I cannot believe this is my last blog. The time has flown by.
So, in order not to make this an extremely emotional blog, I will try to keep it short and sweet.
If I had to describe my experience in ONE word it would be...
"Wow."
Wow because it was so much more than I expected.
All at the same time it was: more beautiful here than I expected, harder than I expected, more fun than I expected, less tiring than I excepted, more rainy than I expected, i was less homesick than I expected, and it was way more eye-opening than I expected.
I have lived in Cleveland, TN for my entire life. Yes, I have traveled to other countries. Yes, I always knew "there is a bigger world than Cleveland". But it was not until I lived here for these short to months that I caught a small glimpse of just how big the world is.
A few main differences from Cleveland compared to the Côte d'Azur
1. There is not a church on every corner
2. It's not humid at all here!
3. It smells like roses and sea breeze, not M&M Mars or Bowater
4. There is no such thing as sweet tea (obviously)
5. They tell you "Bon Appetit" when you eat at Mcdonalds in France
in TN they say "You enjoy that, hoooooonnneyyy"
6. I ain't met anyone here named "Bubba"
7. The French classrooms compared to the ones in Bradley County are night and DAY different. *see previous blogs
8. No one drives under 40 mph here---EVER
9. You cannot buy a coke and a candy at the pharmacies here
10. I now know that there are more type of cheese than stars in the sky
11. There is no such thing as "cupcake mix"
12. Toilettes are not in the same room as the shower
13. A garbage man does not come pick up your trash once a week, you must walk it or drive it to the dumpster yourself.
Christine asked me this the other say at dinner and I did not give her a proper answer
"What are some of your worst moments and most favorite moments?"
I definitely would say the lice, the night we had toast dipped in juicy eggs, the language barrier, not being prepared for all the rain, Marie taking a while to warm up and not feel threatened by a stranger living in her home, the travel difficulties, the airplane rides, carrying th giant vaccuum up three flights of stairs ( ha Christine!) and not having my own car were my least favorite experiences.
onto the good...
It will be very hard to narrow it down.....
One of my favorite memories was the day I first went with Marie to her school. She was so proud I was hers and showed me off all day long. I think it was really good for our relationship.
I also really loved bathtime with Marie! From the first few times when she had allll her bath toys and splashed water all over me, to the last few times when she had a little less bath toys in the tub and, still...water all over me....
I also liked when she just randomly starts breaking out in song! It's so cute to hear her little voice singing. Often times she is singing the melodies to American songs with different words. It's incredible!
I really loved the "teacher" aspect of this whole experience. I love that I was her first au pair, and that every English phrase, sentence she uses, was taught by me. It's incredible from the first times we played together not understanding each other at all, to now when we play and she is speaking all English with me...it's just incredible!
One of my favorite things was always dinner time with the de Dinechins! It was always so entertaining yet peaceful. I just really enjoy their family atmosphere.
Random favorite things:
my walk to the village, the scenery everywhere, the mountain the sea, the pain au chocolat, crêpes,
the times when I could speak and understand a little French (un petit peu), helping Christine decide who the next lucky au pairs are (haha), meeting all the current au pairs in the area, exchanging stories and sharing mine, all my wonderful conversations and adventures with Renèe, the weekly Friday GIANT market, jumping in the trampoline with Marie, all the enlightening conversations with Christophe after dinner when we would be cleaning the kitchen, getting to meet and spend the day with Michel Gautier (the Swiss artist) going to church, seeing Christine's hometown and meeting her father, bike riding all of Nice,
and all the precious children I met at Marie's school.
THE LAST SUPPER
Christine and Christophe took me out for a really nice dinner on my last night. Not only did they take me, but they picked up my friend Renèe from Holland and took her out with us as well. How nice was that...
We went to a really delicious "Morrocan" Restaraunt in the village. It was so good! We were eating for about 2 hours! It was so good to have a dinner with the whole family and my new friend I have made. There was no other way I would have wanted to spend my last evening.
Marie was her usual self---running around all over the place and just being a ball of energy! I was so happy that Renée got to meet her!
After supper when we went back to the house, they gave me a gift! It was so thoughtful! I recieved soaps from Fragonard (the fancy store in Grasse I have mentioned before), a littl travel bag that says "J'adore Cannes" and it is decorated all cute and girly like, and then a journal I was looking at in one of my favorite stores in the village! Wow!
I bought them a beautiful bouquet of flowers I found in the village on the morning of my last day.
Christine explained to Marie a few days ago that I am going back to America. But of course, she is so little she does not quite understand what that means, it was so hard hugging her goodbye last night.
She was in my room and she was jumping up and down in my bed and we were being playful and silly together. I gave her a big hug and kiss, and that was it
:(
I think I will miss her most.
Okay....here are some "bloopers" of my time here
Her toes I wasn't supposed to paint! Oops!
So many people!!!
:)
Blow drying the electric outlet I kept spilling coffee on :(
They are too sweet
Home.
<3
Just in time for July fourth... And it was the best one yet. Watching fireworks in downtown Chattanooga in the RAIN WHILE singing the STAR SPANGLED BANNER loudly as spencer
harmonized with me! We even had people clapping for us. Thankful for my country.
Thankful for everyone I met along the way. I will never forget this experience.
