I have been living in France for nearly a year. Where has that time gone!? I came here confused and just wanting to prolong my backpacking trip by trying a new culture and a tricky language but didn’t expect to still be here 12 months later. I got a TEFL teaching job with children and adults, my own apartment and even a lovely French man. Its crazy how things work out when you least expect them to.
I have always been a big believer in staying positive and even when you don’t know what is going to happen in the future just say yes to things, relax and everything will always works itself out. My contract finishes here in the summer so then I will be off backpacking again. This time in South America and this time in a relationship. I thought I had solo female travel pretty sussed but it looks like I will have a whole load of new things to learn and also share with you!
It hasn’t all been a bed of roses and struggling with the language, getting frustrated when the simplest of tasks take so long as you cant find the right words, not knowing the etiquette in social situations and missing loved ones and certain English food (Branston pickle, Cadburys chocolate and Mr Kipling French Fancies) are all negatives. But when the French words do come (I keep surprising myself with the knowledge my little sponge brain has picked up), when I see my students confidence growing as they chat away in English and when I try new food that blows my mind I soon forget about Heinz beans or Robinson’s squash.
If you get the opportunity to live in another country for a little while I would say go for it. You will be overwhelmed, maybe a little homesick and out of your comfort zone but as soon as all that passes you will learn so much about yourself, others and the country. I am definitely a different girl to the unsure confused backpacker that arrived here, it now feels like home.
I wanted to share with you a few of my fave things that have happened since living here (You can read more about each one by doing a search on the blog!):
- Joyeux Noel!
- Finding A Local Chippy!
- Breaking Bad Party
- Sisters on Holiday
I am very lucky that I have my French family as well as new friends over here, I am feeling really positive about the next few and last months of my French adventure as well as getting my head down to do some serious novel writing and continued blogging of course! As my friends would say ‘Est pas belle la vie?’ ‘Isn’t life beautiful’.
Have you ever lived abroad?
