One week....

It’s official! I’m moving back to France for another dose of the romantic language, rich food, lush wine, fresh fruits and veggies, and last but not least the fantastic cheese! Oh the cheese…

Good food aside, I am quite excited about this opportunity to be an “assistante de langue,” or an English Teacher’s assistant, for 7 glorious months in the small, rural city of Cournon d’Auvergne. Soon my days will consist of walking along cobblestone roads to the high school—Lycee R. Descartes—where I will be teaching for 12 hours a week. With the rest of my time I plan to cook—taking up a permanent residence at the local market has always been a dream of mine and I am thrilled I’ll finally have the time to do so. 

Yellow dot marks the spot: This is where Clermont Ferrand is. 

And here is a picture of Clermont Ferrand and her beautiful Cathedral! 

So with just 7 short days before my departure, you might imagine I would be busy running from here to there, booking hostels and trains, finalizing my living arrangements in Clermont Ferrand (the larger city where I’ll be living), and zipping up my suitcase… Wrong. I have my one-way plane ticket to Venice and that is it. Literally. What I know is that before arriving in my new home, Clermont Ferrand, I will be traveling, my other true love aside from cooking, for 2 weeks through Tuscany and the South of France. First stop Venice for a few days, then who knows… Verona, Milan, and Cinque Terre are all on the To-See list but I have no definite plans as of yet. The feeling of the unknown, with just the open road--or more accurately the open train tracks--ahead of me, is inspiring. Time will not dictate my experiences but rather my experiences will—if I like a city I can leave of my own accord when I’m good and ready rather than surrendering my will to a departing train before I’ve had my fill. Or maybe I will just end up falling in love with one city and living on their beach to diligently work on my non-existent tan and eat pizza and pasta until October 1st (my first day of work!). Either way, I am bound to have many experiences worth writing about… So stay tuned.