About nine months ago, an opportunity came along to sign up with the English teaching assistantship through the French Embassy. Hello! I've studied French for nine years now, and I'm working on a Master's in French Studies, so, duh, it was the perfect opportunity. I'll be spending nine months in Bordeaux, which boasts a mild year-round climate, in a tiny, peaceful town called La Reole. What could be better than finishing your Master's dissertation in France while getting a decent paycheck from their government, including full healthcare, and only working twelve hours a week? Yeah, that's what I'm saying.
The application was a lot of work, including a midnight run to Wal-Mart to print identification photos on the instant print machines, scrambling to fill out piles of paperwork and request recommendations from several stubborn professors, and priority shipping the huge envelope the day of the deadline. Luckily, I got accepted.
Then the real fiasco started. My packet of acceptance information was delayed by a month, and I couldn't apply for a visa without those papers, and as I'm waiting, I'm watching all the appointment times for the visa application at the consulate dwindle away.
At last, it arrives. I schedule my appointment and flight to San Francisco, only to realize later that the flight won't get there on time, so I had to pay for another ticket after battling it out on the phone with the airline. Made it to San Fran. Had a pretty kickass day, and almost got hit with a misdemeanor for birdfeeding. Who knew?
I get back from San Fran, and I find out that my school registration for when I'll be in France is screwed up and has been for months, and no one notified me. So, I've spent the past two weeks getting that sorted out. At last, everything is fitting into place, and things are looking great, but I'm staying on my toes for the next round of bureaucratic encounters in the weeks to come. France is the mothership for slow, frustrating bureaucracy, and I can only expect it's gonna get interesting once I'm there.
For the next two weeks, I'll be at home in Colorado with the fam. Then, I leave on the 22nd of this month. I can't wait to meet my contact person at the school where I will be teaching, and I'm even more excited to meet the people in my ward at church.
It's gonna be a great year of change, and I'm looking forward to it. Stay tuned for new updates in my epic adventure.
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