It's not so bad...

Well, today is a good day in terms of France news. The woman who I should be babysitting for contacted me on Skype, and we talked for a while. I guess that they are getting a shower and small sink installed in the room I'll be living in, so I need a place to stay for a few days until that's done. No big deal. I also talked to her about my travel plans, and the strikes yesterday. She told me that if there is a strike that big, the public schools will just cancel school that day, and maybe have the local teachers come in just to watch the kids who actually make it. So, my snow day theory was actually correct! Awesome. That and Courtney once again made me realize my fears are unfounded (thank you!). I think that it's really annoying how stressed I get just because of the unknown...because once I find out the real answers or situations it's rarely actually something to be stressed about. Courtney told me before that one of her biggest lessons was to learn not to stress out and just relax with a glass of wine when things are out of your control. I think I REALLY need that lesson. I'm just so used to the American way of planning everything in advance, confirming, timely paperwork, responsive customer service contacts (or customer service AT ALL). But that's okay. I'm going with the intent of experiencing another culture. I'm sure it'll be frustrating at times, but there are a lot of pros to French culture (and the TAPIF program) as well:


1. I am actually going to get paid to teach instead of the slave labor I've been doing for the College of Education.

2. Health care (if they do the paperwork in time!)

3. Living in a place where traveling around the country and even Europe is easy and relatively inexpensive. Plus, being under 26, I can get discounts on said travel. Sicily, here I come!

4. An opportunity to build my fluency, and therefore get myself employed upon my return.

5. On the employability note, this whole experience of teaching in English in France will look pretty snazzy on the resume of a potential French and English teacher.

6. Making friends across the globe, and having the chance to actually experience another culture.

7. I am lucky enough to be babysitting for a family in exchange for rent, so I won't have to worry about spending my salary on housing. That, and spending time with a child and the whole family really will probably keep me from getting too lonely/homesick.

8. I won't need a car, and therefore do not have to drive in the winter, which I HATE. I really freaking hate Michigan winters, especially the torrential snow that lake effect creates in West Michigan.

9. Wine!!!!!!!!

10. FOOD. Getting fresh food everyday, the reddest strawberries I've ever seen, my favorite combination of mozzarella, basil, and tomato, and OOOOOOH the pastries! You can't fool drool! That list really did make me salivate...but in my defense I haven't eaten yet today.

I'm off to fax another letter to my school just in case, make copies of ALL of my paperwork, and get some more passport photos taken. Ha, as I was typing that I thought, "Meh. Maybe I'll do all of that tomorrow...I feel like relaxing." I might be better at the "relax and have a glass of wine" thing than I thought! ;)