Thanksgiving: European style

As I type this post I am eating left over corn bread like any good American should the day after Thanksgiving.  But with my Thanksgiving being in Dijon this year I am happy to be able to eat any sort of left-overs today as they were not a guarantee! Yesterday I celebrated Thanksgiving with eight other people and it was a fabulous night.  But there was a lot of effort put in to create such an “as-American-as-possible” Thanksgiving in France!
Once all of the basic details were figured out (who would attend and where it would be held) three other assistants and I took a trip up to Paris for the day last week in order to go to an American goods store, appropriately named Thanksgiving.  There we purchased pumpkin pie ingredients, cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy, and any other little American necessities we could find.  It may have been a bit pricy but it was worth it!  When we arrived back in Dijon we made a plan to buy a turkey.  Unfortunately, it was too early to order a quality turkey because it's mainly used for Christmas meals here so they don't really show up in markets until December.  Alas, we settled on having chicken!  I went out and bought the vegetables and other last minute needs earlier this week so we would be completely prepared for our "feast".  

As we planned to properly celebrate Thanksgiving on the actual day, we somehow forgot that most of us work long days at school on Thursdays.  So, luckily I got out of school at 2pm and I prepared the corn bread, stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, green beans, carrots, and corn.  I didn't realize how much work it is to prepare so much-- especially in such a small place like my flat with its limited cooking pots/plans/burners and tiny counter top oven!  So, as I was preparing all the fixings, another assistant prepared the chicken in-between his classes and three other assistants prepared the space where we held the dinner (a large room in the lycée they work and live in) -- Thanksgiving in France had begun!  Luckily, another teaching assistant came over to my flat to help me carry everything over to the meal.  It was pretty cold out, and the 4 huge bags we had were heavy and fragile since we had to strategically place the gravy and vegetables so they would not spill- tricky but we were successful!  Once we arrived with the food it was a fun, relaxing evening.  (Aside from opening the cranberry sauce...we didn't have a can opener so we had to resort to a tool kit with a hammer and screw driver hahaha)

With 9 of us celebrating (2 Americans, 3 English, 1 Scot, 2 Germans, and 1 Polish), and the majority of them being European, it was really fun to share my holiday and traditions with them!  They asked questions about the history, food, what my Thanksgivings are usually like at home and were just very appreciative of our meal and being able to celebrate together.  We had a big, traditional table and once we all made our dinner plates we sat down and I made a Thanksgiving toast.  (In my family my Dad usually does this so this was a change!)  Although we had plenty of wine for dinner, we specifically purchased Kir Royal (Champagne and crème de cassis- traditional Dijon drink) for our Turkey Day toast!  After the toast we each went around and said something we were thankful for- it was so lovely.  Then we all discussed holidays and traditions in our own countries (did you know Polish Christmas has twelve courses?! TWELVE!) and I of course enjoy anything multi-cultural so I really enjoyed it!  For dessert we had pumpkin pie, brownies, and apple pie!  And then we somehow started reminiscing about growing up in the 90s and started singing and dancing to old school songs from Britney, NSYNC, BSB, S Club 7, Spice Girls, and more.  It was hilarious! :) And even though I wasn't with my family the evening had a very homey-vibe and was so comfortable-- it surpassed all my Thanksgiving-in-Europe expectations!

Now I’m going to listen to Christmas music because today is the official start of the Holiday Season! 1 month til Christmas and I can’t wait to shop here! (Christmas markets begin on December 3rd in Dijon-woohoo!)

Everyone before our dinner

Table set and ready to toast and eat! :)

Word of the Post: être reconnaissant – to be thankful

Thankful for Catholic churches and the travel bug

It is no secret that I have an undeniable appreciation for European Catholic cathedrals and churches.  And since arriving in Dijon I’ve already visited Notre-Dame de Dijon and St-Michel multiple times.  Whenever I approach these cathedrals or churches I am constantly taken aback- they always make me stop for a moment to simply stare in awe.  There are so many details to take in: arches, gargoyles, roof tiles, and more!  When I finally walk into the church I am stunned once again.  There is just something about gothic architecture that makes me feel so very small.  That, and the fact that people have been walking in and out of this very same building for centuries upon centuries! (For example Notre Dame de Dijon was built in the 1200s!)  When I visitied Notre Dame de Dijon a few weeks ago it did have a few tourists in it, but it was a lot quieter than Notre Dame de Paris which was a nice change. (Less crowd=more peaceful!)  I visited St-Michel yesterday and it was completely empty….it’s pretty to surreal to have an entire church of St-Michel's size to yourself.  I was able to light a few candles and just sit and think.    While the architecture and history of such churches certainly fascinate me, there is another reason as to why I am so drawn to them: my Grandma. 

My Grandma was an amazing woman who I credit for giving me the gift of the “travel bug”.  I remember being a little girl and going over to her house listening to her and my aunts talk about all the amazing places they've traveled to. They have literally traveled the world and I remember how curious it made me to seek out life outside the United States.  (I was the kid who wore the authentic Chinese rice hat [that my Grandma and aunts brought back from China] to the pool because I thought it was so cool.  That alone solidifies just how much their travels affected me!)  Throughout my life my Grandma was a constant supporter, but especially of my travels in high school and my choice to go to college in Maryland. Aside from her own travels she was also a devout Catholic.  I believe her faith is what pulls me toward these cathedrals and churches here.  When I stop and sit in these churches, the same thing happens: a familiar feeling washes over me, it’s difficult to describe, but it is the same feeling, no matter which church I am in.  My Grandma passed away during my freshman year of college which is the biggest loss I have experienced in my life.  It may sound strange but that feeling I get while in these churches makes me think of my Grandma and makes me feel closer to her.  Whatever the case may be-  I am very blessed to have had such a loving and inspiring Grandma; I think of her all the time and feel comfort in knowing she is with me wherever I go.  

This Thanksgiving I am thankful for a lot of things, but I am especially thankful for my Grandma because without her I would not be the person I am today, and additionally I would not have been able to take on this experience in France.

I am thinking of her, especially today, and the rest of my family as well.

Notre Dame de Dijon

(hard to get a good pic due to the church's façade)

St-Michel

Legal Immigration: Check

In order to complete the immigration process my visa had to be validated through a doctor appointment at the OFII office (Office Immigration and Integration).  The appointment consisted of four parts:

1) x-ray of my lungs
2) examination by a nurse
3) examination by a doctor
4) paperwork

When I arrived to the office today for my 10am appointment I was sent to a waiting room that was full of other language assistants.  After chatting with them for a bit someone called “Mademoiselle Desmond” and my appointment began:
(Note this entire experience was all in French, bien sûr.)

-X-ray:
So in France they don’t give you gowns to change into; instead, the x-ray technician showed me a little place to “change”…aka take my sweater and my bra off.  So as I awkwardly stood there trying to cover up I was waiting for her to hand me a vest to protect from radiation. That did not happen.  She just told me to get in the x-ray machine, then to press face-foreward against the cold wall in it.  Next I had to breathe deeply in order to get a good x-ray of my lungs. So very awkward.   (Did I mention that this x-ray was to make sure I do not have turberculosis…. bizarre!)  Luckily it was quick and I got changed as soon as possible!  After that I had to go back to the waiting room for the nurse.

-Nurse:
About a half an hour later the nurse called my name and I went into her examination room.  There she checked my eyes, height, and weight, while gathering general information about my medical history.  She was really nice and saying the letters with a French accent for the eye test was kind of fun. (I’m a nerd, deal with it.)  After this it was back to the waiting room once more to wait for the doctor.

-Doctor:
The doctor finally called my name and she took my blood pressure, checked my ears, throat, lungs, and glands.  She also reviewed my x-ray and confirmed that I passed all the medical aspects of the appointment. Cue instant relief.  I knew I would pass but it is just nerve racking to have your ability to stay in the country depend on one appointment.  After this I had to wait a bit more to finish up some paperwork.

-Paperwork:
This was the quickest part of the appointment, surprisingly!  I simply had to present my proof of residence (I used a rent receipt), an ID photo for their files, and then they placed an official OFII stamp in my passport making me a legal immigrant. WOO!

The entire process took an hour and forty-five minutes but all in all it wasn't too bad.  One surprise was that they gave everyone the x-ray of their lungs to keep.  So now I have an awkward, unexpected “souvenir” from the experience.  Who knows what I’ll do with it but I plan on doing something…can’t let a random x-ray go to waste! (Never thought I’d say that haha) Ah, the joys of being an immigrant.

(not my lungs but I now own something similar to this)

Word of the Post:  une radiographie – an x-ray

Settled in the City (see what I did there?)

A little less than two months into living in Dijon I am finally starting to feel slightly like a dijonnaise.  So this is the post where I ramble about all the everyday accomplishments that feel so so so much bigger when you are doing them by yourself, in a foreign country, in your second language. (Don’t forget- this is my first time ever living on my own!)

Ok, here we go:

-Apartment

I’ve (slightly) rearranged the flat to my liking, organized all my belongings, know when and where to take my trash out, and so on.  (I’ve even completely (re)adjusted to the European-style shower!)  My flat is really cute and I love my landlady.  She doesn’t treat me as though I am just a source of income and always wants to make sure the flat is okay and that I am okay, too.  We even continue to meet for lunch, coffee, or drinks after work so that is really nice! There was an issue with the kitchen sink and also an electric outlet so I can add successfully dealing with a French electrician as well as a French plumber to my list of “accomplishments”.  I’ve  also successfully paid rent which doesn’t sound like an accomplishment but filling out a French check is different than an American one so I’m counting it!

-Bank account/Card/Checks

I officially have a French bank account.  Of course obtaining all of my banking necessities took about a month due to the lovely thing known as “French administration”.  When people say the French are unorganized that is no exaggeration.  I went to my bank agency to open my new account however they needed my landlady to show her ID as well as proof of her living arrangement so that my contract could be accepted.  (I was getting apartment insurance along with the bank account but either way I’d still need my landlady’s “proof”.)  So it took about a week to get her papers in, then another week for the bank to process that.  Finally, I got my actual card and was all excited to use it but I had to wait another week for two separate letters: one containing my pin and the other containing my access codes for online banking.  After this I had to wait another week to get my checkbook.  Needless to say, it took a while but I finally have a real, French bank account! And it’s SO much easier to use my card than have to keep withdrawing Euro notes from an ATM.  I also feel like a quasi-French person because my card has the cool European chip on it and also says “Mlle” (abbreviation for Mademoiselle) in front of my name.  Win.

-Laundry
As there is no washing machine in my flat I have to walk to a laundromat to do my laundry.  Luckily it is only about a 10 minute walk and not too expensive.  I usually use a big machine which is 4 euros per wash but it fits everything and nothing gets ruined if I use cold water.  The only thing that is frustrating is that the dryers do not work.  I tried...twice with no luck.  And I do not have a dry rack to air dry my clothes yet (a trip to Ikea is in order!) so when I do laundry my flat is overtaken with laundry drying.  At least the flat smells nice and clean each time! (Who doesn't like the smell of fresh laundry?)  I'm a little nervous for walking back with wet laundry during the winter months but I'm sure it will be okay.  Needless to say I will never take having a washing machine in my house or building for granted ever again.

-Intermarché/Carte de fidelité

I applied for and received a carte de fidelité (loyalty card) for my Intermarché super market…so far I’ve rakced up a whopping 3,70 euros!  Only a small amount is added with each transaction but I can use the growing balance as a method of payment whenever I want so whatever- euros are euros! (Maybe when I do some shopping for goodies to bring home for Christmas?!)  I finally know my way around the store and love that I can run in really quickly when I just need a few items and I don’t have to wander around searching for things!  I also feel like a local when the cashier asks for my loyalty card.  AND I’ve mastered the self check out registers….yes, that sounds silly and basic but you try weighing bananas as the directions are quickly spit out in French! (Okay it’s not that hard but it was nerve racking at first!)

-Internet

Oh, the internet debacle.  Those first few weeks of MacDo creepin’ felt like they would never end.  Alas, I solved the internet issue by looking online at offers and tapping into my French resources over here. Luckily, I found a fabulous deal through the Orange company (a monthly contract but open ended: “sans engagement” in French) and I even set the wifi box up on my own, French instructions and all!  It’s funny because in the States I would have thought to ask someone else about setting the box up but here it’s just moi so I’m forced to do things on my own constantly.  As frustrating as it can be it is extremely rewarding.

-The bus

Slowly but surely I’m getting used to the bus and figuring out where I can change lines (even though it’s just much simpler/quicker to wait for my bus line) I feel comfortable on Lianes 1 and 5 but I don’t think I will need to use many others unless I am going outside of the city.  While the bus is never on time and still and overall awkward/unpleasant experience it has it’s good moments, too.  For instance, one day a mother was teaching her young son how to say the French “R” sound (my personal favorite!) and it was so cute to hear him repeat the words like “Pierre, voiture, verre, aire, voir”and so on with such a dramatic emphasis on the “R”s.  So while the Parisian metro will always be superior I am coping with the Divia bus.  (Note the word coping because often I still boycott riding it: if the bus is packed when it arrives at the stop, even if I’ve waited 15 minutes, I generally just walk instead.)

-Cell phone

Getting a cell phone was the on-going issue since arriving in September.  It was such a hassle to find a plan that wasn’t ridiculously expensive and that wasn’t a rechargeable/mobile card option.  If I signed up for a contract (which were only offered for 1 year or 2 years) I could cancel the plan but would still owe the company the remainder of the contract. (Aka if I signed a 1 year contract I’d still owe money for the 6 months remaining…non merci!)  Through spending a lot of time researching I found that the Post Office here has a cell phone company (La Poste mobile) [aside: La Poste also has a bank!] and they offer monthly plans that are “sans engagement” (like my Wifi) which is really great! This is good for me because when I need to cancel my line in May it 1) won’t be difficult to do so and 2) I won’t have to pay the remainder of the plan like the other companies offered. (La Poste offered the best deals price-wise so I’m happy about that, too!)  The paperwork for this was a little ridiculous though: I needed proof of residency but my bank card and check book were not acceptable (even though in order to get a bank card and check book you have to have proof of residency!) so I had to get another form signed by my landlady.  I often feel like I am just going in circles when it comes to paperwork here.  The French admin process has made me a lot more flexible and patient though, so I suppose that is a bonus.

-Health care
I am officially able to receive health care/medical services as I now have a French social security number.  I’ve also signed up for a mutelle so should I ever need medical attention here I will be about 90% covered financially.  I have to say…even without the mutelle French health care is pretty awesome.  The U.S. should work on this.

-OFII apt/visa validation

I am also a legal, official immigrant in France (as of today!) as my immigration medical exam was this morning.  It included and lung x-ray, and an examination form a nurse and doctor.  I passed and my visa was validated….hooray!  It’s such a relief to have that over with!  (I am going to post a separate entry on this appointment so look for that!)  Now that my visa is validated I can finally apply for CAF which is government aide for my housing- the last piece of admin work! I will start that next week.

-Teaching timetable

I received a final copy of my timetable….it changed about six times but I now have a set one!  I work with 4 terminale (17-18 yr olds) students and help them prepare for the major exam at the end of the year called Le Bac. (Similar to the SAT's but much more intense.)  It’s really fun to work with them- they are by far my favorite students.  I’m also excited because I will be working with them until the end of my contract so I can form good relationships with them in the classroom and really find methods that work!  I am going to start reading the novel they must read and present on which is “The Other Side of Truth” by Beverly Naidoo.  (I’ll have to do a little review on it after I finish it!)  For my other classes I work with 9 different alternating  seconde (14-15 year olds) groups and that is always a challenge because the English levels greatly vary so activities have to often be adapted on the spot to accommodate each student.  I usually play games with them reinforcing vocab and grammar since I do not see the same students every week.  Finally, I work with one première class (15-16 year olds) and they understand more than they give themselves credit for!  I am going to make it my goal to increase their speaking confidence!  The difficult thing with classes here is that they are not separated by levels like in the States: for example, Honors, level 1, and level 2 students are all mixed within the same class. While it’s a challenge so far I am enjoying my time in the classroom.

-Teaching perks
I’ve received my classroom and bathroom keys (finally!) so I feel slightly powerful as I walk through the halls with the keys jingling in my coat pocket.  Also, it’s nice to be able to use the teacher’s only bathroom!  I have my photo copy machine code as well as my computer code so now I have full access to all that the teacher’s room offers and can prepare lessons while sipping on my cappuccino from the machine. (Yay, European coffee machines!)  I also have a Pass Éducation which always teachers under the French Ministry of Education free entrance to national museums and sites of France.  

-Tutoring

I am volunteering to be an English tutor 2 hours a week at the university, so far it's been great!  I've met some cool students- I'm even helping some with a project for one of their classes that requires insight from a native English speaker.  While I may not be getting paid to tutor I know the experiences and people I will meet from this will be well worth it!

I have to say that I’m pretty proud of myself for what I've accomplished in less than 2 months.  Was it easy? No way!  I’ve had my low moments for sure but the high moments always seem to outweigh the low.  (And I've found that some baguette and Camembert cheese is a good cure for when the lows seem too low haha) A HUGE thank you goes out to my family and friends who have been there to support me through this transition time.  I honestly feel that the 'worst' is over and I look forward to the rest of my stay in Dijon!  So, with the majority of the stressful administrative aspects out of the way let the fun begin:
-11/19/11: going to Paris for the day (yes, just for the day….I’ve been waiting forever to be able to just have a Parisian day trip!)
-11/20/11: going to Beaune (wine capital of Burgundy) for a world-famous wine festival (yes, I will compare it to Maryland’s Wine Fest and report back!)
-11/24/11: helping to host Thanksgiving to celebrate with the other assistants (the Europeans are excited!)
-12/2-3/11: going to Strasbourg for the world-famous Christmas markets
-12/31/11-1/1/12: spending New Year’s Eve in Paris with a study abroad friend (after spending 2 weeks at home in MA for Christmas break!)

It is SO nice to finally feel settled.  It’s a dream come true to be living in France and to know I’m actually doing it, and doing it successfully, is a fantastic feeling.

(And congrats to you, the reader, if you made it through this entire post!)

Word of the Post: s'installer - to settle

Aha moments

I will be the first to admit that it can be very easy to quickly take living in France for granted.  When one passes beautiful architecture and historical site after historical site everyday it can start to make a place seem to lose its luster.  When I studied abroad in Paris stopping by Notre Dame on the way home from school became routine as I did it at least once or twice a week.  But during one of those stops it hit me that there I was, in Paris, stopping by Notre Dame because it’s on my way home from school?!  That sort of moment is what I like to call a “Aha moment”. (It could also be filed under the “Is this real life?” category.)  As I’ve gotten pretty accustomed to the lay out of Dijon, I often pass the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall), which used to be the Palais des Ducs (Dukes' Palace).  (Burgundy was a Duchy after all and Dijon was the capital!  Dijon continues to be a capital- now of the French Burgundy region.)  This evening as I was walking home and passing the Hôtel de Ville/Palais des Dus I had a “Aha moment”.  I stopped in front of the glorious building and wondered to myself how I could possibly be walking past such a historical place where real dukes and duchesses once lived?!  As I stopped to take in the view, I imagined what life must have been like back then and reveled in the fact that so many people have been walking in this very same place for centuries and centuries. As I continued on my normal walk home I headed toward St-Michel, a Catholic church which was built during the Renaissance.  Literally years and years of history (in the form of buildings) only meters away from each other…amazing!  During these “Aha moments” I often wonder if the French ever stop and stare at the centuries old architecture or if it doesn’t really phase them.  I suppose if I grew up in a country with such a long, rich history I probably wouldn’t think too much of it but who knows?  (Disclaimer: I’m not saying that the U.S. doesn’t have a rich history but in my opinion Old World history vs New World history is barely a competition…and yes, Old World wins in my book.)  The bottom line, and why I decided to post about this, is because I think what I love most about Europe, and these "Aha moments", is the feeling of knowing so much history is and has been here which then gives the sensation of being part of something much bigger than oneself. 

Word of the Post: l'histoire -- history

Palais des Ducs
(click on the image to get a better view!)

Kebab!

It is no secret that there is a high population of Arab immigrants in France.  (That whole colonizing-major-parts-of-the-Middle East-and-North Africa-thing that France pulled is a big reason for this.)  That being said, some Middle Eastern culture has significantly become an everyday part of French life, mainly the kebab stands. (Kebab is similar to gyros, just for reference.)  I feel like everywhere I turn there is a kebab place.  No, really- on the main street in the city center there is a new kebab place being built next to an already existing kebab place.  I remember seeing kebab places in Paris but it doesn’t compare to Dijon.  Maybe it’s because the city is smaller so it appears as though there are more but honestly, how many kebabs can a small city have?  But then I think about Dunkin’ Donuts in Boston and I created this analogy to describe the situation: kebab is to Dijon as Dunkin’ is to Boston. When I google "kebab à dijon" 8 addresses are recommended but when I look at the map I can count at least 4 places not listed just from parts of the city I know.  So that isn’t even close to the actual number of kebabs here!

I decided that I should finally give the kebab a try.  So, since I’m not a big fan of meat (State-side or in France) I ordered falafel and fries. (Pretty much everything at the kebab comes with fries.)  The falafel came in yummy bread with lettuce, tomatoes, onion, and some mayo.  It was pretty good- greasy, but good.  I don’t forsee myself eating many meals from the various kebabs here but who knows—a good amount of kebabs are open on Sundays so maybe it will be the anti-Chick-fil-A (had to put a link for my New Englanders) for me. (Since everyone always wants Chic-fil-A on Sundays because you know they are closed.)  The kebab could be the anti-Chic-fil-A because I know it is one of my few options if I want to buy food out on Sundays since everything else in France is closed.

I should make one note: kebabs here definitely have some authenticity remaining but they have become a bit commercialized (like adding fries) to accommodate to their French location.  It's a bit similar to Chinese food in the States, except maybe not as changed as that!

And yes, I am aware of the fact that kebab was used almost every other word in this post.   Think of it as a writing technique to create a feeling of what it is like in Dijon :)

Word of the Post: un resto-rapide -- fast food

Happy Birthday à moi!

I've had the pleasure of celebrating two birthdays in France:  I turned 21 during my semester in Paris and yesterday I turned 23 here in Dijon.  I now joke that I’ll need to keep up the tradition and turn 25, 27, and 29 in various other French cities but all joking aside I am so grateful to have spent a good part of my early twenties en France.  To celebrate my birthday this year a bunch of assistants that I’ve become friendly with went to the big gastronomic, international food festival that is held in Dijon each year! (It's massive and so interesting!)  The featured country this year is Mauritius which brought unique products like banana rum, monkeys made out of coconuts, wooden dodo birds, and so much more!  Outside of the Mauritius area there were various stations to try samples of products from around France that ranged from meats to cheeses to breads to chocolates/desserts and more! As if that weren’t enough there were mini “restaurants” set up with specialities from all over the world, such as Spain, Italy, Lebanaon, India, to name a few. Of course there were French “restaurants” inside too so we decided to go to a place with specialties from the Normandie region for my birthday dinner.

After dinner my friends surprised me with a personal pastry (with candles!) and sang Happy Birthday to me in the fair!  It was completely unexpected and a memorable moment for sure.  As if that wasn’t enough they all chipped in a bought me one of the coolest presents I have ever received.  In the sidewalks around Dijon there are small golden arrows with little owls (city’s mascot) on them that guide you in the direction of important sites.  Well, I now forever have a little piece of Dijon as they bought me an authentic arrow! It was so unexpected and touching that I started to tear up.  It’s an amazing feeling to have traveled here on my own, not knowing anyone, and yet less than 2 months into the experience I have such caring, thoughtful, and fantastic people to share it with.

After we finished at the fair (which I have to go back to since it’s so big and there’s still so much to explore!)  we went out to a couple of bars for drinks and converstion.  There is never a dull moment with an international group like us (the countries of England, Scotland, the US, Germany, and Russia are represented) so conversation/cultural comparisons are always fun!  An added perk of the night is that my birthday is the same day as Guy Fawkes Night/Bonfire Night so in between bars we went into a little side street to light sparklers in honor of the British holiday for the assistants from the UK!  While our sparklers were going off three French guys asked who had a birthday (I don't know if sparklers are a birthday thing in France?) so I told them it was mine and then they sang Happy Birthday to me in French!

So for my 23rd I was able to explore other cultures, try new foods, hang out with great people, celebrate a new holiday, and be serenaded to by 3 random Frenchmen....a pretty top notch day if you ask me!  It is without a doubt that I'll treasure this birthday forever.

You can totally tell I was all choked up... haha

The incredibly thoughtful present :)

Word of the Post: un anniversaire -- birthday

Le bonheur

Today while browsing the web I came across this:

Simple? Yes.  Easy to do? Not always.

As I'm in a post-grad but pre-career limbo it's challenging to decide on "what I want to do with the rest of my life".  I am so lucky and grateful that I can use this experience abroad to truly figure out what I want to accomplish in the future both personally and professionally- essentially what will make me happy.

So with this being my birthday weekend, I decided to finally treat myself to my first French pastry since arriving here. (Would you believe I still have yet to eat a crêpe?!)  Anyway, it was called a 'religieuse au chocolat' and it was delicious!  Here's what it looked like:

(similar to an eclair)

Sometimes you just need to do little things, like eating a pastry, to remind yourself that you and your happiness are worth it!


What will you do today that makes you happy? :)


Word of the Post:  le bonheur -- happiness