Update

What have I been up to? 2014 has been a great year...full of interesting new changes.

In just a few months, I will be finishing my Masters! Yes! I honestly cannot wait for it to be finished...don't get me wrong, I love school and learning but it may be time for a break. I'm honestly not sure if I will continuing with my doctorate as of fall 2015 but that will be decided later. 

Biggest game changer or 2014? A REAL JOB :) Since March, I have been teaching for a company called Firstep en Anglais. I'm teaching english to all ages beginning at two and a half. I love it! What I do changes every day and it is never boring! While I focus on kids, I also work with adults, students and professionals so I am able to see how language learning applies to all ages. Yes I am a giant nerd but I have been able to apply this to my masters and this has given me a whole second set of tools to use in the classroom. We have great things happening in 2015 so I'm excited and grateful to be apart of this team!

We are a team of 10 teachers now but our main three are on the right: Sean, who is all about the professionals, myself and Stefany, the owner and creator of Firstep, also known as the boss lady! Great team to be apart of :)

With my job came this whole new sense of my life in Bordeaux. The pieces have finally really come together and it is as if I am truly building my life here. With that, I decided to adopt a kitten in June...Gatsby. It's been so nice to come home and have this little french furball ;) What is hilarious is that if I say something to him in english, he completely ignores me! So yes I am an english teacher and native speaker and yet my cat speaks french haha. Isn't he cute??

Oh how I love this city :) that's all for now

:)

Inspiration

I am fully aware that it has been a while since I last updated this...I'm not even going to give excuses :) so what's new? 

My mom came to see me at the end of January :) She was here for about 10 days and we had a great trip! Of course it included a weekend getaway to Paris! We loved it...even though it was cold and rainy. Once back in Bordeaux, we toured the city as much as we could but it rained non stop so it was hard to see everything. But we hard an art project and some decorating to do :) I know have tons of color in my adorable studio and I love it! Mom also got to spend two evenings with my French "family." I am very lucky to have them here and I know it puts my parents at ease knowing I'm not alone! 

We have had an extremely rainy winter and although I love the rain, it is amazing how depressing it can get when it doesn't stop for 2 months straight! But no, I'm not complaining...I get to have all 4 seasons and its awesome! 

Second semester only has 5 weeks left and it has been busy! My classes have been more demanding and have required more work than the first semester and I have had my thesis to worry about. On that note, I have chosen my subject matter and it has been approved! I'm not going to reveal all the details yet but I will be going back to American Literature: redefining gender in Hemingway's In Our Time and Farewell to Arms. Many thanks go to Jaime <3 for helping me brainstorm...just like we did during our undergrad :)

Anyways, spring is arriving in this beautiful town of mine! Finally!! My southern-californian self has needed the sun more than I think I was willing to admit. Plus its getting warmer! I've been taking as much of my work outside as possible but unfortunately, I get too distracted to actually work. What can I say, people watching and simply enjoying the sun is way better that homework ;) Plus, I'm a thinker so I get lost in my own thoughts, my own projects, and personal writings. I can sit for hours just thinking and reflecting about anything and everything. Getting lost in your own head is powerful. It lets you see things you normally wouldn't see because you block out the whole world and yet you are so aware of it. I often find myself choosing what I want to see or hear but when I just sit, I observe everything. Whether its culture or language or even mannerisms, I can't help it, I take it in. It's as if I can then see two sides of myself as reflections into the world I find myself in. It is simply amazing and constantly inspires me to discover everything I can. I love my life here and I can't wait to see what this season has for me :) 

So who will be next to visit?!?!