Update on Life

Well hello friends. In case you were wondering, yes I made it back from Europe! It's been three months since I've been around these parts. It was a bit of an intentional break, but also kind of not. I knew I would be busy when I came home from Europe, but I didn't realize how life was going to hit me full force. I landed in Atlanta on a Thursday night, then started working full-time the next morning. I have absolutely no idea how I did it, but I'm still alive! If you ever wondered how to beat jet lag...just start working immediately. No rest for the weary!

So. Here are a few updates.

+ The most exciting thing is that MY LITTLE GIRL PASSED THE ENGLISH EXAM!!!! So so so so so excited. It was such a relief and such a confirmation for what I'm doing in life. I probably would have questioned my entire college career had she not passed the exam. I would have felt like those four years of paying to learn how to be a teacher were for nothing. (Not really...because there were a lot of random factors going into this situation...but it still would have been terrible.) Thanks for everyone who prayed and encouraged me! I felt every bit of it!

just a little preview from Easter weekend in Bourgogne

+ I have a job! I didn't really mention anything about this, but when I came home for Christmas, I accepted a job offer! My youth pastor from middle school started his own private foster agency. He talked with me about working as a case manager and after praying about it, I really felt like it would be a good fit. We are in the final stages of getting our license (in fact, we're hoping to have it this week!!) so we will be placing children in foster homes in a few months. I'm so excited about everything that is going on with this. God is moving in mighty ways. I'm a little nervous because I did not go to school to work in the social work field, but my degree is definitely related. There were many things I learned in college that will benefit me in this profession. Will I ever teach? Probably. But right now I'm happy with this position and I'm excited to see what happens!

taken the morning after I got back in the States

+ I have also moved into a new house! My brother and I are renting a house from one of our neighbors. Some of you may remember we lived together for a year in college. I'm excited to do it again because we have so much fun. Plus I really missed that kid this past year! The house we're living in is across the field from my parents. The Burton family just sticks to the old farmland. It's a bit ridiculous but I love it. Especially after being gone from my family for so long.

+ This is completely random, but Whirlyball is my new favorite thing. Have you ever heard of it? It's like a weird mix of lacrosse and basketball, all on bumper cars. Seriously the most fun I've had in a while. I went with a group from my church on Sunday and I'm dying to go back. I think we're going for my brother's birthday in August so that should be fun. Here's a video so you can see what it's like. If you have a place near you, go!

And that's about it for now. I still have a lot of posts I need to write about Rome, Easter weekend in Bourgogne/Burgandy, leaving Europe, and some other little things. Hopefully I can find time to sit down and write them! I haven't even started editing the pictures yet. Sooo it might take me a while.
Hope you're having a wonderful week so far! I'll be back soon!

Spring is Coming!

Praise the Lord, the weather is getting warmer. I fully expected to have a lot of snow when I came back to France, but it hasn't snowed once! The past two days have been absolutely beautiful. Sunny and warm! Does this Georgia girl's heart some good.

The weather is so beautiful, in fact, that it motivated me to get back to running. The last time I ran was before Christmas. So it was a bit rough. But some new songs on my iPod and the feeling of being in the sun got me through.

If you follow me on instagram, you've already seen this picture. But these views get me every time! Sometimes I just can't believe I'm actually living in France in the middle of the Alps.

I was running on a long one-way road next to a big field. Usually there is no one there. I stopped at a little patch of grass to stretch after my run and started singing out loud. I turned around a minute later...mid-singing...to see a woman walking past me. Oops! She probably thought I was some crazy American singing in public. Hopefully I sounded good :)

I hope the weather is beautiful where you are and that you're taking advantage of it! Happy Weekend!

Perks of Loneliness

I ran across this post the other day when I was scanning my pinterest boards:

"Sometimes loneliness is God's cry for friendship time with you."

At the same moment, I was listening to "If You Ever Get Lonely" by Love and Theft. Coincidence? Maybe. But it got me thinking about my life lately.

When I was in Spain this summer, it was the first time I ever felt truly lonely. I had no friends, I didn't really talk to my host family, and the time difference made it difficult to have conversations with everyone back in the States. It was a really tough time for me. But I grew so much in my relationship with the Lord. He was all I had.

Now that I'm in France, my situation is almost the exact opposite. I have friends, I'm close with my host family, and even though there is still a time change, I have more free time to talk with people back home. Yet I still find myself getting lonely at times. I am a very independent person and I thrive off alone time. So when I say I get lonely, it's a big deal. Being an au pair is often a lonely experience, even when you're surrounded by people. Not to say this experience is all bad, it's just a side effect sometimes.

So I've been thinking again lately about how much time I spend with the Lord. I'm doing Beth Moore's Bible study on David currently and I am absolutely loving it. Because I don't have too many commitments during the day, I'm able to spend a lot of time on the study, and on my relationship with Him in general. By no means am I excelling at this every day. I am still learning and growing. Yet I've realized that these times when I'm lonely have been the greatest periods of growth for me.

It's interesting how God places us in certain situations and how He uses those situations to teach us. When I am home in the States, there are so many distractions vying for my attention: social media, Netflix, friends, family, etc...not bad things, but also not spiritually edifying. When I'm abroad, I have limited access to these things, giving me more time to focus on the more important things in life.

When I was home this past Christmas, I noticed how quickly I fell back into the trap of those distractions. Next time I come home, I want to make more of an effort to live simply like I do here in Europe. I'm sure it will be a challenge. I'm sure I'll fail a lot. But I've realized how little those distractions matter in the long run. Will I still have Netlix binges on the weekends? Absolutely. Will I waste time on Pinterest? Most likely. I don't want to completely get rid of these things. I just want to limit them and knock them down on my priority list.

Random Thoughts

taken from Mrs. Susan's balcony in Savannah #gorgeous

Here are some of my most recent (trivial) thoughts and things I'm missing:

+ I went shopping yesterday for supplies for a birthday party the family was having. I thought, "Easy peasy. Run into the store, grab some streamers and goodie bag things, and I'm all set." Nope. I was wrong. I went back and forth between two stores THREE TIMES before I got what I needed. And I had to improvise a lot. After I was finished, I got in the car and just really missed America. Where was the party section in Target or the Party City when I needed it?!

+ Sometimes I get a big craving for cake. Like just plain ol' box cake. At aforementioned birthday party, we had cake. It was a fancy chocolate thing from a bakery: rich chocolate cake, chocolate fudge icing, and a piece of thin dark chocolate on top. Don't get me wrong...French pastries are delicious. But sometimes all I want is a Betty Crocker yellow cake with chocolate frosting. And now I'm hungry.

+ I want my automatic car. Enough said.

+ Related to the point above, I can now successfully drive a manual car. While I'm not a pro by any means, I'm no longer nervous to get on the roads. It sucked having to learn, but I'm really grateful for this skill. And hey...I can be on the Amazing Race now!

+ I'm really excited to get home and cook for myself. NEVER thought I would say that. I don't have an option for what I eat here for dinner; I just eat what the family makes me. Can't wait to try out new recipes and eat things I actually want.

+ I'm realllllly excited to get back to the States and start my life. Real world, here I come!

Hope you're having a great weekend!

2013 in Review

I realize I'm a little late to the year recaps, but 2013 was a big year for me. A LOT of things happened. I want to make sure I have it all documented so that I can look back years from now and remember the highlights.

January

I chose a word for the year, which I'm proud to say I worked on for the entire 12 months. I started my last semester of college, which ended up being my favorite. Student teaching was the best part of my college career. Loved my mentor teacher, my team, and my students.

February

I really started getting in my teaching groove, celebrated Valentine's Day with my first graders, and got a few love letters in the process. I started planning my trip to Europe with Rachel. I began my two full weeks of teaching at the end of February. They were essentially the most critical weeks of my entire college career. And I passed the GACE to certify me to be a teacher in Georgia.

March

I finished my full two weeks. And rocked them, if I do say so myself. During that time we celebrated Dr. Seuss day and Amelia Bedelia Day which gave me an opportunity to brush up my artistic skills. I traveled up to Tennessee to my childhood best friend's wedding. My family celebrated the miracle of my mom's life...praise the Lord! I told the world that I was living in Europe for 7 months. And so began the countdown!

April

My student teacher team tried out a lot of fun ideas for our first graders, one of which involved aliens. I finished student teaching! Which also meant I was finished with college. So weird. I spent a week relaxing before I got back in the real world. I had a little creepy moment one night. The last weekend was spent in Anderson, SC visiting one of my best friends.

May

Phew! May was a big month. I participated in Jenni's Blog Everyday Challenge. It felt really good to write a lot, even though I didn't do it everyday. I started packing for Europe...much more difficult than I anticipated. On the 10th day of May, I graduated from the University of Georgia! I got a brand new camera! Seriously the best graduation gift I could have asked for. Exactly a week after graduation, I said goodbye to my family and hopped on a plane headed to Europe. Traveling with Rachel this month included Dublin, Edinburgh, London, Amsterdam, Brussels, and Brugge.

June

We started June in Paris. Took a little day trip to Versailles which was stunning. My favorite part of the month was reuniting with my Italian family! English Summer Camp in Modena lasted two weeks and ended with another earthquake. We had a great girls weekend in Florence to break up the two weeks. I also spent a perfect weekend at the sea with my Italian family. After Italy, Rachel came with me to Geneva before going back to America. The family I'm currently working for graciously allowed us to stay with them for a week. I held a hedgehog for the first time. At the end of this relaxing week, I headed to Madrid for the rest of the summer.

July

Not going to lie, July was a tough month for me. I was in such a beautiful place but so so so stressed. I got a lot of good advice and support from family and friends. I realized how tough it was to be away from family on holidays. I met some new Spanish friends. I explored Madrid on my own, which was a cool experience. Traveling alone is much different than traveling with a friend, mostly in a good way! One of my childhood friends studied in Madrid for the summer so we met up a lot and saw The Lion King...which was amazing.

August

The first three weeks of August were spent on Spanish beaches. It sounds so glamourous but it wasn't  unfortunately. At the end of it, I was just so glad my time in Spain was over. And I so hate saying that. But then life got better! I made it to France and explored my little village. We went to the circus and I rode an elephant. I thought a lot about my future and how this time in Europe fit into it.

September

Lots of people asked how I got to Europe, so I explained. I like to please. I cheered on the Dawgs from the highest point in western Europe. And I started experiencing life in a small French town. I was making new friends and was finally settling in to my new life.

October

There wasn't anything really major that went on this month. It was mainly just day to day things. I traveled to some new cities including Annecy, the Venice of France. For the first time since May, I got a haircut and it felt amazing. (Sidenote: Getting a haircut in France, where you don't speak the language, is a really interesting experience.) I went to Milan for a weekend with the family. And on the last day, my mom came to visit!

November

November was big! My mom and I traveled to Italy so I could introduce her to my Italian family. We also went to Florence, Scotland and Paris. It was such a wonderful time. Blog posts to come soon! I finally made the decision to come back to France after Christmas. Daniele and I went to Central Perk in Geneva. Rosalie and I spent a lot of time together in Geneva. We also went to my very first Christmas market in Montreaux. The family took me to Italy the last weekend in November. And I spent my birthday in Rome!

December

The first ten days were spent in France. I hung out with my friends a lot and spent a lot of quality time with the family. Then I came back home to America!! I went to Savannah with my best friend to visit our college small group leader. There were many dinners with friends, a surprise retirement party for my uncle, and a trip to Greenville to see my cousins. Daniele came to America to spend the holidays with us. We went to Atlanta on Christmas Day to feed the homeless. We also went to Savannah, Rome, Athens, and Atlanta (for touristy things) while he was here. I have a lot of posts to write for this month. Bare with me...they're coming. I promise!

Wow. Just writing that out was exhausting. It's no wonder I was so tired so often!

2013 was a good one. But I have a feeling 2014 is going to be even better!

A Few Things I'm Learning Lately + An Announcement!

Life. It has a way of teaching you things you never expected. At least that's been the case for me these past six months. I have been stretched in ways I never thought possible. Maybe someday I'll be able to put it into words so I can share with you. For now, I'm still working through a lot of it. God is doing a great work on my heart and in my life. It's an exciting time to be alive!!

But there are some things that I can share with you. For one, I am absolutely loving the song Oceans by Hillsong UNITED. Melissa shared this song with me a couple of days ago and it has been on replay since then. "Spirit, take me where my trust is without borders. Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander. And my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior." Amen. I've said it before, but I'm so grateful for her friendship. We are going through very similar situations: living abroad, alone, in a season of unknowns. This song perfectly describes our hope for this time.

I mentioned yesterday that I am doing a study on Deuteronomy with my small group leader (Side note: she will always be my leader...even if we aren't technically in a real small group anymore...she can't get rid of me). I never realized the importance and the relevance of this book! What I once thought was just a book of laws, is actually a book about the freedom God has given us. I really recommend Beth Moore's study Law of Love if you want to learn more. It's just full of goodness. The main point of the study is "He brought us out to bring us in." God has taken us from our bondage to bring us into our Promised Land. This quote was from the session I did yesterday:

"Faith is not the clinging to a shrine but an endless pilgrimage of the heart. Audacious longings, burning songs, daring thoughts, an impulse overwhelming the heart, usurping the mind - these are all a drive towards serving Him who rings our hearts like a bell." Abraham Joshua Herschel

On a rather different note, I've discovered how much I am used to being alone. I noticed this when my mom came to visit. I absolutely loved having her here. But that was the most human contact I've had consistently since Rachel left me in June. It was strange! I know my time in America is going to be full of social activities so I hope I can adjust quickly!

Which brings me to my announcement: I am officially coming back to Europe after Christmas! This has been a possibility since June but I didn't know for sure what I wanted to do. Well, I've made up my mind. It was just too good of an offer to pass up. So I will be coming back at the end of January to the same family. I will continue to teach this little girl English in the hopes that she can pass an English exam in April. It's a lot of pressure, but I'm just praying she will pass with flying colors!

Current Things

A little sneak peak at my week with my mom!

I've seen these lists lately and thought it would be fun. It gives you a little bit of a glimpse into my everyday life. Happy Wednesday, friends!!

+ eating: a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. and thoroughly enjoying it. #merica
+ drinking: water. always.
+ practicing: the italian language
+ mastering: how to dress for freezing cold weather
+ learning: french
+ playing: bubble shooter (fun fact: if i watch something on my laptop, i always play bubble shooter at the same time. i can't sit still while watching tv.)
+ finishing: editing a physics lecture. my host dad here works for cern and is paying me to edit his lesson. while i don't understand anything i'm reading, it's been nice to edit. i actually love doing that!
+ reading: the book of deuteronomy. my small group leader (hi mrs. susan!) and i are doing a study together. so thankful for the technology that keeps us connected!
+ enjoying: the time i spent with my mama last week. so good.
+ listening: oceans by hillsong united
+ needing: a large glass of sweet tea. with lots of ice.
+ wearing: an oversized t-shirt and pajama pants. plus thigh-high wool socks because it's absolutely freezing here
+ wondering: how much chick-fil-a i can eat in one month when i go home
+ working: on how to teach english. not as easy as it sounds
+ liking: my day off. it's been spent entirely in bed :)
+ traveling: to rome for my birthday in exactly two weeks!!
+ planning: my trip back to america!!
+ wanting: the sun and warm weather
+ loving: the new friendships i've made
+ wishing: i had cookie dough and brownie mix. i can't wait to get back to america and bake to my heart's content
+ marveling: at the greatness of deuteronomy. who knew it was so applicable to life?!
+ smelling: nothing...i'm getting sick :(
+ hoping: these next 26 days will fly by so i can get home and hug my family
+ feeling: so blessed by this adventurous time in my life

Balance

As an au pair, I feel like I always have to have on my happy face. If I'm not smiling, the family asks if I'm okay. If I want to go to bed early, they ask if I am sick. If I spend a Saturday alone in my room reading or watching Gilmore Girls, they ask if something is wrong. It's like I am never allowed to just be me and have real emotions. I can't be anti-social or tired or sick of the weather.

It's a little overwhelming sometimes. I am generally a happy, optimistic, glass-half-full kind of gal. But sometimes, it's refreshing to be alone. Or to get mad at the constant rain. Or go to bed at 8 PM. I'm only human.

This life is a balancing act. I'm trying to navigate my way through this one day at a time. Somedays it's easy. Others, not so much. Living with a new family, and getting paid by them, is a challenge. I am here to do a job. But I am still a person with feelings.

This post really doesn't have a point. I'm just airing out my thoughts. Life in a foreign country is not always so glamorous. It's still life. It still has its ups and downs. And no matter where you are, you still have to find the balance.

Life Update

Hello friends!! It's been a while! Sometimes life just happens and then you realize you haven't blogged in two weeks. Oops! But I think it's better to live life than to get caught up documenting every detail. So that's the excuse I'm going with. To make up for my absence, here is an update on what's been going on lately:

Life has been pretty normal here. Lot of picking up the girls from school, teaching English, playing games, doing puzzles, etc. Filomena (the oldest; she's 10) and I have formed such a precious friendship and I really enjoy being with her. Her English is improving and my Italian is as well.

I've made some new friends: one from California and one from Italy. It's been fun hanging out with new people and experiencing new things together. And if you know me, you know I love Italians. So it's a win-win situation!

I've been going to French classes for a few weeks now and I'm slowly getting better. My teacher actually lived in Atlanta for five years. How random is that?! The language is difficult for me because it's so different from Spanish and Italian. There are so many silent letters! And pronouncing the letter r?? Forget it. I do it on accident but I can't do it when I try. (For those of you who don't know, it's a sound that comes from the back of your throat. It's totally different from the way we pronounce it in English and totally different from the rolling sound in Spanish or Italian.)

I'm understanding more and more Italian. I'm exposed to it every day (which I love!) so it's getting easier. Speaking it is a different story. I know a lot of words but I'm working on making them into sentences. Daniele, my Italian friend, is helping me. We practiced conjugating a few verbs on the way home from French class today and I'm pretty sure I butchered them. At least I'm assuming that's why he was laughing...

I'm learning how to drive a stick-shift. I'm getting better but I still have problems starting on hills. I avoid them at all costs. I also avoid stopping if I can. I have definitely rolled through some stop signs just so I don't have to put it in first gear. But everybody here does it so I'm not too worried. There aren't any police in this tiny town. Let me just say, though, that I miss my automatic car. A lot.

My best friend, Melissa, is currently living in Bangladesh. She's blogging about her adventures here. It's been really cool to be abroad at the same time. It's been great to share what God's doing in each of our situations. She is super entertaining so check it out!

And in 21 short days...my mom will be here!!!! I'm so so so so so excited to see her in person and hug the heck out of her. We're starting to plan what we want to do in each city. We're going to Modena (to visit my Italian family!!), Firenze, Luss (a little town outside of Glasgow), and Paris. And Geneva, of course. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!!

Unexpected Curveball

Life. It's a crazy thing. One minute you think you're doing one thing, then plans change.
This weekend, I was supposed to be going to Italy to visit my Italian family. It was going to be such a great time of relaxing, enjoying their company, and exploring a new (to me, at least) city. I can't tell you how much I was looking forward to it.

Unfortunately, life likes to throw curveballs. Plans A, B, C, D, E, and then A again were cancelled. I wish I was exaggerating.

When plan E was going to cost me almost $200 (one way), I decided to cancel my plans. I was so disappointed I felt sick to my stomach. These people are like family to me. This weekend was going to be like a trip home. On the way back to the car, my host dad said if he were in my shoes, he would be extremely mad. I thought about that statement for a second and then realized something about myself. Yes, I was disappointed. Yes, I was frustrated that I wasn't going to see my family. But at the same time, I was trying to cheer myself up. Look at the positive side. I responded, "I am a little upset but life happens sometimes. I can always go another time."

And it's true. I can go again. In fact, I already have set plans to visit when my mom gets here. What's the fun in letting spoiled plans ruin my weekend? Don't get me wrong, I am very sad that I won't get to spend the weekend with them. I was so looking forward to it! But I can't let it ruin my day. Life is too short for that!

One of the things I've learned about myself in the past few months is that I'm a glass-half-full kind of gal. And it's something I'm proud of. Whatever you're going through today, try to be positive. If you're having a bad day, look for simple things that bring joy. If you're having a good day, be thankful! As my mom says, Look for the blessing! There is life to be lived no matter where you are or what you're doing.

Happy Weekend, Friends!

How I Got to This Point

I shared a bit here about how I got to where I am now (a.k.a. Europe). But I have had so many friends ask me about it that I figured I would share a little more!

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What I wrote in my journal when everything fell into place.

In my sophomore year of college, I talked with someone about their au pair experience. It sounded like an awesome way to travel the world while making a bit of money. I told my parents about it but they shot down the idea pretty fast. "That's not the best idea." "You need to look for a job when you graduate college." All reasonable responses. So I basically forgot about it.

Fast forward to my first semester of senior year. I was in a fourth grade class for my teaching experience. And I absolutely hated it. I felt like nothing I did ever brought about the same joy I had for teaching I used to have. It was a very frustrating semester for me. Especially because teaching was all I had ever wanted to do. I talked to my mom all the time about it and she knew I was unhappy. Towards the end of the semester, I stumbled upon an au pair website and decided to make an account. I immediately found multiple families I thought I could work for and sent the links to my mom. "I made the mistake of making a profile on an au pair website." Her response? "Pretty cool." It wasn't a "No way" like I was expecting.

I took that "pretty cool" as a green light and started sending emails to families. After a couple of weeks of searching, I found the family I am with now. They were looking for someone for the fall, so I had plenty of time to save money. I would also be back in time to start applying for jobs for the next school year. My parents were totally supportive. (Obviously my parents' opinions mean a great deal to me.)

I sure miss those sweet kids!

In January of this year, I started my full-time student teaching. I loved the school, my mentor teacher, my students, everything. It was a welcome relief after my previous semester. But I was still seriously considering going to France. I began applying for elementary schools while still pursuing the au pair experience. I was just praying God would make it clear which option was the right choice.

At the beginning of February, I was offered a job teaching at an English summer camp in Modena, Italy where I studied abroad the year before. My friend Rachel had already accepted the job. I accepted it immediately because 1) I would be able to stay with my host family, 2) I could go back to Italy, and 3) when would I ever get an opportunity like this again?!

The only problem was that I needed something to fill in the summer between Italy and France. I could not afford two flights to Europe. I needed to get to Europe in May and stay there until December. I began looking for summer au pair jobs.

At the beginning of March, a family in Spain officially offered me a job. The start date was at the end of my time in Italy and the end date was the day before my time in France. The Lord was lining up the dates perfectly! I knew at this time that I was going to Europe. There was no way I was going to turn down this amazing experience that God had just placed in my lap.

So on March 12, I booked my flight to Europe! Rachel and I decided to travel together for a few weeks before Italy. We left a week after graduation and I haven't looked back!

Graduation!

It has been a crazy adventure so far. There have been some challenging times, but most of it has been wonderful. It's more than anything I dreamed I would be doing after college. This is the chance of a lifetime and I'm so grateful I was given this opportunity! There are less than 100 days left of my time here and you better believe I am going to be living it up as much as I can!