A Week to go, Intentions set, and Paris is a Calling

            As I sit down to write my first blog post, I am overwhelmed. At 24 years of age, few people can boast that they are experiencing a dream come true. Living for a year in Paris is a promise I considered  unrealistic yet made to myself when I left France three years ago.  Though I spent a magical 9 months in Angers, I longed for the Vie en Rose I had experienced when walking next to La Seine or traversing the metro, my headphones humming in my ears. When talking about that city, I have often said that "my heart beats to the rhythm of Paris." I never feel so alive as when I am there, because for me simply existing there makes me want to be a better version of myself. Accordingly, I am thrilled to feel that sense of life for the next 9 months. I know that there will be trials and moments when I will want to run home to Zaxbys, family, and friends; however, I consider this experience to be a little miracle, and furthermore an experience I will not take for granted. With this promise thrown out into the universe, I want to set some intentions for my time. This is what I have come up with thus far:

1) I am going to Blog... for real this time:  Once, I get my schedule from the school where I will be working 12 hours a week (YAY!!!!!), I am going to designate 1 hour a week  to reflecting upon and exploring my experiences through writing.  In this blogs, I plan to connect my experiences with the literature I am reading, whether that be a novel, article, or video. (I am thinking Paris, Je t'aime may be a good place to start.)

2) I am going to go on one mini-adventure a week. Okay people, before you get too excited, an adventure for me--a rather extreme introvert--can be having a conversation with someone I don't know  or walking into a bookstore or cafe by myself . However, I am going to make a conscious effort not to simply stalk my local patisserie, ordering croissant aux amandes 2 to 3X per day




3) Weekly cooking: I am super lucky to have a West African market twice a week just outside of my apartment. I have summoned up all of my will to make myself two promises concerning cooking... a) I am going to find a cookbook and execute one recipe a week and b) I m going to cook a fish that still has the head, tale, and scales attached. (I know this will make my Papa, the hunter/fisher of the century, incredibly thrill)

4) The last intention I have set this far is the promise to have at least one standing volunteer position a week. I am not one hundred percent sure what that will be, but I currently have feelers out through the Fulbright network to see if I can intern with either the education department in Paris (Académie de Créteil) or UNESCO. I am hoping to use this time to learn as much 
as possible about international education, particularly as I am putting together 
applications for PhD programs in Education as we speak :) 

Well beyond feelings of nervousness and extreme excitement, I believe I am ready
for the next journey of my life.  Love you all, Gros Bisous...