My Ten Favorite Days in France

10. Being done with work (April)

This was a day I felt really relieved. Although this job gave me the opportunity to play in France for a year, teaching English to high schoolers is not my thing. I did my job, and I am content to strike out in another direction.

9. Partying in Vitré (February)

This was the first time I went out in France since my arrival in September, if you can believe it, and it was in little Vitré! Between the people, the food, the beer, and the dancing, I had an AWESOME time. These are the people I will miss when I leave France: Caitlin, Katherine, Amanda, and David.

8. Shopping all over Rennes with Katherine (April)

I had to throw this in because it was the most fun I’ve ever had in one afternoon. Picture this: sunshine, caramel mini-muffins, lattes at Haricot Rouge, shopping, impulse shoe buying, conversation! How could it get any better than that?!

7. Christmas with the Levillains (December)

Though I missed my traditional family Christmas, I was so happy to be with Pierre-Antoine and his family. They were so sweet feeding me and even giving me lovely gifts! PA even bought me a vest so I could pretend to be super-French! Hooray! I also think I gained 10 lbs in three days!

6. Valentine’s lesson in my classes (February)

This was my favorite lesson all year, when I asked kids for the advantages and disadvantages of being single or in a relationship. Refer to the post here if you need a refresher: http://laureninrennes.blogspot.com/2011/02/valentines-week.html

5. St. Malo photo shoot (December)

This is when Katherine and I solidified our friendship by roaming around rainy St. Malo by the sea—taking pictures, shopping, enjoying the Christmas market, and just café hopping to warm up every few hours. We have very compatible tourist agendas—probably because we’re both café-loving introverts!

4. Disneyland Paris with PA (January)

I love Disney, and I love Pierre-Antoine—PERFECT COMBO! Despite losing my phone on Space Mountain, I loved eating Mickey brioches, riding my favorite rides, and breaking in to Adventureland^^

3. Winter break in Prague/Brussels/Bruges (February/March)

You’ll have to read about all the awesomeness in the original posts, but I got to spend two weeks exploring with some of my favorite people in the world! And I got to drink tons of Starbucks and the best chai tea lattes in Europe :)

2. PA and Clementine’s birthday weekend (March)

I loved getting PA silly birthday gifts and hanging out with him, of course, but the other magical moment was when Martin sat in my lap at the table for about half an hour! I felt so accepted! This was also the day that PA hit the buzzer-beating, game winning shot at his basketball game! What a gift to himself!

1. Fougeres picnic (March)

At number one is the day I felt most content to be in France this year—picnicking in the sun next to the Fougeres castle walls. Good people, good food, good music, and a good photo shoot are all I need to make me happy. Before the sunburn set in, I was so happy to just chill there.

So there you have it! Apparently if you mix humans, food, and a little adventure, I'm happy :) Ten magical moments, and I still have a little over two months of fun to go! Friends and family, get ready!

Graduation Goggles

How apt that this week's How I Met Your Mother was about "graduation goggles," describing how we become nostalgic about things when we are about to leave them forever. Now, France has not been a cakewalk for me this year, and I really want to go home, but maybe some of the tough times are already getting blurred by the beginning of final goodbyes... And lately, I have been often surrounded by assistants wanting a few last hurrahs before we all scatter, so the champagne cocktails and snacks and dance music all around us is a nice cushion from the dull realities of these seven months of an assistant's life.

So on Tuesday, Katherine and Caitlin came into Rennes for one last dinner out at Casa Pépé, just the three of us. It was DELICIOUS as usual! We also watched a movie and just chatted, as classic slumber parties require. Then today, Amanda and David came over from Fougères for lunch. Sadly, it was too chilly for picnicking, but we ate yummy burgers at Snack My Dwitch Up and hung out, with a late afternoon stop at Le Haricot Rouge for their spring chocolate flavors menu! Mmm, coconut! Hooray for other humans!

But now, again, my apartment is empty and the sky is grey (as it is 90% of the time here...), and the graduation goggles are thrown aside yet again. *sigh*

Luckily, I have a cocktail party on Saturday and an assistants' dinner next Tuesday. But by next Friday, pretty much everyone will have left. The family then shows up May 4th! Ack!

Weekend in Fougères!

Peek-a-boo from Fougères castle!

In the spirit of doing as much as I can at the end of my time here, I hopped a bus to Fougères with Katherine on Friday evening. About 90 minutes later, we were there, the home of the biggest medieval castle in Europe and of the American assistants Amanda and David. Caitlin had already arrived, so we all walked to their apartment through the hilly streets.

Basically, this weekend we did a lot of eating, dancing, and wandering. Friday night we drank wine, ate a platter of cheese and falafal, and went bowling until 3am. Saturday we spent mostly outside--buying food at the market, picnicking at the foot of the castle, napping in the grass with Pride radio on, walking around the castle, sitting at a cafe, napping in the apartment, watching youtube videos together, and eating mussels and fries and ice cream while finishing a mini-keg. Dancing was interspersed throughout the days. Sadly, I did get a touch of sunburn, so I was sore on Sunday morning. We ate a breakfast of coffee, eggs and sausage à la américain and chilled until taking an afternoon bus home. It was low-key but very satisfying--good company, gorgeous weather, and great fun! I was so content in that park on Saturday!

Caitlin, Katherine and me--my France clique

Fougères' castle!

More photos in my Rennes Spring album (link on right).