my first parisian apartment

my front door
(to the left is the bathroom, to the right is the closet)

the view from the door

my petit bathroom, but at least I have all the necessities
(next to the toilet and hidden is the sink)

Kitchenette as it is called, and this is a very typical kitchen in a french apartment

the "guest" bed which has actually been used in the few weeks
ive been here, but the main point of this picture is my new painting I
acquired this weekend from my new host father

tv that doesn't work so i've used it to display my favorite flag!

the best part of this apartment are the LARGE windows and
bright sunshine that comes in when its sunny

So, here it is! Although it has a few imperfections, it has been my first and temporary home in Paris. As you can see, there are boxes and suitcases visible as I have not unpacked since I am moving in just a few days. It's larger than what I will be living in next (this is 15m2, the next apartment I am moving to is around 11m2) and its been just perfect for the few weeks I have been here. The tv doesn't work, the electricity doesn't work in the bathroom, and the water heater drips after the water has been used, but overall it has treated me great! I have had the pleasure of living on the premier etage which has been good and bad. It's a nice view, and not so high up, but its quite loud as I live on one of the loudest streets in Paris, or should I say, one of the loudest intersections in Paris. I live next to 2 embassies which have brought many police men (yea!!) and protests my way. I have had a great transition starting my experience of living alone again in a very safe neighborhood and building. THe building here has a concierge and is under video surveillance. I also have had the luck of living right next to the bus 82 which takes me straight to the Eiffel Tower in 15 minutes and drops me back off on my door step, this has been very handy with the kids. Although I am looking forward to the next apartment and settling down, I have been very blessed and kind of spoiled by such a great first apartment in Paris.

Oh, and incase you noticed all the cabinets, just know that this is not typical Paris. The mom I woke for is American and her parents are home designers and they redid this apartment when they bought it for their normal full-time nanny. Normal French apartments do not come with a built-in closet or all the cabinetry you see in the rest of the apartment. That is actually a huge specialty and I kind of wish it was where I was going. Normally you have to purchase an armoire and stuff whatever you can, where ever you can.

So, here you go, a piece of my home.

lots of changes

I decided that since I am in an ever changing stage of life right now that my blog needed some changes as well. I don't think I am finished updating the new look, but I hope you like it. It's a lot more girly but there aren't a whole lot of backgrounds that I found suitable for the type of blog this is. Anyways, pink it is right now.

Today started day three of my working non-stop week and I am exhausted! I can't complain as neither job is really too difficult, just working with kids is never an "easy" job unless of course you were me last year and had the job I had last year. Anyways, I can't wait to have this week over with so I can't focus on one thing, one job, one set of kids and one language. Monday and today are easier days because in the mornings I only have Sophie who is not yet 2 years old and still takes naps which gives me some time to rest or read, but yesterday was so tiring when I had her almost 5 year old sister as well. There are no breaks then! In the mornings I speak English with the kids and in the afternoon I have to speak French and honestly, I wish it were the other way around because by the time 6pm hits, my brain is already aching from too much going on and the language thing is just another hump I have to jump over for a few more hours.

So, let me introduce you to my new family:

There is Mom, Dad, and 4 children starting at almost 14, 11, 7 and 5. I most watch after the 2 younger because the two older are self sufficient and don't need me. There is also a full time nanny, house keeper, cook, who is there while I am there which is great because this is all so overwhelming right now. The good and bad about her: she speaks only French. This is great because my french has already improved as all instructions are given in French and my responses have to be in French, but bad, because all instructions are given in French and my responses have to be in French. I feel as though I should be fluent by one month, haha. I am happy to announce that with all the learning I am having to do with a new job, that I have successfully understood 90 percent of what I have been told to do. Now, understanding the two boys is another story. They speak way too fast and way to quietly so I am struggling to catch even every other word that comes out of their mouths and they like to talk a lot, but I am determined to not let that scare me off. The days are scheduled tight which is nice because there isn't a whole lot of "down time" where we're bored and have nothing to do and the days pass pretty quickly which is nice when you're tired. I am also excited to finally move into my new apartment which I can create into a home because I will be living there for a year. I never would've thought before that you could create a place into your own when you knew you were only going to be there for one year but after this last year, I have learned it is essential to survival. To have a place that you call your own when you are in a foreign land among foreign people is really crucial to not going crazy when everything around you seems to be. I can already see some challenges that will come from this job, but they are challenges that I am ready to embrace and conquer and learn from, not ones that are going to make me want to go running for the hills! The family is nice and relatively calm (As calm as a family with 4 children can be), they have manners (sometimes), and seem to be easy to get along with. They live in a huge house (yes, house, not apartment) in Paris but in a nice area that is close to the Arc de Triumph but far enough away that it feels more like a neighborhood and less like being in the middle of a tourist trap (like where I live now). The house 5 levels, including a basement, and the sheer size of it puts homes in Houston to shame. To find a home like this in Paris is crazy because there aren't "houses" in Paris, muchless apartments this big. The house is brand new, the kids have only been living there this week as they moved during the summer so its an adjustment for all. It is still under construction but its going to be a beautiful home once it is complete. The mom definitely has good taste in designing. Speaking of the Mom, when I accepted this job I had only met the parents, not the children and I made this decision the same day that I met her and interviewed for this job. Some how I decided it would be a good idea to take this job based off my conversations with both parents and I felt peace about it. During the summer, thinking about all I was getting myself into, I was a bit worried I had gotten myself into something I wasn't sure of because I had yet to meet the four kids I would be looking after for an entire year. Yes, I believe that parents are big indication of how the children are, but not always. And a family of four, where the parents work full time, who was to say their kids weren't complete maniacs?? But somehow, with the peace I felt about accepting the job, and my continued interactions with mother, decided that this was going to be a great year and I needed to look onward with this type of attitude. Fast forward to this past weekend and stepping off the train in Le Touquet to meet my new best friends and find out who they were. I was nervous to say the least, but this is nothing new for me, working with kids that is. I have to say though, like i mentioned earlier, I can already see some challenges that will come from this job, but is a job without a few good challenges? For instance, I'm definitely going to have to earn my way into these kids hearts and lives. They liked their last part-time nanny, and while I have no idea why she isn't here anymore, I know that they miss her and are not that excited about me coming in and taking over. As this is not my first time at the rodeo, this is nothing new for me. It's going to be a hard couple of weeks trying to convince these kids that I am fun and I am cool and they do like me, I am sure that once they let their guards down and accept me into their lives, they won't be looking back. Also, the language barrier between myself and the two youngest who do not speak any English is going to be tough. It's already making the bonding process a bit hard as I suspected, but with my daily improving French and their big hearts (that I can see they have), I'm sure a few weeks of patience and understanding and that should not longer be an issue either.

I am hoping that at the end of this experience I will look back and be very happy with my second year of living in Paris and the job I have had and the children I have been with, but who knows. I am excited about all the opportunities to come from this year, all the challenges it will bring, and all the learning left to endure... and thats just with my job, we haven't even gotten to my personal/social life yet! ha.

PS. one MAJOR plus about this job, besides the fact that my soon-to-be apartment will have a view of the Eiffel Tower, is that the full time nanny cooks dinner every night. Did I mention that she cooks well? And healthy? and I love it! Plus, thats one less meal I need to purchase groceries for which is a big deal as food here in rather expensive. So I've only had 2 meals at their house, but they have both been very good and I have been very satisfied. And I am happy to announce that I have yet to see any processed sugar or chocolate in their home. Although I have a weakness occasionally for processed sugar and chocolate, I appreciate families who don't and don't teach their kids to like it either. What is for dessert you may ask? Oh, fruit! And for the afternoon snack? An apple or peach or banana. And the kids are happy and fulfilled with the choices.

Well, I'm off to rest before I start the second part of my day!

salut, Kara

the perfect quote!

"The Parachute to Mars theory: we believed that there is a certain group of people who flourish anywhere, whatever the challenge. If you dropped us on any planet, we could not only survive, but make friends and hate to leave." --C'est La Vie, pg 198

This is a book that I read before I moved to Paris. One of the many books I found on foreigners having moved to Paris and how they made it work. This one is about a lady who moved to Paris to retire after her husband suddenly fell ill and passed away. She talks about a lot of the differences between America and France, a lot of the holidays, markets, and just day to day life of living in France. I found it very interesting before but a lot of it did not make much sense. When I was on holiday in the south-west of France for two weeks and had a lot of time to do nothing, I found myself reading a lot. This was one of the books I had thoughtlessly thrown into my luggage that week so I found myself reading it again. Once rereading this book I realized how helpful it will be for my next year of living here in Paris and how interesting it is. The lady who wrote the book actually lives on the same block that I am moving to this week. How random! So everything she talks about in Paris is relatable as I will be living in the exact same area. Of all the places to live in Paris! Anyways, this is a quote that I am stealing from her book because it is the best description I have found to this day to answer or explain myself when people ask me how I could just get up and move to a foreign country. I whole heartedly believe this quote and now I have the perfect words to use when asked this question. It's the Parachute to Mars theory!

et...commence!

I arrived back from a easy going / slightly stressful weekend. How does that work you might ask? Well, it was easy going because I wasn't actually working but slightly stressful because I was with my new family of whom I barely know and who barely speak English. I got the pleasure of riding the train both ways because there was no room in their car for me, which I was thankful for a break to relax. Although I don't find the trains that relaxing. Anyways, I arrived back in Paris just in time to be greeted by the Africans protesting on my street. Protesting is nothing out of the norm here, and especially since I live next door to two embassies, I am sure it happens more often that you think, but what a nice greeting, yea? haha. The street I live off going down to a round-about and several of the other streets leading to the round-about were closed due to the strike. My friend and I, on our walk to the Pizza Hut, passed by the protest, but didn't stop long enough to read their signs. All I know is that they don't like something the President has done. The funny thing is that my whole street was LINED with police cars. and by police cars I mean police trucks. Most of them were still full, just around incase things got out of hand, and a few were protecting the embassy of whichever country was protesting, holding shields and wearing armor. They were cute as well! My friend mentioned we should have told them there was a protest in my apartment but I don't think I could've fit that many policemen in my apartment. Not a dull moment ever here in Paris, I guess that answers my question as to do y'all find my life interesting? This, ladies and gentlemen, is not normal. Protesting and striking is normal here in France, but I am not French, so to me it is interesting when your whole street is lined with 100 policemen and streets are shut down and there is a crowd of people chanting and police officers warn you to be "safe" even though you live in THE safest neighborhood in all of Paris. That was my evening! 

So, my new family is still being discovered so I can leave the breakdown to another time. I will not be moving just yet as I still do not have a move-in date. Apparently my apartment is being painted and so I have to wait to find out if it will be painted this week or later on after I've moved in. I say after i've moved in because let me tell you, I am ready to settle in somewhere. As much as living the nomadic life is fun and all, I am ready to unpack and feel at home again. After 2 months of traveling, living out of suitcases even when I wasn't traveling, not really feeling at home anywhere and not being able to unpack anything or know where anything is, I am ready to start to settle in again. Even if it may only be for a year. 

One cool thing I do now have for this apartment and that I will take with me to my next apartment is a painting. The father of my new family like to paint and at their second home in Le Touquet (where I was this weekend) I found a stash of his paintings in the house just put up against a wall and not being enjoyed and so I asked if i could take one back to paris to hang in my apartment as I really enjoyed them all. He said it would be his pleasure to have me hang one in my apartment and so I chose one, took it with me on the train, got lots of silly looks on the metro (its not small) and now its hanging lop sided on my wall. Lop sided because it needs two hooks and not just one but since I am not here in this apartment much longer I will not be taking the time to make it even. I will just have to enjoy the lop sidedness of my new painting! 

So, thats all for now! Oh, and one more interesting fact: this weekend in Le Touquet where I was, it was so cold that I needed a coat! Who knew that moving to a new country (silly me) that I'd not only need to adjust mentally, but all wardrobe-ly. My wardrobe is not fit for a life here and I am slowly adapting it to French weather. Jackets did not exist in my wardrobe before and neither did rain jackets or scarves (although i have a few of those) or boots of many different kinds. The French do dress for style, this is true, but they also dress a lot for weather and there are so many different kinds of weather that it seems like you need a lot of different kinds of things. 

Anyways, hope you all had an amazing weekend!

Love, me

my schedule

because I know you all are dying to know just how "busy" I have been (as if we all aren't) and why I have been horrible at updating my blog (besides the fact that I feel like my life isn't blog worthy most of the time now that French habits are normal), I shall explain:

June 30: I accepted a job, ended a job, started a new job and moved all in one day

July 1-2: spent the weekend in my first Parisian apartment with one of my closest friends and soul mates before she left to go back to the US.

July 3-13: Romania for work

July 14: France's national holiday (everyone was partying and nothing was open)

July 15-20: lived at my new apartment and worked

July 20-28: house sat for some friends who live on the other side of the Arc de Triumph so I was commuting to work (still within walking distance)

July 29-Aug 13: South-west France for work (and yes, I worked 16 days back to back)

Aug 14: day off

Aug 15-20: worked (including Sat)

Aug 20- Aug 25: friends staying with me

Aug 21: a day OFF

Aug 22: day off as well, but not really a day off as I had friends staying with me

Aug 23-26: work as usual

Aug 26-28: Le Touquet with my new family (working)

Aug 29-Sep 2: work TWO jobs (9:30am-3pm, 4pm-9:30pm) and I have to find time to move and grocery shop in here

Sep 3: work all day for summer family

Sep 4: first day of school and first day of semi relaxation!!!
_____________________

So, sorry to bore you all with my summer schedule but just informing everyone who feels neglected that I promise I haven't been neglecting you, but as you can see, I have had about 3 days off this whole summer and a few of them I had friends in town. I just recently figured out how to get internet in my apartment and so until this week I was having to visit a friends apartment. I have been living out of suitcases and boxes the whole summer and worked 6 day work weeks.

Not complaining at all, if anything I am so happy now that I am working and living in the city and enjoying life the way I had imagined it back 2 years ago when I decided to move to Paris, but working nonstop gives you barely enough time to keep in touch with your friends and family who are in the same city and time zone as you muchless trying to accomodate the inconvenience of 7 hours behind. That is the pits! Honestly, Texas is the most inconvenient time zone for living in Paris.

So, I hope all you people back home know how much I do think about you and wish I could call you anytime I wanted to catch up and hear about all of your lives but not having days off, a moment to breath, or internet make all of those things a bit hard. I really am hoping that once life gets settled in the next few weeks, once I am unpacked and finally claim an address again, and once I am back to working one job and only one job, I promise to catch up with everyone and I expect long updates on everyone!!!

But I also apologize at keeping up at sucking at keeping up with this. You see, I don't do this blog for those lovely people who are following and who I don't know but in some way must find my life here entertaining in some way, I write for my family back home who I knew it would be hard to keep in touch with. The real and only reason I continue to log into this thing and write about the non-monotonous life I live here in Paris is for my awesome Grandparents (on both sides of the family) who even though I can't speak to often, I know check up on me regularly and I hope I can give them some peace of mind knowing that I am happy, healthy, and well fed! (and traveled).

So, I guess I have a question which is a bit rhetorical, but is my life really that interesting to read about??????? I wonder that every time I get on here to update. I know its not monotonous and that I have been blessed with the opportunity to do and see a lot of things in the last year, but besides that, I don't see feel like the things I do are that fun for other people. Nevertheless, I will try to keep blogging as life keeps changing.

This weekend I am going out of town with my new family to meet the kids. There are four of them. And once I get back I am sure I will be able to tell you about each of their personalities. There are 3 boys and 1 girl. The two youngest don't speak English but the two older do. I am very eager to see the dynamics of the children together and apart and to figure out my role in each of their lives: friend, nanny, mentor, teacher, etc. And to figure out just how and where I am going to fit into the family as a whole.

I will try to write a few more posts as a few more topics have come to mind but the clock is ticking and its ticking fast! Enjoy your weekend where ever you may spend and check back here in the coming week for interesting (maybe) updates on all the changes going on in the life of MOI!

Miss everyone in the best state ever! Love, moi

A Year in Review

Took lots of blood, sweat, and tears but I finally graduated college!

Celebrated with a party.

August 18, 2010 I moved to Paris, France

where I met this little handful and her big brother

learned that dessert is a staple in any proper French meal

made new friends and new memories exploring my new city
(in front of Opera)

visited Versailles with a new friend
(and learned that scarves are staples in any Parisian wardrobe)

explored markets (aka marche)

enjoyed picnics and my new town overlooking the city

had fun at friends themed birthday parties (Grandma and Grandpa theme)

enjoyed the French holidays, this one was spent riding around Paris on the veleb (1 euro for the day)

traveled with friends, another French holiday

took a day trip to Monet's Gardens in Vernon

experienced my first real "fall" with the rest of the seasons to come

ate Raclette many times, a French specialty

Raclette

visited Chateau Fountainebleau

tried to stay warm through the winter

learned how to layer and that gloves and hates are necessity

received this little gift in the mail from my amazing family in New Mexico

visited the Christmas Markets on the Champs Elysees 

survived a few snows and was forced to purchase snow boots

went sledding when all public transportation was closed due to snow

my friend, Laura, an au pair from Austria

made snow angels

...and snow men

spent Christmas in Vienna

and enjoyed a traditional French Christmas dinner (in Vienna)

visited the Christmas markets

and went ice skating on a real lake for the first time

traveled to Hungary for the day to fly in one of these

flew back to Texas for NYE

and enjoyed the warmth for a few days

NYE

went ice skating on the first level of the Eiffel Tower

traveled to Italy during February holidays with this awesome girl for 9 days

we visited Rome, Cinque Terre (where this pic was taken), Pisa, Florence, Sienna, and Venice

acted like a typical tourist

and fell in love with a new city (Venice)

learned how to drive a manual and drove all over the Tuscan hillside

Earl and Janet came to visit me in Paris

celebrated my 24th birthday with a Texas-mustache-hat-wig themed party

mini hamburgers, chips and salsa and guacamole was served

the lovely hostess, Andromeda, and one of my favorite people here

Christophe grew a real mustache for the party (and no, he is not my boyfriend)

experienced my third season, spring, and it was beautiful

spent another holiday at Monet's Gardens,

it was way more beautiful in the spring

took a roadtrip to Vannes in Britany with some girlfriends for a long weekend

and spent a short weekend catching up with old friends in Istanbul

Jesse, Alyssa, and I at our hotel in Istanbul

spent a weekend in Bordeaux for work (after spending 9 days in Romania for work prior)

and two weeks in Ascain, next to St. Jean de Luz