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Sunday, August 19, 2012

Status Update

I only have a week left before I leave! Eek! I have all the documents that I need to leave: my passport with my visa inside, a form to turn in once in France for my residency, an International Driving Permit, and a plane ticket! (But I still need to get my plane tickets for Christmas!) I was really worried that I wouldn't have my passport and contract in enough time to get my visa, but my passport came three days before my appointment and my contract came the day before my appointment, so it worked out perfectly! And my visa arrived much sooner than I thought it would, as it only took about a week and a half to arrive!

This week, I have to go buy a few clothing items that I need and pack my suitcases to figure out exactly how much I can fit. Since I'll be living there and will need a lot of stuff, I'm planning on paying the $60 to have a second checked bag, so I'll have two checked bags, one carry-on small suitcase, and a shoulder bag. I hope I can fit everything I need, because shipping costs way too much to even consider!

This will be me:


There will be a girl from California (Claire) who will also be an au pair in Gex, and her French family is friends with mine! My French family is waiting on hers to let me know her contact information, because we will be on the same flight from London to Geneva and I would like to know how to spot her:) It will be such a relief simply knowing that I'm not the only "lost" American in my tiny town!

For my first week there, I already have a driving lesson scheduled on Tuesday afternoon to practice driving the stick-shift that I'll have. On Tuesday and Wednesday, their temporary nanny will be teaching me about the kids' schedule, etc, and then I'll have the kids to look after all on my own on Thursday and Friday! *cue nervous hyperventilating* They start school on September 4th; however, I don't know if Oscar will be starting right away and/or how many days a week he will be going since he doesn't turn three until October.

Also during the first few weeks, I'll have to go to the school I'll be attending to take a placement test (and the day towards the end of September that I start will be determined by which class I'm placed in). There is an au pair club (LINK) that meets in Nyon, Switzerland starting on September 13th (they meet every other Thursday and have a Christian worship every Monday), and I will drive there sometime beforehand to make sure I don't get lost.

Things I'm nervous about:

  • Making a good first impression.
  • Picking up on conversational French relatively quickly (whatever that means).
  • Communicating with two kids that don't speak any English.
  • Driving a stick-shift in an unfamiliar area.
  • Getting lost and not being able to find my way since I'll probably get so flustered that I'll forget my French! Haha!
  • Knowing how to say something but being too nervous to get it out.
  • Tex-Mex withdrawal. :):):)
  • Homesickness (including missing family and friends).
  • My kitty forgetting me since I'll be gone for so long.
My baby Kira, AKA Kiki

I'll need your prayers!

I'll let you know next Sunday how my packing turned out and how much I'm freaking out! :)


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