Still in Colorado

So this blog has to start somewhere right?
We'll start with now.



Here's what's done:

Mailed application for French visa

Mailed confirmations to France about assistantship

Quit my day job - maybe I should say resigned so I don't sound like a quitter

Bought my plane ticket to the east coast

Alerted east coasters that I'm coming to bug them

Confirmed that the boyfriend who will here on out be affectionately known as D will be accompanying me to Paris



Here's what needs to be done:

Finish working my notice period

Receive my French visa

Buy plane ticket(s?) to Paris

Move out of my house (this deserves several bullet points, but I'll just let you imagine how daunting that task is)

Contact my lycee

Plan in detail my ideas for the east coast shenanigans

Hang out with lots of people



Listing what needs to be done makes it sound less stressful - only if I don't think about what goes into each in order to accomplish what I need to.



So, I'm taking this year to live abroad, in Paris, France. I will be teaching at lycee Jacques Prevert in a northern Parisian suburb called Taverny. The family D is working for has never heard of Taverny. But this is their website. http://www.ville-taverny.fr/ And for those who don't speak French, here is a wikipedia article about it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taverny



D is coming along. He has secured a 'job' that his friend had over the past year. I say 'job' because he won't be getting paid in money, but in housing, a metro card, and some other stuff. I can hardly consider my 'job' a job either, but at least I'll be getting a paycheck. How much of it will remain at the end of each month is based on what kind of apartment I find though.



I think the most I'm nervous about is a. the language and b. meeting people. I hope to find outlets that will improve both things. Maybe I should improve my English too - I think since I've been out of school my intellect has spiralled downward.



I have so many expectations of myself but the biggest one is to not expect much. I usually get too involved painting a picture of what I want things to be like while not enjoying what I have. So I think this year will be a challenge of trying to lay low and take things as they come. Or, I should say, enjoy things as they come. Maybe Paris isn't the best place for me to go to try this, but I'm really trying to look at things more positively.

Anyway, another expectation is that I won't turn simple blog posts into small novels. This one is an exception.