Malade comme un chien

Add getting electricity switched to my name to the list of things I never thought I'd have to do in French. Oh la la. My French should be très bien by the time I leave this place!

I've started working with some of the classes on my own, which has been going quite well actually! They seem to respond better to me in smaller groups/without the teacher. I think this is where being so close to their age gives me an advantage.

But in other news, I am STILL sick. "Malade comme un chien" as the French would say. Most persistent cold ever. Who knew that wine doesn't help? But alas, I will survive. I would give just about anything for some Dayquil right now though. That French medicine just does noooot cut it.

But, I refuse to let being sick get in the way of seeing chateaus! I'm on break until next Thursday and so far have plans to explore the Loire Valley and go to Paris for a while. When you're so close and it's so cheap, how can you not?? We went to Amboise yesterday (Leonardo da Vinci lived there for a while) and are going to Langeais today (that chateau was the model for the Sleeping Beauty one!)

In other other news, I have not been homeless now for 10 days and it feels fantastic! I'm still in the process of making the apartment look cuter, but since I know you're all dying to see it, there are pictures on Facebook from my first day here. It looks a little better now!

Also, something that I did when I was on study abroad that I have failed to do so far is keep tally of all the cities I went to. So here goes. I haven't done a ton of exploring yet mostly due to the fact that Thursday will be my first payday, but alas, here's the list so far.

• Paris
• Orléans - Joan of Arc was from here. Saw her (rebuilt after being destroyed in WWII) house!
• Tours
• Amboise

As much fun as I'm having here, I've been forced to start thinking about what I want to do next year. I found out recently that first-time TAPIF applicants get priority over those who have done it before, so my odds of getting it are not so great since 2,100 people applied last year for the 1,450 slots. I think being here is really solidifying the fact that French is what I want to do for the rest of my life, but do I want to do it here or teach in the states? That is the question of the hour. I think I might take the GRE just for the hell of it so I can apply to grad school for next fall if I decide if I want to. But getting my master's in France sounds really appealing right now! Many of the teachers at my school started out as assistants, and I definitely feel like that's the path I'm headed down. One comforting conclusion that I have come to lately though is that I do not have to decide what I want to do for the rest of my life right this second. However, I probably do need to decide what I want to do a year from now! Oh la la la vie. On verra!

À la prochaine, mes amis!