spoke English, which of course, she did not. Well it was now or nothing… I proceeded to tell her my predicament in French.

She let me inside and let me use her phone. I thought I remembered Nico’s number (since I dialed it at the airport so many times), and tried it a few times but kept getting random French people. The old lady didn’t have a cell phone or internet, so she couldn’t really help me. She offered me tea, and talked about when Chantal would come back, the English speaking neighbor, but she didn’t know when for sure. I then told her I needed the internet to find my friend’s phone numbers, and that I had a flight to catch tonight. She offered to take me somewhere that had internet, and I told her I didn’t have money, and she said she would pay for me.

Now all of this was in FRENCH… can you believe it? I mean it was a very spaced out, simple conversation, but I am proud. And also, she was so nice to me. Not how I expected a Parisian to treat me. She was incredibly sweet. We then walked for five minutes to a locksmith—I was a tad confused, but she told my predicament to the shop owner. He let me use a computer, and I went on facebook to find people’s numbers. The shop owner let me use his cell phone, and I immediately called Jerome. Thank God he answered, and I blurted out my situation, which I had to repeat slowly again.

I don’t really remember what we said, but he was on his way to Paris at that point and said everyone in the car was laughing at me, which I did not find the least bit funny (at the time). I told him to call Justine to let her know she needed to come back to her apartment, which remember she wouldn’t normally since she was staying at a friends because of no electricity, and then to call Nico because he was locked out of his apt since his keys were in Justine’s. He told me he would call me back soon and to hang in there.

Meanwhile, a lady walked into the store, who spoke English! So I told her everything and she told the old lady and store owner just so they knew exactly what happened. I then played telephone tag for a bit as Jerome updated me on what was happening…. He had arranged for him, Nico, and Justine to meet me at Justine’s apartment so we could all sort through the huge mess I created. The old lady and I walked back to her apartment, where I would wait for everyone, and we saw Chantal entering the apartment! So I told her everything, and she took me under her wing while I waited for everyone.

Looking back, what happened to me was complete crap, but everything that happened afterwards was quite lucky.

So I waited 20 minutes or so, and Jerome called saying he was there. I hadn’t even had time to anticipate or think about our reunion. It had been 3 months, but I was in such a daze from everything. I said thank you to Chantal and walked downstairs to meet Jerome. At first, I didn’t see him through the door, but 30 seconds later he appeared along with his brother, which was a pleasant surprise.

It was so strange physically seeing Jerome, and I didn’t know how to feel, but I sure felt relief as we hugged. A lot had just been lifted off my shoulders with just him there, so I felt a lot better. We had an hour or so to kill waiting for Justine and Nico to get off work, so we walked around for a bit and then said bye to Jerome’s brother, who had to catch a flight to Ireland.

Me and Jerome went back to Justine’s to wait for Nico… I was happy that everything was starting to work out. Before I knew it, Nico was there, and we hung out until Justine arrived. At this point, I was nervous about catching our plane to Nice (before I didn’t care—I just wanted all my stuff and Jerome), but we were starting to get into a time crunch. Justine finally arrived, and I quickly gathered all my things (luckily I had finished packing). I said a quick good-bye to everyone, and me and Jerome took a cab to the Orly airport… we had like 45 mins to get there and get through security, so we didn’t say much during the taxi ride because we were stressed. However, security took 5 minutes and we arrived with enough time to spare to grab a bite to eat before setting off for Nice!

The flight was like an hour long, and I was there before I knew it. Me and Jerome finally had time to relax during the flight and enjoyed each other’s company. It was dark when we landed, so unfortunately, I couldn’t see the pretty landscape of Nice. Then one if his friends picked us up, and we headed to a local bar where Jerome’s band was playing. I met a few of his friends, who were all very nice to me and spoke English.

Two of his band mates came drove us to Jerome’s, and I must say driving is crazier here. The little cars speedily zip along tiny roads!! The roads to Jerome’s are windy because he lives up a mountain, so it was an interesting drive. We arrived and had a few drinks, and then headed to bed after one of the longest days of my life.

The next day, Jerome treated me to a French breakfast and we picked up some chocolat au pain and ate by his pool. What a life! Then we went for a run. It was nice running, but it was so hot and lot of it was uphill. I was so dead, but I needed a good run to de-stress. After, I think we ate lunch. His house has a garden, and I picked tomatoes that we ate-- so French haha, but they were very good! Then I had my first driving lesson with him, which went pretty well, but driving stick is NERVE WRACKING. I get so antsy and paranoid, and I really don’t like it, but I just need practice. He eventually made me drive on real roads, which scares the hell out of me. Everyone drives way to fast on these crazy mountain roads (they are way crazier than back home), and I am just a nervous wreck. I had a few instances of annoying traffic, and switching back to the passenger seat on the main road, but I improved.

We then went to an area with stores to buy some things. We went to a HUGE Carrefour, which was way bigger than Walmart, and way crazier to buy alcohol for a party Jerome was throwing that night. When he arrived back at his house, one of his friends was already there waiting for us, and he immediately started to make some sangria- yum!

Eventually more people came, and I had a good night overall! Sometimes it is hard being with all French people who I don’t know, but everyone was really nice to me and let me speak French to them and English as well. They said I spoke well, and I know I am a beginner, but it makes me feel good to hear real French people say that to me!

Now it is the following afternoon. Jerome made me drive to a boulangerie to buy some sandwiches, which were so good. Goat cheese and then duck—I really enjoyed it. And now I am sitting outside in this gorgeous weather writing. It is so beautiful here. Jerome lives in a small village that leaves beneath this huge rock outcropping mountain that is incredible. This is a lovely place. I am thoroughly enjoying my time here, and it is nice to have a break from the hectic life I have had lately!

I have been learning a lot about French culture, and I really do love it. Part of me misses home in a way, but I can’t believe I am here for a year. So crazy, but I am having the time of my life!

Living the Parisian Life (As a Tourist)

Well I did not ended up stranded on the streets in Paris. I know I was being dramatic, but somehow inconveniences seem like life and death scenarios when in a foreign country at the complete mercy of the few friends that I have here.

My laptop was about to die at McDonald’s, so I headed back to Justine’s hoping she would be home from work. She wasn’t, but I just tidied up all my stuff, and she arrived in no time. She was so sorry for what had happened and immediately called her friend to ask if I could stay with her, who said yes. I called Jerome immediately after, and he told me Nico had said yes as well, so I chose Nico since I knew him better.  Justine arranged for Nico to come pick us up, and he gave us both a ride since her friend lived close by to him. It was nice seeing the city by car again… who knew I would be in a car again so fast. I thought it would be a while.

Nico and I took an apéro that night, but stayed in. Which, for those who don’t know, is an occasion where people get together and drink and eat appetizers before having a meal or going out. It is a great French tradition! I told Nico that I wanted to try “weird” food while I lived in France, and he took this as a chance to introduce me to some French dishes. I tried pâté, homemade from his grandmother. It looked and smelled like wet cat food, but apparently it is a delicacy in France, so I tried it on a baguette. I wasn’t in love with it, but it did grow on me. I also tried a cheese of his village, Roquefort. It had dark areas in it, which he said was the best, so he gave me a slice. It did not taste very good, and then he proceeded to tell me I had just eaten mold. Wtf Nico!! He laughed while I was utterly shocked at what he had done to me. It is funny now to think about, but I really was stunned I had eaten mold. A lot of French people don’t like it he told me, so I don’t feel too bad for disliking it. I then ate something I thoroughly enjoyed!!

I had seen Nico eat it back in Raleigh once, and it looked completely gross back then. He had soft-boiled an egg, and then ate it by the spoonful (you’re supposed to dip bread in it, but he didn’t have any at the time). But I wanted to try it now because it is an easy, simple dish. Maybe I can make it for my kids someday (which meeting them is rapidly approaching!). It turned out to be fabulous tasting, and was really good with bread; especially when you got the yolk part. I forgot to mention, after you soft-boil the egg, you have to tap a knife around the top to cut the top off to dip the bread in, which is a delicate art within itself. Nico thought it was funny that I hated the delicacies while loving the easy, simple, not-a-big-deal meal.

We went to sleep at 2am that night, and by the time I woke up the next day it was 1pm! I looked at my phone and was flabbergasted. I NEVER sleep like that, but I guess my body needed it. The blinds completely shut out light too, which helped I am sure. I leisurely took a shower and decided what I wanted to do today—alone, since Nico had work. Then all the sudden, the doorbell rang, and I let Nico in. He told me he forgot his work key for his computer, which I had because I had the apartment keys. He had come by before, but my dead sleep did not hear the doorbell. I felt bad he made the 50 minute trip back to his apt and then I didn’t even answer.

He left soon after, and I got ready to plan out my day alone. I decided to go to the Arc de Triomphe because it is impressive to see and I could easily walk down the Champs-Élysées. The arc was magnificent, and I looked at the crazy 8 lane wide traffic circle around it and watched the traffic battle for their lives it seemed like. I walked down the Champs-Élysées and popped into H&M and Zara, but didn’t buy anything. I bought a baguette with ham and mayo and continued walking to near the Eiffel Tower—I really don’t know where I was, but it had been hours at this point, so I decided to find a metro and go home. It took like an hour to get back, and then I went to a super marché to buy some cereal, fruit, and wine.

The girl rang me up, and it was 11 euros 17 cents, so I gave her a 20. Then she started talking to me, and I just froze up and acted completely retarded. I had no idea what to say or do, so she then reached into my wallet to get a few coins. My mom later told me she probably did that so she could give me a 10 euro bill back to not deal with more change, which makes sense. It is so difficult to be able to have a simple conversation—that instance was so scary to me just because I don’t feel comfortable speaking French.

I skyped my mom for a bit, and then Nico came home. I was excited because Wednesday was a bank holiday, so that meant no work for him the next day, so we could go out! We took an apéro and drank a bottle of wine and then headed for the Latin Quarter around 10pm in search of dinner (they eat so late here; I am constantly hungry, and I feel so fat). We found this restaurant that serves only one meal (steak and frites), but since they serve one meal, they do it very well. It was yummy and they even refilled our plate once; we also drank more wine. We then bar hopped a little bit, and Nico and I had a long conversation in French! He says I talked like a drunk French person since I was so slow, but I am proud. I barely asked for words just tried to use what I knew. He said I was better than he thought I would be, so I am happy with myself.

I also had a long conversation in French the night before when he asked me to talk about my first day in Paris. I am painfully slow, but he is patient, so I don’t feel self-conscience.

We then decided to head home at some indecent hour, and I really had to GO. So I became a full, authentic French person and peed in the street, which Nico was very proud about and proceeded to tell our cab driver and later on, some of our mutual friends. Whats done is done…it needed to happen. I guess it is nice since it’s legally not an issue here to do. I have a feeling this will happen more than once…

We got home and drank more wine and went to sleep at 6am. I crashed till noon, and we chilled out and slowly got ready. We headed toward the city center took the metro of course, and on the way there, one metro train was incredibly full, but I last second decided to pile in. I turned around to face Nico, and he was on the other side of the doors. I was like, “No… Nico…!” I must have looked pitiful, and he just half-laughed and looked exasperated. I had managed to separate myself from the one person I need in this city! Ahh… I was super stressed to say the least. I didn’t know where I should get off—the predetermined spot way ahead or the next stop. I decided the next stop and PRAYED he would too. He did think the same way, and we were reunited in 5 minutes. Boy, I had a scare though. So much crap has happened to me since I have been here! Nico thinks it is mildly funny because everything literally feel s like life or death, when it really isn’t.

Anywho…the plan was to go to Paris Plages (beaches) near Notre Dame, but we never found it. It’s an area with sand along the Seine. I asked if you could swim, but Nico just laughed and said no. Later on, when he sat along the Seine for a bit, I could see why—it’s nasty.

Another plan was to eat gelato from GROM. My friend Elizabeth loves this ice cream place and says it is the best ice cream in the world. I never could find it last summer, but I did this time! I was so excited to finally try it. It was tasty; I had pistachio, raspberry, and crème de grom.

We then went to La Défense—the business district of Paris, where Nico works coincidentally.La Défense was great! It had futuristic skyscrapers, and I felt like I was in an American city; not Paris the fairytale city. It also had La Grande Arche, which was MASSIVE and beautiful. I was in awe of its size… it is way bigger than the Arc de Triomphe. We went into the mall, which was huge (like 5 floors), and had a coffee and relaxed a bit. Then we walked around the area. We found a giant sculpture of a thumb, which was cool. We just walked and walked around… I was so exhausted. We then took the 50 minute trip back to Nico’s apartment, and stopped to buy ingredients for dinner. He made a really good salad, and I made these potato fry things. We watched funny videos on TV and just hung out having a chill night.

We went to sleep, and I woke up at 9am. My first normal sleep here, and I decided to go for a run this morning! I found a park relatively close by, and it was so pretty. There are parks everywhere, and this one was beautiful. It had a lake, waterfalls, and countless paths. There were lots of runners too, so I felt at home. I felt weird in my workout clothes in the metro, everyone looks so effortlessly put together here, but oh well. I ran and feel so GOOD. My body needed that so bad.

Now I am sitting here writing this. I need to go to Justine’s, where all my suitcases are, and pack my mini suitcase for my trip to Nice. I leave tonight! …and I see Jerome. Very excited. It has been over 3 months since we said goodbye, so our reunion has been long awaited. I can’t even imagine how I will feel when I see him, but I know I will be super happy. I just hope our plane flight goes smoothly. My last time in CDG was a mess, but thankfully, Nico is driving me to the airport to meet Jerome, so at least, I will be with someone who has a cellphone.

Je suis à Paris!

Right now I am sitting on the floor of a McDonalds using the wifi. I have my laptop plugged in to charge, but it isn’t work L I don’t want to get up again, so I am leaving my laptop plugged in anyway so I don’t look weird sitting on the floor.

I am at a McDonalds using wifi because Justine doesn’t have electricity, who I am staying with. I came back to the apartment today, and her neighbor, who speaks English, told me whoever shut off her power. I called and left Justine a voice mail because she is at work. I then set off to find somewhere with wifi. It sucks to not have a working phone. I texted Justine when I got here, and she told me it would be better if I find somewhere else to stay. I texted Jerome and asked him to ask Nico, so I HOPE he says yes. I don’t have anyone else to ask. Uhg I just wanna figure this out. I hope I hear from Jerome soon.

Before this electricity problem, I went to lunch with an Italian friend, who I met last summer. He is staying near Sacré Coeur, so we had lunch near there and I got to see my favorite part of Paris! At least it was from last summer. I am sure once I live here for a while, I will find somewhere else, but I just love the gorgeous view of the city.

I am so stressed right now! I am just waiting for a text to tell me I can stay with Nico… fingers crossed.

Anyways back to yesterday, when I arrived in Paris…

I finally got to Paris after that long flight. I was so over that airplane after 9 hours even if I was in business class. It still sucked because I don’t sleep at all! We landed ahead of schedule, and I was slightly shaking with anticipation, eagerness, nervousness while I waited to get off the plane. This was it… sepping into a foreign country for a year ready to seize the day and hope everything went according to plan.

I deboarded and followed all the signs to customs and baggage claim. Customs took 30 seconds—he barely looked at me. It was nice arriving at CDG at 6am because no one was there, so it wasn’t crowded. I finally got my bags ahead of schedule of meeting Nico, and everything had run smoothly so far. Then I realized that Nico would not be able to reach me at our designated spot—the baggage claim. So I hauled all my bags, not an easy task, and exited the baggage claim to the area where people meet up with you and the exit to cars, trains, etc. There were a lot of people waiting to meet their loved ones, and there was no way I’d be able to find Nico in all that mess.

I fought through terrible crowds with my bags and tried to use a pay phone to call Nico, but I couldn’t figure out how to dial French numbers. I asked someone at a help desk, and she told me. I tried again and left a message… I then left messages for Jerome and Justine. I didn’t know what to do or who to call—no one was answering. I paced back and forth near outside the baggage claim area frantic bc I didn’t know how I’d find Nico. I used that pay phone so much and this computer thing that ate 10 euros of my money to try to contact him. After an hour, I was a sweaty mess pushing my bags again to some unknown destination, and I randomly saw Nico.

I yelled his name and gave him a big, American hug. I was so thankful. I cannot even express my feelings of relief. I honestly didn’t know what I was going to do, but I am glad it worked out. My day started getting better when he informed me he drove to the airport, so I didn’t have to deal with trains! We made the long trek back to his car, and I finally got to relax a little bit and see the city in day light.

We made it back to his apartment, which was really nice to me. Pretty big for Paris! Then he told me we could do whatever I wanted, and I immediately said let’s go to the Eiffel Tower! I knew I wouldn’t feel like I was in Paris until I saw it. We took the Métro to somewhere near Notre Dame I think in search of food. Notre Dame was the first big monument I saw, and we walked around that area in search of food, and found a classic Parisianne café where I got orange juice, hot chocolate, and a pain au chocolat. Most of the day we spent catching up and just walking. We eventually walked to the Louvre, and after that I got my first glimpse of the Eiffel Tower and we headed there. Then we got lunch—it had been hours since the café—and then we sat in the grass by the Eiffel Tower for a bit. It was so lovely… especially knowing I can come chill at the Eiffel Tower basically whenever I want to now!!

We decided to drink some beers at another random café, and I then called Justine to check in with her since she is my host while in Paris for a few days. We headed back to Nico’s, and I skyped my mom to tell her I was alive. I had been awake for like 24 hours at this point, but I was still going. I didn’t want to ruin my time schedule, but I did feel weird and jet lagged. I was so happy to finally be in Paris, but part of me was just numb and weird. I felt the same way last summer on my first day, and the whole being in France thing is an adjustment. Especially that this is my home for  a year… I don’t believe it still. I was thankful to spend my first day here with a friend. He was a part of home for me, which was really nice considering all the mixed feelings and jetlag I was going through.

We then drove to Justine’s apartment and hauled all my luggage up. I’m glad there was an elevator! I said my goodbyes to Nico, and I hope I see him on Wednesday because it is a bank holiday, so no one will work that day. Justine’s apartment is so cute. It is a bedroom and kitchen; small, but I really like it. We got crêpes for dinner, so yummy!! Then went back and basically went to sleep. I slept until 11am today… a full 12 hours, but my body needed it. I immediately got ready for lunch, so I haven’t had time to relax really especially after this no electricity thing. 

Btw, it was weird walking by myself today to meet up with my friend and now at McDonalds. I am paranoid I am going to get mugged, so I have my hands around my bag at all times. The area near Sacré Coeur is kinda sketchy, so I was super paranoid there. Its weird not to feel safe here bc I always do in America. I will get used to it I suppose, but I am kinda scared being alone sometimes, but everything has been fine today in that department.

Still no word about my living arrangements :/ I will see Justine soon and hopefully figure out our options. 

Bon Voyage

I wrote this on the plane. I am writing a blog about my last 2 days right now.

Currently I am on the airplane right now en route to Paris. I am flying first class (thank you Vickie!), and this is an experience for sure! I am getting really spoiled with all the amenities first class offers. First of all, the leg room is like quadruple the size as you would normally get. The seats electronically recline and do all sorts of things that make you extra comfy. When I boarded the plane, I was greeted with a choice of champagne or a mimosa—mimosa all the way, takes me back to my tailgating days ;)

I then ate a three course meal with a dessert. I am so full now, and I wasn’t all the hungry to begin with. Along with the mimosa, I have drunk two glasses of wine. The plan was to get tipsy or pompette as the French would say, and then fall asleep, but this plan has not worked thus far. Oh well, I have a mini tv screen where I can watch movies, so that’ll keep me entertained.

I had a minor fiasco this morning, but all is well now. I was eating continental breakfast with my dad this morning, and he suggested that we go ahead and check my luggage and print my boarding pass while my mom and bro were sleeping. I thought this was a good idea, so we drove to the airport. I have been to the Atlanta airport before, and it is BIG and BUSY, so I was slightly nervous about navigating this place myself when the time came to finally go through security and such. However, the airport had recently opened a brand spanking new terminal for international flights. It was so modern and futuristic looking; it reminded me of the airport in Raleigh. It was like Raleigh’s airport as well because it was quiet and there weren’t a lot of people.

So we immediately were able to check my luggage and print my boarding pass. My big suitcase ended up being 72 pounds, but the lady let the extra 2 pounds slide! Idk about when I return to America because I know I will have extra stuff to put in my bag, but I will cross that bridge when it comes.

I then went to a currency counter to exchange dollars for euros. I exchanged $500 and got over 350 euros… what bs. I hate the exchange rate. We then drove back to the hotel and had more breakfast—gotta take advantage of continental bfast! While I was eating my waffle, I had a sudden realization that my manila folder was not with me. My manila folder contained my life basically. My boarding pass, copies of passport and visa, translated birth certificates, my au pair contract forms, and my international driving license. Not a folder you want to lose.

I immediately went to the car to see if it was there, but of course it wasn’t, so I urgently told my dad, and we trekked back to the airport. I knew where I had left it—the currency booth—and fast walked there leaving my dad behind. I couldn’t even let myself think what the heck would happen if I really lost this folder. Alas, my folder was sitting exactly where I had left it, and I don’t even think the lady at the counter noticed it was there, but I thanked her anyway.

What a scare…. I don’t even wanna think… not even going to start.

Back at the hotel, I took my last luxurious, American shower (showers are weird in France—I hope I don’t have a shower head I have to hold at my host fam’s house), packed my carry-on, then had lunch with my fam, then to the airport again.

I had a pretty quick goodbye. I got teary eyed saying bye to my mom, but I know they will come to visit, so it isn’t so sad. It is weird though thinking I won’t see them for a long while, let alone my house/cats for a year and my friends. So many things I am leaving behind, but I know my new life will fill in all these gaping holes.

Uhg I have 5.5 hours to kill. Maybe I will try to sleep. It’s all dark in the airplane, and I have no idea how to turn on my light, so I am typing with the light of my laptop screen. This is where splurging for a mac book would have been  a good idea—self lit keys.

Anticipation

I just finished reading the last few posts of my blog from last summer. It was great to read, but I feel sad for my former self if that makes sense. I was so sad to leave France. I can remember my feelings so vividly. But I told myself in my blog post, that I would come back- that's the only way I could deal with leaving, and look at me now! (I'm gettin paper)

I have one more full day at my house tomorrow. I then leave for Atlanta on Friday to pick up my passport/visa and spend the night before leaving America on Saturday for Paris. I have spent most of today packing. I will finish up tomorrow, but I have packed all my clothes at least in my big suitcase. It is so heavy. I feel bad for my friend who is meeting me at Charles de Gaulle, Nico, because he will probably be in charge of that bag when we go into the city-- sorry haha ;). I am assuming we will take the RER, but I have no idea and am letting him make all those decisions. My other suitcase is full of shoes and then odds and ends-- medicine, toiletries, pictures, accessories, whatever I deem important enough to accompany me for my year-long journey.

My friend, Elizabeth, came to visit me this past weekend. It was wonderful seeing her one last time. She helped me pack and gave me advice while she was here-- I consider her the master since she backpacked through Europe for 8 months. She was very stern with me and didn't let me pack stupid things I absolutely wanted to take (thank you!) Although, I have sneakily added a few things back in :p

I also went to Charlotte for two days to visit other friends, Gina and Pranj. It was fabulous seeing you two! I got back last night and babysat for a family I have babysat for all summer. I am quite close to the kids and parents, so it was sad to say goodbye. They also had two British people staying with them, which was a pleasant surprise. They were around my age, a girl and guy, who have been in America all summer working as soccer coaches in different places each week. Each week they have host families. Pretty cool set up! I enjoyed chatting with them and sharing my study abroad experiences and soon to be au pair experience.

I have been having mixed feelings about leaving my entire life behind and starting a new one. Sometimes I am really scared... sometimes I am antsy and just want to leave! Saying goodbye to my family seems like it will be harder every day. I went from I don't think I will cry when I say bye to most likely I will. Well I'll let my emotions run freely at the airport. I am not embarrassed to be a red, puffy faced mess if that's what I decide to do. Maybe security will be nicer to me, who knows.

All of this is just so incredibly crazy and amazing to me. I really can't fathom that I am moving to Paris in a few days. And this time I will be alone-- not with my study abroad group. I won't be able to relate to others going through my experience, but I think I will be fine. I am moving to a country where I already have good friends, a boyfriend, and what seems to be a very welcoming/warm host family. I will have a lot of support.

I can do this!!