A town called Guingamp (ooh yeah)

Salut,

Firstly, brownie points for those who get the title reference. Secondly, and probably more importantly, I have finally found out exactly where I'm going to be living from September.

For the last few weeks, I've been getting a little bit envious of all my uni friends who have been celebrating through the medium of Facebook statuses about where they'll be heading for their year abroad. After somehow managing to get over this minor envy, I entered the realm of panic! (True to my over-anxious personality). What if my letter got lost in the post? What if no schools wanted me? What if I was never accepted in the first place? And so on...

Well, after weeks of worry, I was finally welcomed home from work with a brown A4 envelope lying face-down on my doormat. With all the excitement, I could not read a word. I flicked from page to page, not taking anything in. Eventually I got over the excitement, took a few deep breaths, and started from the top. 

As it turns out, I will be an assistant at two lycées in the town of Guingamp...

Nope, I hadn't heard of it either. And to be honest, my initial feeling was one of disappointment. What an anticlimax?! Everyone seemed so happy with their placements, and I'm stuck with a tiny town in the very north of Brittany. Well, after a good think, I decided that I was being completely irrational (what's new?) and that this little town will definitely be a blessing in disguise. 

It's true that in larger towns there will be more to do, but where better to learn the language than a place where practically no one will speak English? If anyone needs to improve their French, it's me, so I've been sent to the perfect place. Also, I heard from a friend, who'd driven through, that it was very pretty, and that the people there were so friendly. Win win. 

To top off the whole change of attitude, today I received an email from my responsable, who seems so lovely. And for once, I'm the first person to hear something!! I promptly replied asking a couple of questions, and thanking her for her help so far. There was also a suggestion that my lodgings may be free with the lycée which improved my attitude further still. 

So all in the space of a couple of days, I've gone from crying and disappointment, to excitement. I'm so lucky to have this opportunity, and the sacrifices that come with going on my year aboad mean that I should definitely be making the most of the next year, and even in bleak situations, finding the positives. (Although, I'm already getting anxious about how homesick I'll be!)

I'll leave this here. 

A bientôt.

xx