Third time's the charm!
Today was the start of my adventure of teaching and living in France! Although this is my third time in France, this is the first time that I am being fully immersed in the language and culture, so I know that this experience will be that much more valuable! It all came so quickly that I didn't have time to process that I would be traveling around the world so soon! However, now that the day has come and I have gotten to know my host family, I am relieved and excited for what lies ahead!
For anyone who knows me well or has driven with me, you wouldn't be surprised to hear that I already got lost once! While I was at the London airport for a layover, I went to the wrong border control, and ended up having to run to my gate. However, thankfully I still made my flight just in time! It's days like these that I am thankful that I am a runner!
As I arrived today, I was greeted at the airport by my host mom, Claire, and my second cousin, Beth. It was great to have a chance to talk to them both and to see the area on the ride home. The neighborhood that I am living in is historic and lies right along the Seine River, so it is beautiful and has a special charm! I also had the opportunity to go shopping with Claire, which was neat because we went to 3 different speciality stores in order to get all of the fresh food for the next few days. La boulangerie (the bakery) was my favorite because each bakery item was made with such great detail and the scent was so filling that I felt like I was entering an alternate world! She also took me on a tour of the school that I will be teaching at, which was great to see! I can already tell that school will be much different from schools in the United States, but I am so excited to learn more about their educational philosophies and see thier teaching in practice!
Lastly, I was pleasantly surprised at how well I was able to communicate in French all day, especially with having barely any sleep from the overnight flight! It definitely takes a lot more thought and effort, but I am sure it will get much easier after the first few days! In addition, my family is very forgiving and understanding of mistakes, so they have made the transition go very smoothly for me!
À la prochaine fois!