I woke up super early to get ready to go to school this morning. I got all of my bags packed, and Catherine and I set off to move me in and get settled in at my new school! I'm living at the high school, which is apparently totally normal in France! There was a lot of fog on the road through the Broceliande forest, and it was very mysterious and beautiful.
Once I arrived at school, I was back and forth different places. I had to sign a lot of forms, contracts, etc. Everyone at the school is super welcoming. I met a lot of the teachers, and they are super sweet. They all really want to help. One of the Spanish teachers told me to meet her in the teacher’s lounge after school so we could go grocery shopping (since the closest grocery store from the apartment is too far to walk to, and I don’t have a car/know how to drive manual).
I decided to take a break from unpacking and go to the cafeteria for lunch at Catherine's invitation. Hot lunches are on another level in France. They have really nice 3-star restaurant quality foods. It’s not your cheeseburger, tater tots, chicken tenders, and pizza lunches that I had in high school. Oh no, they serve lunch in courses: appetizer, main meal, cheese course, dessert, bread, water, and tea/coffee. I had canard (duck) and noodles as a main meal, bread and cheese, some sort of noodle appetizer/middle eastern tart as an appetizer, and a vanilla raspberry moose for dessert.
I decided to take a break from unpacking and go to the cafeteria for lunch at Catherine's invitation. Hot lunches are on another level in France. They have really nice 3-star restaurant quality foods. It’s not your cheeseburger, tater tots, chicken tenders, and pizza lunches that I had in high school. Oh no, they serve lunch in courses: appetizer, main meal, cheese course, dessert, bread, water, and tea/coffee. I had canard (duck) and noodles as a main meal, bread and cheese, some sort of noodle appetizer/middle eastern tart as an appetizer, and a vanilla raspberry moose for dessert.
I also had the pleasure of finally meeting my apartment mate/co-worker, Alba, from Spain. She is adorable. She’s going to be the Spanish teacher at the high school. Fortunately, or unfortunately, we don’t speak a common language other than French. So, with our mutual limited French vocab, it’s a lot of pointing to things, gestures, and confusion, but it’s honestly really fun!
Our apartment is absolutely enormous and way too big for two people in my opinion. We have three rooms, a huge tv room, dining area, full kitchen (sans microwave), big bathroom with great water pressure, and laundry unit.
Our apartment is absolutely enormous and way too big for two people in my opinion. We have three rooms, a huge tv room, dining area, full kitchen (sans microwave), big bathroom with great water pressure, and laundry unit.
In the afternoon, I met the Spanish teacher (Manue) in the teacher’s lounge and we went grocery shopping. I didn’t know how to grocery shop for myself. I have never had my own place with an oven, stove, etc. Alba, the Spanish teacher, and I crisscrossed Carrefour a thousand times, finding the cheapest items that tasted okay. She was super helpful, hilarious, and we got along really well. After shopping, we lugged all of our groceries up 4 flights of stairs (nope, no elevator in our building). Alba had to go stay the night at another Spanish teacher’s place, so she left right away after we went shopping. Manue had leave to get her step-son at the bus stop, so I was suddenly left alone in the empty apartment (without internet, without a working tv, without a working stove).
About ready to lose my mind of boredom, I heard the doorbell ring, and it was Manue and her step-son, Nicholas. I was so happy to see her! She said “do you want to go to the farm with us?” I said “OF COURSE!” I was really tired, had no makeup on, hair was oily, and I felt disgusting, but I never pass up an adventure! They decided to stay for a few minutes and Nicholas fixed the TV, and we were off. Manue stopped at her friend’s little clothing boutique to get hangers for me (since I didn’t have any) on our way to the farm. It turned out to be a milk farm, and it was the cutest little farm. Lots of cows, big and small. Manue got a glass jog of milk from the farmer, and she got some yogurts for me to try. I was beyond excited. This was the coolest thing I’ve seen. How cool is it to get dairy products DIRECTLY from the farmer? And you can visit the cows who gave you the milk?
About ready to lose my mind of boredom, I heard the doorbell ring, and it was Manue and her step-son, Nicholas. I was so happy to see her! She said “do you want to go to the farm with us?” I said “OF COURSE!” I was really tired, had no makeup on, hair was oily, and I felt disgusting, but I never pass up an adventure! They decided to stay for a few minutes and Nicholas fixed the TV, and we were off. Manue stopped at her friend’s little clothing boutique to get hangers for me (since I didn’t have any) on our way to the farm. It turned out to be a milk farm, and it was the cutest little farm. Lots of cows, big and small. Manue got a glass jog of milk from the farmer, and she got some yogurts for me to try. I was beyond excited. This was the coolest thing I’ve seen. How cool is it to get dairy products DIRECTLY from the farmer? And you can visit the cows who gave you the milk?
After the farm, we went back to Manue’s house, also a little French farm. It was honestly one of the most beautiful, charming, and adorable houses I have ever seen! Such a perfect home for such a perfect person. I am quickly realizing that Manue is one of the nicest people I have ever met EVER. She has a heart of gold. She gave up so much time to help me get oriented and feel welcomed. The sun was starting to set, and there was a pretty glow everywhere. Manue showed me their pig, dog, cat, and free range chickens. They have a pretty little pond with lots of apple trees. We picked some apples, and went back inside. Manue gave me a few things for my apartment like laundry soap and a towel. I talked to her husband and Nicholas for a while and we drank fresh apple juice. Shortly after, Manue and I went to my apartment neighbor’s birthday party, and then I went to sleep in my huge empty internetless apartment. Sleeping by yourself in your first apartment is scary. Looking forward to Alba moving in tomorrow!