Future

So… I feel like I have reached a decision for what I am gonna do next year. I haven’t talked to anyone about the decision except emailing my Mom and to Christy (prev au pair) who advised it, but I think it is my best bet.

I had a dilemma of French public schools because one actually emailed me back saying I need a C1 level of French (almost fluent), and I am in an A2 class, so I don’t think I would advance enough in the time frame. I was telling Christy about this online last night, and she said she was a C1 level by the end of her second year, so she said to au pair another year and then go to school, which I think is brilliant. Why go to a private school and spend 15,000 euros when I can au pair another year, and then go to almost free public school in France?

So I think I will au pair again. I can’t believe I am saying that, but now I know what to look for. A family INSIDE Paris that’s for damn sure as well as my own space. Like my own apartment or “chamber de bonne,” which is your own space within the same apt building as your fam. Just as long as I can come and go as I please to have more freedom. Things I like about my family already are that I get every weekend off and every school holiday off (full 2 weeks) no questions asked (a lot of girls work some on wknds and holidays, and of course the children are pretty much perfect (although you never really know what the kids will be like until you have started). I want a fam to pay for my flight and/or school because some families do indeed do that. I don’t know if this is likely, but to not work mornings. One friend doesn’t have to do anything until the afternoon to pick up the kids from school—that way I could sleep in more! It would be nice to not have to do the kids laundry/ironing, but that isn’t too important, but I am the only au pair I know who has to do that. I wouldn’t want to cook either, but that is not a deal breaker whatsoever.

 I am pretty much asking for the least work possible while getting an apt in Paris haha… I can dream at least. The two main things are live in my own place in Paris and weekends/holidays off. I can deal with everything else, but paying for my flight or school would be great as well bc they’re like $1000 each.

I have started my search, but it really isn’t the “season” to find families yet, so I have time. I need to talk to my friends, family, and Jerome about this though to get their input.

As for today, it was Wednesday, so I was busy. I was in charge of cooking tonight, and I made la soupe poireaux (leek soup with potatoes), and then endives au jambon, which apparently “endive” is chicory in English. I have never heard of that, but it is a weird vegetable lettuce thing that I wrapped in ham (jambon) covered in a Bechemel sauce (butter, flour, egg, cheese configuration). The dad helped with the endive part at least. But yea, I think from here on out, I am in charge of cooking. He told me to buy a notebook to plan out the weekly meals, so I am nervous about all that, but it will be ok.

I also hurt the car today… I was driving the girl to pony club on a straight part of the road maybe going 50 mph when a car coming the opposite direction hit my side mirror. I guess we were both too close to the middle. Idk whose fault it was, but the mirror is cracked now. The roads are so narrow this was bound to happen sometime uhg. But I am bad and lied about it saying I was on the side of the road in town stopped when a car hit me and just kept going. I don’t want them to think I am terrible at driving because I am not (although I don’t blame you if you don’t believe me). But honestly, I don’t know if it was my fault or not, so maybe that makes it better. I don’t know. I am really ashamed. I almost didn’t write it out on here… But they haven’t event fixed the car from the first time, which is such a minor dent/scrape when I was parallel parking and scraped a pole. I paid them 200 euros for the deductible, and idk what they did with the money, certainly not fix it. If they don’t do it by the time I leave, I will ask for my money back that’s for sure.

I didn’t go to school yesterday because it snowed and the girl didn’t have school. I was happy because I got more sleep, but I was bored most of the day, and this is the second French class I have missed in a row. Although these two times haven’t been all my fault, so there’s that at least. I didn’t have a choice about yesterday.