Début

For the month of October, I taught a total of two days. Hard life...

Last Thursday and Friday, I started teaching French to elementary kids here in Perpignan.  It made me very excited for this year.  But of course it also made me nervous.  For one, it made me realize how little I know about what elementary kids do (or are supposed to) know.  For some of my classes, teachers want me to skip what the kids should already know to help expand their knowledge, but I find that difficult when I'm THE prof d'anglais for the year, meaning that most of my classes were waiting for me to start teaching English to the kids.  That also means that the students are at various levels within the same class.  As such, that will be a great learning experience to figure out how to keep classes interesting for those who are ahead, but still simple enough for those who are novices. 

Overall, I am really happy with my first days of teaching.  Of course, I loved when my students got really excited about what we were doing.  In this case, it was learning about me/ Colorado (so many oohs and ahhs over the photos I brought) and where in the world English is spoken.  It also melted my heart when two little girls in my last class on Friday told me "Tu es trop belle!" over and over.  Aww shucks, they think I'm beautiful!

For the remainder of the year, I'll be teaching every Thursday and Friday (followed by a five day weekend!) with a total of 15 classes and over 200 students. It's exciting, nerve-wracking, rewarding, and so much more, all at once.  I'm definitely thinking this was a fantastic choice for the year after graduation. 

But for now I'm on vacation!  Teach two days, and then have two weeks of vacation.  That sounds about right, doesn't it? I'll post more about what I've done and am doing over vacation in the next few days.

A bientôt!

Sunday Hike

Bonjour à tous!

Yesterday was the first time I experienced hiking in the Pyrenees mountains - that's the mountain chain along the Spanish-French border.  A group of 5 of us drove out towards one of the tallest mountains of the Pyrenees called the Canigou.  We parked in a small town, which happened to be celebrating the festival of chestnuts (fête des châtaignes).  The entire area was covered with chestnut trees, which if you've never seen a chestnut in the wild, they're pretty intense looking.  It is a large, spikey, green covering that you break open to find the brown chestnut inside. 

From that small town we walked up to the Abbaye Saint Martin du Canigou.  It's a small abbey sitting in a nook in the mountains.  We explored around the abbey for a little while (we joined a tour to get inside, but didn't stick around with the group since it was a tour in Catalan!) and found a beautiful lookout point a little further up to see the entirety of the abbey.  It's a quaint place, like a mini castle, which is still currently inhabited.  There's also a beautiful cloister surrounded by roses and stonework. 

From there, we descended the roadway for the abbey, and took another route from where the car was parked.  This route was more of any actual hike through the woods, and it followed a stream back into the mountains to a beautiful waterfall for about an hour and a half.  It was a beautiful hike with the sun shining and autumn leaves on the ground.  This was my first taste of the autumn that I know... with leaves and that distinctive autumn smell.  It was great to experience that as it's something that I've been missing.

 After the hike, we returned to the car, made a stop in a cute village called Villefranche (I'm definitely going back up there to spend some time and climb up to the fort) and returned to Perpignan.  It was a perfect day outdoors, getting some exercise, and meeting some really great people that are also living in Perpignan.

Collioure

Today I took a break from Perpignan (my new home) and went on a day excursion.  I, with two other English language assistants, ended up in a small coastal village called Collioure. 

Collioure is very picturesque with its old stone buildings, colorful streets, mini art galleries, clear water and rocky coast.  Our first stop was to find a delicious sandwich.  Mine was ham, lettuce, and butter on a baguette... yumm, and we sat for lunch on a bench looking across the water and village.  During this time, there were also some army guys doing training exercises in rafts and kayaks on the water.  After that, we spent a lot of time exploring the village.  Some of the highlights were the lookout point where a small, old church sat, the varying colors of houses with pink, blue, turquoise, and orange all mixed in, and browsing through tiny art galleries where the artists were painting and proud to show their work. 

Now back in Perpignan, I am looking forward to starting teaching next week.  We had a full day of lesson planning and school training a couple days ago, and I'm hoping that my 12 hours of teaching will go smoothly.  I'll be teaching in three schools, one which is in Perpignan.  The other two are in outlying villages called Baixas and Peyrestortes.  Baixas is a village of wine makers, and Peyrestortes is so small that the entire school is only 3 or 4 classes. I'll be able to do both of those schools in one day, and I am looking forward to getting to know my colleagues there!

While Perpignan doesn't yet quite feel like home, I'm really enjoying the people I've met and the experiences I've had.  And this is only the beginning!

Figuring Things Out

Perpignan is still new and unknown.


I'm learning about my new city bit by bit.  I now know that grilled snails are a specialty and there's an entire store dedicated to selling snails at the Place de la Republique.  I know there's a cute river running through the city... but that I can't get down to sit on the enticing grass.  I know that bedsheets cost me 20 euros, but a nice bottle of wine is 2.75.  I know that only places selling food are allowed to be open on Sunday, so that makes everything quieter. 

I'm getting settled in here and still have a lot more to learn and figure out.  But for now I'm content.  My first priority is complete as I've found an apartment to call home for the next 7 months.  It's a short walk to whatever I need as well as the center of town and the train station.  I have two roommates here, one from England, the other from South Korea.  I'm excited to get to know them better (especially since I don't yet know anyone else here). 

My orientation for my job is in two days, and I'm wondering what that'll be like.  The French seem very relaxed about doing things.  Only 1 of my 3 schools has returned an email to let me know when I can stop by to meet the teachers that I'll be working with as well as figure out my schedule for the year.  That school is in an outlying village called Baixas, which is made up of mostly winemakers.  Looks like a cute place to spend some afternoons!

Le Castillet

Anyways, everything is going well.  I still feel new to the city and I know I have a lot more to figure out before it becomes "home."  And that's the beauty of it ... this is quite the adventure.

The view from the terrace on my roof

To France Again!

Thus, it begins! The next adventure is underway.

Here's the deal. I've graduated and still don't know what I want to do with my life. So why not take a year and think things through from Europe? Ok!

I accepted a position for the 2013-14 school year to teach English to elementary kids (ages 7-11) in Perpignan in southern France.  I have been assigned 3 schools in which I'll be teaching a total of 12 hours.  Sounds like a hard life, right? Well, I also have 5 weeks of paid vacation.  Oh darn...

So yesterday I arrived here in Perpignan.  I took 3 planes and 2 trains, while traveling over 24 hours, to arrive in a city that I didn't know.  Not only am I not familiar with it, but I also don't have an apartment yet.  I also conveniently forgot to write down any address for a hotel I had picked out on the internet.  Nevertheless, after a little wondering (with my heavy suitcase), I found a good spot to rest for the next couple of nights. 

The next few days are all about situating myself in this new city.  My first priority is housing, and I have a few apartment showings to go to.  After that, I'll be looking into a phone and opening a bank account.  I also need to visit my schools to meet up with the people in charge and introduce myself.

My work contract officially starts on October 1st with an orientation that day.  Then, teaching officially starts on the 14th.

Wish me luck!

Almost Graduation!

Well this is certainly a busy semester!

With 18 credits, multiple major capstone courses, and a thesis, I have been keeping myself occupied.  I feel that I have put in a lot of hard work, and now I am excited to say that in less than 5 weeks I will be receiving my diploma!  I am proud to say that I will be graduating with a double degree in International Studies and French with a minor in business administration, honors, and Latin distinction (Magna Cum Laude). 

As far as the events around graduation, here are the major ones to look forward to:

Thesis Presentation - April 18th, 2013
     My thesis research concerns the nature of multiculturalism in France, especially concerning the "traditional" French and the Muslim "Other."  The presentation is a culmination of my experience (after having written a more than 40 page paper) and is open to the public.

Family Celebration - May 11th, 2013

Ice Cream Social and Thank You at the Sons of Norway Lodge - May 12th, 2013
    As a proud member of the Sons of Norway, I have been honored to receive scholarships to aid my undergraduate experiences at CSU and the Oslo International Summer School.  Now, my family would like to give back to the lodge with an open invitation to join us for ice cream on May 12th as a thank you.  This event is open to all lodge members (and really anyone with the slightest interest in Norway).  Please join!

Honors Graduation Ceremony - May 17th, 2013
     I will be honored at a special recognition ceremony for being an honors scholar at CSU.  As an honors scholar, I have gone above-and-beyond the core requirements with having taken extra classes (some of which were the most interesting at CSU!) and with writing my thesis.

Commencement Ceremony - May 18th, 2013
     This is the big one! I will be walking across the stage to the applause of my many fans on May 18th at the College of Liberal Arts ceremony. :)

I look forward to my family and friends joining me as I transition from one stage of my life to the beginning of the next.  For more detailed information concerning times and locations of events, you may contact me privately by message or email.  Thank you!

ISS Reunion in Chicago

A couple weeks ago I was in Chicago teaming back up with my friends from summer school in Norway.  It was like no time had passed... we seamlessly jumped back into talking, joking, and enjoying each others' company. As we shared new stories and experiences, it simply reminded me how much I love this group of people.  No matter where we go, I am thankful to have them in my life.

Friends at the Field Museum in Chicago.

Hanging out (literally!) at the Sears (Willis) Tower. 

If you ever have the chance to watch the sunset from the top, it's worth it.

Thank you for a wonderful tradition meal!