1st Post - Background

Hi everyone! I'm so glad you decided to come visit my blog. This first post is just going to be a little bit of a summary of what I'm doing and where I'm going. I'm going to try to be really good about posting regularly. Please make sure to comment if you have any questions or anything to say.

Here goes:

Well, I fell in love with France as a kid. It started because my older brothers were taking French classes at school and were practicing with my parents at the dinner table. That is where I learned my first french phrases. I always knew that I would take french when I got to high school and that is exactly what I did. I then got the opportunity to travel to France and other countries during the summer after my freshman year of high school. After all of this I knew that I wanted to live in France. I enjoyed being there for 3 weeks, but I wanted more. I wanted to live there for enough time so that I could become fluent in the language. As I continued through high school and even college, my love only grew. Being the determined individual that I am, I never gave up my dream and promised myself that I would do it when I graduated college. I wasn't sure what I was going to do when I got there, but I knew I was going. So that brings me to today.

I graduated from college in May and I head out to France in 11 days. I have found a family in Le Vesinet that has 3 beautiful children. I will be living with them and taking care of the kids. In addition, I will be taking French classes 3 times a week. I will be over there for 11 months. I feel that this is the perfect position for me because it allows me to live in france, learn the language, live with a french family, and be around kids. It encompasses two of my biggest passions: children and france. I can't wait.

A little bit about the family:
I will be living with Philippe and Severine Tapie and their 3 children: Julien (16), Pauline (13), and Manon (8). They live in a large house in a western suburb of Paris. I will be just 30 minutes from Paris by train.

Well I suppose those are the basics. I'm really excited about this trip. However, while I am mostly excited, I do find that I'm a little bit nervous as well.

Here is what I'm most nervous about:

• picking up the language
• finding a church
• making friends

your prayers, advice, and words of encouragement are most appreciated.

check back often to see what i'm doing and learning!