I haven't blogged in a week or so it seems. A bit unusual for me I suppose. But I had the week from hell (work wise) last week and was tired of being negative-feeling negative-and expressing it on a blog for all to read. Honestly - on Friday when I left work I was in such bad mood from the kids. I love the parents of the family I work for-love the location-I even really enjoy the lady I work with who works for the family full time --- but the kids are horrific --- all the time. There isn't one good story to tell to explain it but to say that "this too shall pass". They are choosing to test me in EVERY way possible and when there are FOUR kids who don't speak the SAME LANGUAGE and the house is FIVE STORIES big-it makes it a bit hard to handle-contain-and want to deal with. But enough about that -- i still chose to show up on Monday and its Thursday and I haven't died yet.

So after my week from a place I'd rather not revisit - I took the weekend to myself. It was actually really great and I conquered a few more things that I've had on my list of things to conquer in this city.

I made it to the public pool on Saturday and it was so nice! So let me tell you -- the reason this is such a big deal is because if you are not french or european (or if you are american like me) then you will quickly find that the pool system in france is much different from that in the states. In the states when you want to go swimming you just put on your swim suit and possibly a cover up or just wrap your towel around you and put on some sandals most likely flip flops and head to the beach. Not in France. In France you must show up in your normal every day clothes so that the people outside the pool would not have a clue you are going to a pool -- change at the pool into your clothes -- use the lockers (which for a foreigner are a bit intimidating) and then shower and put on a swim cap and then head over to the pool. Again-- after finishing at the pool you must shower again before entering the locker room to change and there you must fully change back into your normal clothes before exiting. Ok typing this out doesn't make it seem like such a big deal that it was for me but when you are so used to things being a certain way and all of a sudden you are confronted with major change in a different country and language --- it can be a bit intimidating. for me -- my fear is making a mistake and just having no clue what to do. when i was at the pool the lockers were the biggest fear of mine because they were kind of high tech but luckily i found a lady not much older than me who was willing to explain the process to me. i just told her it was my first time and she walked me through the whole process. wooo. and i have missed swimming a lot so it was lovely to destress a bit after my week by swimming some laps.

anyways -- today i'm off to go to ikea (on the other side of town and out in the suburbs) to exchange some stuff and purchase a few more things to try and finish making this little room a home for me. It's on its way. And once I am done I will post some pictures but right now it looks more like a really big closet with a sink than anything else. Did i mention I have a lot of clothes? seriously.

Have a great Thursday!