So, here I am – once again in the same state of mind I was in 2 years ago when I was getting ready to go home after my semesters abroad. I feel like I just got settled in and can handle staying longer, but I have no choice but to leave.
In all honesty, I am afraid to go back home. Nothing is guaranteed. I have no idea if I have been accepted into grad school. If I don’t get in, then I plan on just looking for job and make some money while I work on applying to other programs. Also, when I say I am going home, I actually mean home home. I will be living with my parents again. I love my parents, don’t get me wrong, but I will have to put up with curfews, demands, and explanations. Plus, not to mention the pressure – What did you do while you were there? Didn’t you make a ton of money? – Not that these will be the questions they will ask, but will probably be asked in a different way.
I also know that everyone at home has continued to live his or her lives. I am always afraid of going home to things being completely different. But I guess that is life – nothing remains constant. I have to accept the fact that just like I did, people have also moved on in their lives and have done so without me being around. But, I guess this just helps with the whole, ‘find out who your true friends’ are. I’m sure I have nothing to worry about since I have great friends, but I still worry.
Anyways, my contract will end April 30th. I still cannot even believe that the 7 months I was given to work is over. The first few weeks made me think that I would be here forever. But, everything slowly started to pick up the pace. Before I knew it, it was Christmas, New Year’s and then, Easter.
Overall, this job has been a great experience. First of all, it was nothing like I expected it to be. I had no idea that this “job” would be the longest, paid vacation of my life. Never in my life will I find a job like this. So, I can’t complain. I was supposed to work 12 hours a week, but since the break in December, I had one hour taken away – and never replaced. At first, I worried that I would get into trouble with the administration for not working – but, I realized that the administration doesn’t even know when and how often I am supposed to work. I met the principal of the school once – on my first day when I was presented to him and had to sign my contract.
Also, I consider myself to be hardworking – so whenever I missed an hour or a teacher would cancel my hour, I would ask if they wanted me to make it up by doing some extra work or rescheduling but, none of the teachers cared. So, why insist?
I was lucky to have been placed at this school. Granted, the students are not the best (I once went into the teachers’ lounge and found several teachers trying to cheer up a history teacher who had just been insulted by a student) and I can say that this school would be considered a ghetto school in the States (in comparison to the other high school in Villefranche and the school I worked at for a week in Lyon). But, the English staff are really nice – Since day one, they have always been made sure that everything is going well for me. For example, Denise, an English teacher who has worked at this school for years (one of old students is actually a teacher now at the school too), took me to a furniture store to buy some things that I needed for my apartment. She even lent me some money while I waited for my first paycheck. Gilles, the only other male English speaker, took me on a wine tasting tour around the Beaujolais area. Maryse, who I can say is like a buddy, is always making me laugh and warning me about the teaching profession. She was also nice enough to pay for my dinner when we went out with the other English teachers and even gave me a gift card for the FNAC at Christmas. Estelle, who has got to the be sweetest person I have ever met, never gave me any trouble the times that I would ask her if it was ok that I didn’t show up for class – I work with her on Thursday afternoons and that is usually when I would leave on trips since it was the cheapest time to do so – but like I said, she didn’t care and would even let me know well in advance when I would not be needed in class.
I could have extended an additional month, but I will be traveling with Emily for a month – during the month of May. We are going to Zagreb, Croatia for a few days, heading to Italy, Southern Italy to be exact, and then going around the good ol’ Hexagon a.k.a. France. She recently came to visit for Easter and I think she enjoyed her time in France – it was her first time. I was able to show her everything in Lyon, got to visit my little town of Villefranche, checked out Annecy together, and spent an afternoon in Geneva, Switzerland. She hasn’t been to Paris, so we will be doing Paris, Bordeaux, Carcassonne and Nice, before heading back to Milan and flying home.
That month of constant moving will be a real test. I have never done anything like it for that long, so we’ll see how much my traveling expertise takes me. I know that it will definitely be a learning experience too.
