Yesterday was my last day of school, (well there’s a picnic tomorrow but no studying is involved so it doesn’t count). My exams are over and 10 months of learning French has come to an end. It certainly hasn’t been easy and there have definitely been times when I’ve thought about or really felt like giving up but I’m so glad I persevered. It has helped my French enormously, I’d be lying if I said my French was at the level I wanted it to be but I know it would be so much worse had I not been studying it. So, in the long run I’m glad I coughed up the cash and went for it.
I’m also really happy that I can take a couple of weeks away from the books and not be thinking about the next test or doing my homework. Not going to lie, French grammar is HARD. Why so many tenses? Why so many verb endings that are similar but just slightly different? WHY SO MANY EXCEPTIONS!? It’s taken a lot of patience and a lot of headaches but I’m getting there slowly. I know I’ll need to continue learning French when I’m back in England so that I don’t lose all the progress I’ve made. I just need to find the best and most cost-effective way to do this. French courses in London and private tuition are not cheap!
It feels so surreal that I’m only three and a half weeks away from coming home. I’m technically now on ‘vacation’ which is hilarious as I haven’t been ‘working’ for the last 10 months. Vacation from school, not from au pairing duties, but it does free up a bit more time for me over the next few weeks to get stuff ready and to do any of the last minute Paris things I haven’t been able to tick off so far. On the flip side, I am trying to save as much money as possible so that I don’t go back to England completely penniless. Which most likely means lots of walking by the river and picnics.
Speaking of money, I’ve finally made an appointment to get my bank account closed…fingers crossed I don’t have to pay for the privilege. One thing I’m really looking forward to is going back to my English bank account…it is FAR more efficient and easy to use than the account I have here. If I ever move abroad again I’ll be looking at a simpler option!
So what’s next? In all honesty, I don’t really know. I’m looking to move back to London but I’m also going to take some time at home in Suffolk with my parents. I’ve slowly started looking at and applying for jobs (back in marketing) so it really depends on what I can find and how the job hunt goes. I could end up staying at home for quite a bit longer! I’ve definitely got some anxiety about what’s to come…not knowing when I’ll find work is a bit worrying but I’m trying to take it all in my stride. I really believe that something will come along at the right time. I’ve just got to continue applying and putting my CV out there.
And for now, I’ve got three weeks to enjoy all the French pastries, bread and cheese I can manage! I’m aiming for as many picnics as possible in the French capital before returning to the great British summer. 🤣🤣
F x
SAVOIR-FAY 