It’s been a little bit over 2 months since I’ve moved to France. It seems much longer due to the number of mishaps I’ve experienced during the first month - but afterwards, this past month has been nothing but amazing. I feel like I’m integrating well with locals, my language skills are picking up, my confidence is getting higher, and day by day, I’m learning something about France and about myself. The most important thing about an exchange opportunity is to give myself time to digest the information and to really understand the environment I am living within. Through a positive environment, I really have learned so much about myself, what keeps me happy and who I am as a person.

It’s been a busy few weeks. I’m exhausted and tired, but feeling so grateful and fulfilled with where I am right now. Life is finally moving along and I am really enjoying living in France.

So here are the ways I’ve kept myself occupied and surviving:

1. THE JOB: Being a language assistant in a high school is the main (legal) reason why I am here. This is my life, my income, my title. On a day to day basis, I feel like I’m learning so much from my school, my students and my teachers. The French education system is so amazing and impressive. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve watched my students learn about the American Dream, gun control and policies in America, debates and protests, Macbeth, and other literature stories and authors in their English class. As I take small groups out of class to practice their oral speaking, I have to discuss these topics with them and to review what they have learned or what they know about the topic. I ask them about their thoughts and opinions, challenge them on vocabulary, teach them how to analyze images and even perfect their pronunciation. Sure, I’ve learned Macbeth when I was in high school, but that was more than 5 years ago. Oftentimes, I’m challenged by these topics too, and I have to research on my own to prepare myself for a discussion with my students. So, as my students are learning about the topic, so am I. I’m a ‘student’ also learning each day from them and their English class.
2. LANGUAGE EXCHANGE: I’ve been really fortunate to have been born and raised in an English speaking country. English is really a commodity and sometimes, you don’t realize how lucky you are - until everyone wants to learn it and wants to learn it from you. That’s right - being a native English speaker in France is really in demand. Through a language exchange website, I’ve had so many requests from people who want to practice and improve their English with me and were more than happy to help me to improve my French. Although I wasn’t paid for this service, it did give me an opportunity to meet locals in the city, to have new friends, to explore the city and even increase my vocabulary! I have had the chance to meet other young people, to stir up conversations and to ask all the questions I have about France and their opinions on it. I even joined a non-profit organization that plans outings for foreigners and now work on the team for social media!
3. SOCIAL CIRCLE: From hanging out with other assistants in the program to share battling stories, to spending a night out with my teachers, I’ve definitely built a social network here. My teachers whom I work with school has been so supportive, and does not exclude me as the foreigner. I’ve even went out with them just for some wonderful food and drinks and they taught me a thing or two about French and France! My landlord only speaks French but always enjoys speaking with me and teaches me a thing or two once a week, especially grammar and new words! She corrects me and helps me to improve and even invites me to local events all the time in town. Everyone has been really great and has helped me integrate really well!

From the last month, I’ve really validated what keeps me happy and that is doing a job I love, feeling integrated with the community and building a social network that I can rely on. In the last month, I really feel like I’ve finally got it together.

Everyone has a story.

This is mine