Mon voyage à Guingamp

Day 1

I split my journey into 2 bits. For the first leg of my journey, I travelled down to London with Lewis. It was really emotional but I was so lucky to have the support of someone, when I was feeling so apprehensive about the next few days (months) ahead. Lewis gave me a hand with my bags, which made me so nervous about the next day when I'd have to do it alone, and whenever I thought of that I'd get emotional knowing that I wouldn't see Lewis for at least 4 weeks.

I was rushing around so much that I managed to get to London with just a few tears. But it was hard!

Once we got to London we found our hotel, which was right opposite St Pancras Station and dropped off my luggage. We had a lovely meal, and then came the tears. I felt like I was on a mini break, and I didn't want it to end. I knew how difficult the following day would be, saying goodbye, carrying what felt like 70+ kilos of luggage across Northern France and being in a completely new environment that I'm expected to call home for the next 7 months.

After trying to calm myself down, and watching Bake Off, it was time for sleep. HA. I got no sleep, at all. I couldn't switch off, I worried so much, and I wanted to catch the first train home.

Day 2
Morning came, and soon enough we were stood by the Check In at St Pancras. All morning I'd had a steady flow of tears, but I was only nanoseconds away from sobbing my heart out. How was I supposed to walk through the gate when my fiancé was the other side, waving me off, and then going home.

I know I sound so ungrateful about having the opportunity of a lifetime, but I'm a home bird and suffer with homesickness and anxiety like you wouldn't believe. I managed a smile when the man on the luggage security desk was really nice and told me not to worry because it wasn't forever. 

I managed the Eurostar fine, besides the miserable woman sat next to me, who did a lot of grumbling when I asked to squeeze past to pop to the loo. However, when we pulled into Paris Gare du Nord I was frozen. I was so scared I wanted to stay sat in my seat and wait for the journey back home. I felt sick and generally rubbish. All these feelings plus the stress of having to carry my luggage across Paris made for a really positive start to my Year Abroad!

I managed to jump the queue for a metro ticket because I was the only one with change, and I hopped onto (clambered with stupidly big/ heavy bags) onto Metro line 4 to Gare Montparnasse. There I have about an hours wait until the next train, so I managed a few bites of my sandwich before I felt sick again. 

By the time it got to boarding the final train, I was an emotional wreck again. I'd managed this far, with tears, but this was the train taking me far away from home to a new place that quite honestly I didn't want to be going. Anyhow, I boarded, with much ado with the luggage situation. A grumpy old(ish) man was very dismayed at the 2 minute wait I had caused him by trying to put my luggage into the luggage rack. It goes without saying that he offered no help, but instead sighed loudly at my struggle. 

After that I found my seat and had a good cry (again). It all got too much and I even resorted to locking myself in the train toilet to have a cry in peace.

After what seemed like hours (because it was!) The train pulled into Guingamp Station. I made my way around to the gate which is where I met Jacqueline. 

Here is the end of the hardest, most emotional day of my life...

My Last Night At Home

Bags packed, bags unpacked, clothes vacuum packed, clothes rolled, clothes folded, bags repacked, necessities checked, changed etc, etc.

The week before my departure consisted of mainly this. I would hazard a guess at how many times I packed my bags, but I lost count at about 14! Fitting everything in wasn't the problem. The problem was that I couldn't lift my bags up. I started off with one big suitcase, but soon enough this became 1 suitcase and 1 HUGE backpack. and I still couldn't life them.

In between packing, I managed to meet a few people to say my goodbyes, but all in all I was so stressed. When I was out of the house I felt like I should be at home, sorting out things, and spending time with Lewis and the bunnies, but when I was in the house all I could think about was going here or there to sort out all the last minute bits!

I got myself so worked up at one point that I actually threw up! I just didn't want to leave home. Then sometimes I felt completely in denial, and like I wasn't actually moving to France for the next year of my life. 

I found leaving home very difficult. Lots of people skim over this bit in their Year Abroad blogs, but for me this is really the first, and maybe the biggest hurdle. Hopefully things get easier from here?!

A List of Lists...

Salut!

This is most definitely a post for those list lovers out there, who stress to the point that a list no longer suffices, and in its place there is a list of lists. What is this? I hear you ask. Well a list of lists is a way of telling whether you have completely lost the plot in a pre year abroad panic, trying to check off various "To Do's" whilst remembering what you haven't done or should be doing. It's fair to say that without said lists, I have no idea where I am. Hearing people reel off the million things I need to do flies straight over my head, but only induces more panic when I have no idea if I've done the things they have mentioned or not.

To start with, Facebook pages seem to pop up all over the place once you start to find out details of where you may be staying on your Year Abroad. These are a great way of meeting new people (potential Year Abroad Friends), asking questions, and departing information you may have stumbled upon. However, there is a darker side to these sites...

Ok, not that dark. Just highly frustrating at times. Scaremongering (but it's not even deliberate). Take, for example, my "has anyone found a good, reasonably priced translator for their birth certificate?" question. All I wanted in response was a "yes, here's their email". But no. Suddenly people were introducing all sorts of issues. It's only valid for a certain length of time, but what if this, and what if that... blah blah blah. I'm stressed enough as it is people. I don't need to worry about your problems too!

Ok, back to topic. Lists. You can't check off things that need to be done if you have no idea what these things are. I've found that making lists under various subheadings is helping me know that I am heading somewhere, even if it is at snail pace.

1. Documentation (about you). 

• Passport
• EHIC
• Birth Certificate
• Translation of birth certificate*
• Medical form (this gets sent to you through British Council)
• Student ID
• Insurance Policy

*For my translation of my birth certificate I made a list (crazy I know!) of all the different translators in my area, added to that list were recommendations from Facebook. I sent each one the same email, asking whether they accepted a scanned copy of my birth certificate, as I don't fancy posting out mine to a random French person, and how much they charge for the service. After receiving replies, I picked the cheapest. I don't think you can go too far wrong with Name, D.O.B. etc. Prices ranged from 30 to 48 euros.

2.Documents for your placement

• Anything received via post, contract, contacts etc.
• British council emails confirming your post.

3.Contacts

• University contacts
• Placement contacts (responsable, school addresses)
• Family
• Friends
• Insurer
• UK bank (you never know)
• British council

4. Travel docs

• Tickets for train, plane, but etc
• Discount cards ( railcard)
• Make notes of luggage restrictions
• Different possible routes or modes of transport
• Times and itinerary of journeys

5. Luggage

• What do you need to pack for the immediate future?
• Can you use services such as Send My Bag to ship over your winter woolies?
• Medication - prescriptions and even simple things like ibuprofen. 
• Toiletries- do you need a certain shampoo or shower gel that you can't buy abroad?
• Same for make up- maybe take what you need rather than buying it there.

6. University Stuff

It's a good idea to make sure you know what you need to be doing in terms of Uni work while you're abroad. You may get so caught up in your new life that you forget about a deadline which means failed work. Maybe set out a calendar of due dates for work so you know when things need to be done by.

This leads me on to my final point. Calendars. It's a visual way of planning your time. Make notes of paydays, Student Loan days, holidays, homework deadlines etc etc. This way you can plan ahead with time. Undoubtedly there will be classmates you want to visit during your time abroad, and people will want to visit you. If all your plans are written down in one place, you'll be able to make the most of your time, and hopefully learn more while you are abroad.

Obviously this is not an exhausted list, and people doing different placements, or studying abroad will leave out, and include different things. Please let me know if there's anything I've forgotten! I'm sure over the coming weeks I'll remember other bits and bobs that I need to sort out, but for now this will do!

Bonsoir

xx

Pre Year Abroad Homesickness

Salut!

I've been told countless times that the Year Abroad is all about adjusting.
Adjusting to new food, adjusting to a different culture, different traditions, fashions, language, blah blah blah! This part of my Year Abroad is exciting to me. I want to learn about French life, start eating a whole load of cheese AFTER I've already had a delicious meal, get used to (and even embrace) shops not being open for 2 hours over dinner time, know which wine goes with what and when and why, and mostly, wear a scarf everyday and it be acceptable. I've read blog posts about reverse culture shock, where you can't get used to your own culture after your year abroad; I want that to be me. If I could, I would become French. 

BUT I can't get used to the idea of leaving behind everything I know. I'd love to say that I'm adventurous, and have got no problem with leaving my home, fiancé, family, friends and  rabbits, and that a year isn't a long time, but this isn't true. The very thought of any of this triggers my anxiety to the point that I have to concentrate so hard on taking a full, deep breath, that I can't think about it any more. The truth is, I'm a home bird, and it took me preparing to move abroad to realise this. 

Things would be so much easier if I could move to France with a suitcase full of everyone and everything I love. Like I said before, I'm so excited to learn about and enjoy the culture, but I'd be more excited if I know I could wake up next to my other half every morning, and pop to my parents' houses if I felt like it, or at the very least, know that all the shops are stocked up with Dairy Milk for days that I'm feeling miserable and missing home. 

No. The next year of my like will be lacking in Dairy Milk, gravy, tea (I don't even drink tea, but if I did...), chocolate digestive biscuits (see tea), affordable make up, red lippy (apparently this is a no no en France) and anything else that I can't think of right now. I know this is appears to be a pathetic shopping list of things that I can't have, but seriously, the thought of living without everyone I care about for 8 months is really hard for me to deal with. I'm sure I can't be the only person who feels like this, can I?

I've even put off looking for flights because that makes everything too definite. Don't get me wrong, I know how lucky I am, and 90% of the time I am beyond excited about the year ahead of me, but to quote Ronan, "life is a roller coaster". This Year Abroad is as much about me developing as a person as it is about me learning French, and all I can try to do is think positively and make the most of this 'once in a lifetime' adventure.

Okie doke. I think this post is miserable enough for me to leave it here. 
Thank you for reading!

A bientôt!

x

p.s. I really am excited about my year in Guingamp

p.p.s. I don't usually quote Ronan Keating and this quote will NOT be my year abroad tagline

p.p.s. I really will miss my family, friends, rabbits and of course Lewis so so much.

Routes Into Languages | Adopt A Class

Salut!

As many of you fellow 'year-abroaders' may be aware, the run up to your year abroad is a time of constantly checking emails, running for the post in the morning, and the like. A few weeks ago I received an email from uni about a scheme called Adopt A Class with is run by the organisation Routes into Languages.

I did a quick google search about the scheme which has been running in Wales for a few years now, and decided I'd like to be a part of it. The scheme involves students who are about to venture on their year abroad 'adopting' a class. During their time away, the student stays in touch with the class via emails, Skype, postcards and letters. The correspondence can include topics relating to the curriculum such as travel, places in the town and food and drink, or can simply be a humorous anecdote about something that happened in the week. The aim of the scheme is to encourage the ever falling number of students taking MFLs at lower levers (GCSE) to increase. This is something I am particularly interested in, with wanting to be a language teacher myself, and taking part in the scheme will provide some insight to the potential reasons why children aren't taking MFLs and how this can improve.

After agreeing to take part in the scheme, I attended a training day at Manchester Metropolitan University, where I was told that I was a part of the pilot scheme in the North West. I was assigned my school, and with quite limited information, I had to contact the school and make a presentation.

I managed to arrange a date that suited both the school and myself, and after a very early morning, three trains, a replacement bus and a half hour walk, I finally met my class. In all honesty I wasn't sure what to expect. I managed to sit down with the class teacher and discuss what we both thought would benefit the class, our ideas and thoughts about the scheme and so far, so good. Our ideas very much complemented each other's, and I'm really hopeful that the scheme will be a success.

My class are a mixture of Year 8s who have never done French before, and Year 9s who are about to start their GCSE years. Fingers crossed I can bring a bit of French life and culture into the classroom through my postcards and letters. I know when I was in school, I'd have loved the opportunity to speak to someone who was doing what I wanted to do. 

I shall leave it there for now, and keep you updated on whats happening with my adopted class.

Until next time,

Jess

x

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

La Vie En Rennes?

Salut!

Well, long time no speak! I did plan on putting together a few weeks ago which looked a little bit like this...

"After waiting for what seems like FOREVER (6 months-ish), I have finally heard back from the British Council about my placement in France as a language assistant, and guess what... I've been accepted!!"

and now I shall bring you up to date...

As you'll know if you've read my previous posts, as of September I will become a Language Assistant in France through the British Council. I applied around October time, and finally heard back 11th April that I had been accepted. From this email I was told that I'd have to wait until mid-May to find out if I had been accepted by the French authorities, and if so, which académie I have been placed in.

However, this long, drawn out process only took a few weeks, and about an hour ago I received an email stating that I HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED and I will be in RENNES!!! Woohooo, got my first choice....

So after dancing about around the house, I took to the laptop to search for everything and anything Rennes-related! I have found flights, trains, ferries and any other possible mode of transport to get me there. Then of course, google images. 

Doesn't that just look beautiful? But here's the snag, my academie is Rennes, which does not mean I am going to the actual city. I could be placed anywhere in this region...

There are lots of places that could potentially be my home next year. On the plus side, I have had two of my first choices so far, the academie, and the age group that I'm teaching (secondary), so maybe I'll end up in a large town too. But as one of my emails from the British Council said, 90% opted for large town or city. 

This is where my doubt comes in. All I ever wanted was to be placed somewhere pretty, where I'll have optimum opportunity to improve my French. Unfortunately there was no option for this on the application form. And just as I had taken to Facebook with my celebratory/excited status about where I will be living come September, so have all my friends. Now it seems that they are all going to beautiful places, Reims, Nantes, Avignon, Nice, etc. and all I can think is, 'What if I would like it there more? What if I don't end up in a nice place in my academie?" Obviously this is silly and wherever I go I will grow to love, that's if I don't fall in love with it instantly!

This is my year abroad story so far! For the next few months I'll be trying to find out all I can and I'm going to start getting all of the documents that I need into some sort of order. I'll keep you posted.

Bye for now 

xx