Well, here it goes: I’m both excited and disappointed to tell everyone that I will be returning home earlier than originally expected. I will finish my teaching job in La Mure at the end of February, at which point I will travel to Italy (Florence and Rome) for a little over a week before returning home on March 6th, rather than in May, when this program was originally supposed to end. My dad is actually flying over to meet me in Rome, which is exciting! This was a very difficult decision. I absolutely love this job. I love teaching and my students have been incredible and so fun. I don’t regret doing this program, and I am so grateful for the experience and proud of myself for sticking it out as long as I have. I have loved my time in France and have greatly improved my French language skills! But now it is time for me to think of myself and my own needs, both mentally and emotionally. Unfortunately, this program is not what I (and perhaps many others) had been lead to believe it was; the administration does not take into consideration our requests for our placements, and so I was placed in a very small town with little to almost no access to larger towns or cities. The bus ride to the nearest city is about 1½ - 2 hours through curvy mountain roads, and I’m not making enough money as of now to justify taking a trip there every weekend just to have something to do apart from this job. Because I live alone in this low-populated area, and only work between 7 and 12 hours per week, I have often felt very isolated and have almost always been lonely, which has taken a toll on my mental health in a way that I did not anticipate. I need to go home and be near my family and friends. In other news, I am looking for a new job back home, as well as a one bedroom apartment for Jake and I in Lexington. We are planning to stay in Lexington for a year, until either one or both of us have found better jobs in a city more suited to our career paths, and we can begin our next adventure together. If anyone has any leads, let me know! Sending love and thanks to everyone who has followed along and supported me during this adventure of mine! I’ll leave you with these photographs that I took yesterday morning. It was a new day. I officially resigned on Sunday night and I feel at peace about this new adventure. I will miss baguettes and quaint French towns, but France and these gorgeous mountains will always have a place in my heart. Bisous,
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A Month of Marché Mondays, Crafts & Kitchen Creations, a National Strike, and a Special Visitor12/21/2019 It’s been a little while since I’ve updated everyone on how life in France is going. This month has been stressful and busy, but it’s almost Christmas! Here are some pictures from the last four weeks of going to the market. I completely lost track of how much I actually spent, but it was definitely under 75€, which is amazing for all these apples, tomatoes, onions, zucchini, squash, peppers, spinach, potatoes, lemons, parsnips, garlic, grapefruits, homemade apple juice, coffee, and artisan bread. I’ve made applesauce a few times and made a couple different soups. Unfortunately, apple season is almost over, but I can still make applesauce with cheap, squishy apples! The first week of December, I left the apples I bought at the market and had to go back later and see if they were still there. The vendor was nice enough to save them for me, and the next week, he made a joke about me not forgetting the apples I bought. You have to love the friendliness of a small town. Some other things I’ve made in the kitchen this month are: -mini lemon lavender cakes -goat cheese, mushroom, caramelized onion pizza -Christmas sugar cookies -cinnamon rolls -tiny applesauce apple cakes -Finska Kakor cookies (a family tradition) And I’ve also been making little Christmas cards and gift tags! The big news in France right now is a national strike. It started on December 5th and it’s a bit complicated, but I will try to explain. Basically, the French retirement system for public workers, including teachers, train conductors, bus drivers, garbage men, post office workers, etc.., is a point system. But this means that most of the public workers don’t really ever get enough “points” to actually retire, plus they make low wages and it really is a problem. While some of the craziness is over, the trains are still being cancelled and the strike really isn’t over. For me, this meant that I got a few extra days of school off for the month, stayed in my apartment for quite a bit of December, and my train ticket to Paris on Christmas Eve was cancelled. So instead, I bought a 55€ bus ticket for a 9 hour bus ride to Paris. But, I’ll get there in time to greet Jake, my amazing boyfriend, at the Paris airport. He gets here on Christmas morning, in just 4 days, and as crazy as the strikes are making transportation, it will be a Christmas to remember. Plus, he’s staying for two weeks and we have a special trip to the French Riviera planned for New Years. I’ll do another update in a week or two about our adventures! Here are a few more pictures from the past few weeks! xoxo,
Here is a little recap of this past week and today’s adventures at the market. Last week, it rained every single day without stopping. On the morning it finally stopped, I woke up and looked out the window to see snow that had not been there the day before. And that afternoon, the rain started again and the fog covered up the mountaintops. Last Monday, I went to the market and didn’t get a chance to upload my Marché Monday for the week, but I bought: apples, onions, peppers, raspberries, oranges, and fromage blanc (a type of French yogurt/cheese). I spent under 10€, but don’t remember exact prices. I’ll probably start doing more averages than specific prices since I’m buying a lot more these days for recipes and because I actually have a fridge to store things in. The apples were all for the delicious homemade applesauce that I made last week. It’s a simple recipe that my mom sent me: Homemade Applesauce 6 large peeled apples ½ tsp cinnamon ¼ c. water 3 TBS sugar (I added a touch of pumpkin pie spice mix and it was so good!) It has gotten significantly colder this weekend. After all the rain last week, the last couple days have been a nice break from umbrellas and rain jackets. And, of course, all that rain brought more snow to the mountaintops and it’s been absolutely stunning lately. Because of the drop in temperature, I realized it may be time to finally buy a coat that could get me through winter. So, on Saturday, I went up to Grenoble for the day to do some shopping. I found this gorgeous (and warm!) dark green coat and some other apartment necessities. Then, this morning, I went to the market with my handmade basket that I bought in Chambéry a couple weeks ago. I bought: apples, zucchini, tomatoes, spinach, green beans, pears, a lemon, and some handmade soaps (olive oil and goat’s milk). All together I spent under 15€, which I am pretty amazed by. My basket was so heavy by the time I got home. My main reason for going to the market today was to buy ingredients for my quiche that I made and more apples for more applesauce. I’m allergic to raw apples, so it’s nice to be able to still be able to eat cooked apples that are, for the most part, healthy. In my quiche I put: fresh basil, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers (from last week’s market haul), spinach, and ham, as well as eggs of course. It was delicious. And so easy with a pre-made French quiche crust and my new quiche pan that I picked up on my weekend shopping trip. It’s been a good couple weeks and classes have been going well. I am looking forward to this week after a 3 day weekend (Armistice Day was today, November 11th). And lastly, I made this mini vlog of my trip to the Marché this morning! Enjoy! xoxo,
I am so excited to announce that I am now selling my photography through Society 6! Basically, how it works is that you can buy my photographs as prints, as well as on bags, mugs, coasters, cutting boards, and all sorts of other things! Here are some examples of the items (with my photographs on them): I have over 70 photographs uploaded so if you can't find an item with the photo you want, let me know! Click here to see more: https://society6.com/chantymaria xoxo, On Friday, I was very concerned that I was going to have to continue to survive on bread and soup, since I still didn’t have an oven or fridge and the school's (and my) two week vacation started on Saturday, but, that afternoon not only a fridge and oven, but also a washing machine, big shelf, comfy chair, and three boxes of kitchen tools and pots and plates were delivered! I was so excited. Simple things become way more interesting and exciting after you’ve missed them for weeks. Plus, I’ve cooked dinner every night and just made a delicious orange honey cake. Yesterday, it was so pretty outside and I knew that it was going to start raining for the next few days, so I found a little hiking trail that starts about a 5 minute walk from my apartment. It was absolutely stunning and such a great view of my little town. I hiked for ½ mile to a little mountain top picnic area where I had some lunch and then down another ½ mile on the other side. I took tons of photos and also made a little video. The fall leaves are starting to change and it’s so gorgeous right now. Today was the market again. This time it was much smaller because it’s been a very gray and rainy day, as predicted. However, there was still plenty to choose from and since I now have a full kitchen, I can actually cook more and have a fridge to store things. At the marché, I picked up: Pears, Apples, Zucchini: These were from the same vendor, but they were all about 50 cents each. I only went to one vendor this time because of the rain, but altogether I was surprised by the price! (€1.50) Basil Plant: I didn’t see any plants last time so I was really excited to see basil. I already used some on my tomato mozzarella sandwich today and the basil made it delicious. (€3) Total spent: €4.50 For the next couple days, I'll be working on some side jobs, a new fun surprise that I'll post about soon, and packing for my trip to...(taking guesses, but you'll have to wait and find out for sure)!
xoxo, This past Saturday, I went to an event in the biggest city near me, Grenoble. The event has been going on for 9 years, but is really much more historic than that. It is called the "Descente des Alpages", which means "descent of the Alps". It happens every autumn in multiple different cities in the Alps. The idea of the festival is that all the cows come down from the mountains, many wearing flower headdresses and other decorations, to be blessed. As well as a parade of cows, there are hundreds of vendors with cheeses, milk, bread, pastries, sausages, desserts, pizza, and all different kinds of local alcohols. I went with some other language assistants who live in the area. We had such a fun time. I made this video of the bus ride from my town, La Mure, to Grenoble and of the festival. Enjoy! xoxo,
This is my newest idea to try to keep me motivated to blog more and keep updating everyone! It may not happen every Monday (or Tuesday), but I love the market in my little town and I find such fun things. So for now, enjoy today’s Marché Monday (about yesterday) and keep a lookout for my first YouTube video coming this week about a little adventure I went on. Yesterday was my first time going to the market in La Mure. I lucked out and always have Monday mornings off, and that just happens to be the same day as the market. I picked up 6 delicious things from the market yesterday: Tourtons: These are fried pastries filled with delicious mashed potato and cheese mixtures. I also bought a couple with a vegetable filling. My two friends from college who are visiting said they tasted kind of like French pizza rolls. (€3/6 pastries)
Apples: I was astounded that the apples were so cheap. I bought 4 gorgeous medium sized apples. (€.50/4) Pears: These pears are delicious. I have nothing else to say. (€1.50/4) Cheese: I have really no idea what kind of cheese that I bought, but the lady said it was made with cow’s milk, goat’s milk, and some kind of alcohol. I really only chose it because it had flowers on it. It tastes kind of like it was soaked in champagne and it’s delicious on bread with honey drizzled on top. (€1.85) Coffee: I have been looking for good coffee for so long. I bought some a couple weeks ago but it isn’t my favorite. This one is much better. It’s a 40/60 mix of Arabica and Robusta. And the sellers were so nice and we talked for a good 10 minutes. (€3.25/250g) Honey: This isn’t just any honey, it’s lavender honey. I splurged a bit on this one, but it is to die for. And it’s local, so it was worth it. (€8/500g) Total spent: €18.10 Well, that’s all for this week’s Marché Monday. Until next time! And be on the lookout for a post about my YouTube video! xoxo, I arrived in Paris about three weeks ago. I had to set it up so that I stayed in three different places for one week. With two 50lb suitcases, it was a challenge, especially having to go up nd down stairs in the metro. The first place that I stayed was with a friend in her AirBNB, which was on the 6th floor in a building with no elevator. The next place was a hostel about 20 minutes south of Paris. It was not great. I am a bit too much of a princess for hostels, is what I discovered. Either that, or this hostel was just rough. I slept most of the three days, and just felt gross staying in the hostel. But, I made it and next, was a gorgeous AirBNB east of Paris that I shared with two other language assistants. Throughout my 8 days in Paris, I visited some of my favorite places, hung out with the students and my old professor who are in Paris for the same study abroad program that I did 2 years ago, and met a group of other assistants who are placed all over Paris. I also did some other not so fun things, like set up my French phone plan, and book a place to stay in my tiny town. After my time in Paris, I took a train to Grenoble, the biggest town near my placement. The train ride took about 3 hours. Once I arrived, I waited over an hour for the bus to take me to La Mure. Let me just mention, that this bus only takes 6 trips per day, starting at 6am and ending at 6pm. So luckily, I made it for the last trip of the day. Otherwise, I don’t know what I would have done. I made it to La Mure and checked into my AirBNB in the evening. I went to the nearest grocery store and got a few things for the week. After I had dinner I slept for a very long time. After having not slept much in Paris and still adjusting to everything, I was exhausted. The first few days in La Mure, I caught up on sleep, explored my little town, and started to get things set up for my job! My town is small. There is very little to do. Here is what we have in La Mure:
Those are the things that I have noticed, at least. I may have missed a few. We also have a post office, and a kindergarten, the town hall, the middle school, and where I work, the high school. Oh, and then if you walk about 2-3 miles, there is a McDonalds, and an appliance store. Everything in this town closes at 7pm, for the most part, and there is very little to do. It’s already pretty frustrating. But, I started getting busier last Tuesday with classes starting, and the views of the mountains are absolutely astounding. So, I can’t complain too much! On Monday, October 1st, I visited the school, Lycée de La Matheysine, where I both work and live. I went on a tour of the school and saw my apartment. Now, the people who work in French administration positions are lovely, but it takes quite a while for anything to get done. When I arrived to move into my apartment, it hadn’t been cleaned, but the next day, it got done. It’s been about a week now, since I moved in and I still don’t have a fridge, a washing machine, a stove top, or a working oven, but the heat finally got turned on. Little by little, things will get done, but it’s a fun process of waiting. Right now, I eat soup from a box (it’s pretty good actually), bread (LOTS of bread), and microwave couscous. I finally bought enough blankets to keep warm, but it’s been a really difficult month financially. There are so many hidden costs and fun surprises that cost money. But, hopefully I will get paid an advance at the end of the month if I set everything up correctly. I’ve filled out pages and pages of French paperwork this week, set up a French bank account, and am still working on deferring my student loans and applying for housing assistance. My French has already started to improve, having to use it all the time. I finally got around to decorating my apartment a little bit, besides buying the basics like cups and plates and towels. It’s big and spacious, but I’ve tried to make it cozy and even bought some plants from a local flower shop. As far as teaching, I only work for two weeks before the students go on vacation for two weeks, so for the most part, I am just observing until after the break. I got to introduce myself to the students and show them some pictures of Kentucky and my family. The kids are between the ages of 13 and 17 and some are crazy. Others are a little calmer and know more English. It’s really fun living in the school apartment because I get to see them all the time. Plus, it’s a small town so sometimes I see them on the street or at the grocery store too. They always say hello in English even if it’s just squeaking out a quiet “hi”. I love planning lessons and getting ready for when I start teaching some classes on my own! This job is so much fun.
Anyway, that’s my update for now! I’ll try to continue with more frequent updates! xoxo, Summer is coming to an end and I thought it may be about time for an update. This year has been so full of joy, stress, and new things. And I am so excited for what is to come! In May, I graduated from Asbury University with a Bachelor’s in French. My grandparents came up for the ceremony and a couple weeks later even more family came to Kentucky for my graduation party. I graduated alongside my best friends, college roommates, and my wonderful boyfriend. The three years that I spent at Asbury were challenging and frustrating, but I met some of the greatest people and I learned how to take a stand for what I believe in. I was pushed out of my comfort zone and had so many opportunities that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. I was the Vice President of both Asbury’s College Democrats Group and the Omicron Theta chapter of the Pi Delta Phi National French Honor Society. I also got to work with the school’s art & literary magazine as the Senior Art Editor and even had a few photographs of mine published. And to add to all that, I met the most incredible man and I fell in love and gained a new best friend. Overall, college wasn’t my favorite experience, but some amazing things came out of it, including a degree! In the fall of 2018, I applied for a job, hoping that I would get it, because at that point, I did not have a backup plan, nor had I applied to any other jobs for post-graduation life. Fortunately, I found out in April that I got the job. On September 17th, I will be flying to France for eight months to teach English. I will be living in a tiny town in the south of France called La Mure and will be teaching English to high school students. The town is only a couple hours away from the city where I was born. I am absolutely thrilled and also terrified for this next adventure. Hopefully, I will get to travel a little more around Europe and have some time to explore the South of France! Needless to say, all summer I have been preparing and packing for France. The job that I will be working in France doesn’t pay much, so I have also been saving up as much money as possible by working at a local coffee shop and doing some other random freelance jobs. After graduation, I moved in with my sweet boyfriend, our kitten, our friend Sam, and her kitten. Our apartment is a wild ride, but it’s been so fun to live with some of my favorite people and kittens. With only about four weeks left, I am starting to say all my goodbyes and wrapping up all the last minute things I have to figure out. I’ve been getting pretty emotional about leaving lately, but I have the best people in my life and I’m ready for this next adventure. I’ll try to post more over the next year, especially with being in France. Until next time…
xoxo, One year ago, while I was living in Paris, France, I got my second tattoo. My dad has always told me that if I’m going to get tattoos, I should get them while I’m in cool places and different countries. My first one, “beloved” in script on my foot, I got in Lexington, Kentucky. So, I decided to listen to my dad and get a tattoo before I left Paris. I had something in mind that I had wanted for over a year. I had my artist friend design it, found a shop that would do it for a reasonable price, and got my second tattoo done. I spent a few weeks looking for a tattoo shop that would do it for under 200 euros, which is about $226. I didn’t even want to spend that much, but I also knew that getting a tattoo in Paris was going to be expensive. Meanwhile, I told my artist friend, Anna Renaud, who was with me in Paris about my design idea and she did an excellent job coming up with a design. I am so honored to have her art tattooed on my body. She is an incredible artist, and you should check out her work here! I finally found a newer little tattoo shop called Infernal Tattoo Shop. They were affordable, so helpful and did such a good job. Getting the tattoo was painful at first, but my arm went numb after the first 5 minutes and the last 40 minutes were relatively painless. I had a whole group of friends there with me and it was such a fun experience. The design that I had been thinking about for a while was a version of the “Perichoresis” symbol. The word perichoresis is a Greek word, περιχώρησις, that refers to the relationship between the three persons of the triune God, or more commonly called, the trinity. How I understand the triune God is not only that the three persons are in community and relationship with each other, but that all humans are included in this relationship. Or, as one of my favorite theologians, Baxter Kruger, says, we are part of “The Great Dance”. Writer and pastor Stephen Barkley explains “The Great Dance” in his review of Kruger’s book of the same name: “Kruger uses the metaphor of dancing…to describe the life of Father, Son and Spirit. This life is woven through creation like a great river. The goal of God is to draw everyone into this river, this dance.” The idea that we are all included in a dance full of love and communion with the trinity is the most hopeful and joyful concept. “Genuine acceptance removes fear and hiding, and creates freedom to know and be known. In this freedom arises a fellowship and sharing so honest and open and real that the persons involved dwell in one another. There is union without loss of individual identity. When one weeps, the other tastes salt. It is only in the Triune relationship of Father, Son and Spirit that personal relationship of this order exists, and the early Church used the word “perichoresis” to describe it. The good news is that Jesus Christ has drawn us within this relationship and its fullness and life are to be played out in each of us and in all creation.” –Parable of the Dancing God, Baxter Kruger I wanted to have this perichoresis symbol on my arm as a reminder that I am included in the Trinitarian dance, the Great Dance. But, I also wanted it to be a reminder that, according to the theological standpoint I am coming from, every human that I come in contact with is also included in this dance and is treasured and loved. The reason that I chose a design that incorporated flowers into the symbol was to represent the idea of life. Flowers are one of my favorite things about nature. To me, flowers are the ultimate symbol of life and being alive. Life is found in the Great Dance, which is why I chose to intertwine the symbol with flowers and leaves. I love how delicate and simple, yet deeply profound and artistic my beautiful tattoo is.
One of my favorite sections from theologian, Baxter Kruger’s, blog is this: The Father himself set his love upon you before the foundation of the world and predestined you to be adopted into the very Trinitarian life of God. And his own beloved Son, Jesus Christ, has come and accomplished his Father’s dreams for you and the human race. And even now the Holy Spirit is bearing witness with your spirit that this is the truth. –essay Why I Left Calvinism Behind, Baxter Kruger A year later, this tattoo still means so much to me. It’s something that I see every day and I remember that I am alive and loved by the Triune God and I am included in The Great Dance. |