aupairadventures

[aupairadventures]

Making Magical Memories in Copenhagen, Denmark:

Our story begins several months ago, on a rainy February day. What the weather was actually like that day is debatable, but in my memory, the sky was gray and rain was pouring dramatically from the sky, perfectly matching my emotions. That was the last day that I would see my friend Karoline, an au pair from Denmark, before she left Nantes and returned home to finish her studies. That day, I was thinking about all the wonderful moments that we had shared together since we met last September and replaying them in my head. Whether we were strolling through antique markets, baking macarons at 2 am in my host family’s kitchen, dancing or laughing uncontrollably, knitting and watching “Skam” together, or driving in my car and singing along to Christine and the Queens, we never failed to create beautiful memories together.

While I felt so happy and excited for Karoline that she would be returning home, I still couldn’t shake a feeling of sadness. As we stood next to the tram tracks in Commerce and hugged goodbye, part of me worried that this might be the last time that I ever see her. Little did I know what the Universe had in store…

Fast forward a month later to March 12, my 19th birthday. After spending an incredibly lovely day in Nantes celebrating with my friends, my host family surprised me with dinner at a delicious restaurant in Vertou. Halfway through dinner, my host dads handed me a little green envelope labeled “Indice Numero 1” (“Hint Number 1”). They explained that there would be a different picture inside each envelope, and every picture was a hint. Based on the hints, I would have to guess what my gift was. (Or else, they warned, if I didn’t guess correctly, there would no gift.) However, as I opened each envelope and looked at each picture, I only grew more and more confused. The first picture was of a cookie cutter in an indistinguishable shape. I stared at it and flipped the paper around, trying to view it from as many angles as possible. After a thorough inspection, I concluded that perhaps the cookie cutter was in the shape of the Virgin Mary. (Why I thought this, I honestly have no clue. It’s just what the shape looked like to me!) This miscalculation led to quite an embarrassing language error. While I was trying to say, “C’est la vierge?” I accidentally said “C’est la verge?” without realizing what it meant or what the difference in pronunciation was. (I’ll let you all Google Translate that one. Hint: It’s not something you want to say loudly in a crowded restaurant.)  

After my host dads’ fits of laughter quieted down after my unfortunate error in pronunciation, I moved on to the next envelopes to discover pictures of a cinnamon roll, a painting of a castle, and a painting of some kind of fancy-looking gate. No matter how hard I racked my brain, I had absolutely no idea what all of these seemingly random things had in common. I had no clue what in the world the answer could possibly be!

Finally, after it became clear that no matter how hard I tried, I  would never guess correctly, my host dads took pity on me and handed me the final envelope. When I opened it and read what was written on the piece of paper tucked inside, I nearly burst into tears of happiness. In total disbelief, I clasped my hands over my mouth, totally overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of my host family.

On the paper was written:  “Pack your bags, Shanti! You’re going to Copenhagen to see Karoline!”

The words “excited”,  “happy”, and “grateful” don’t even begin to describe the emotions that I was feeling that night. I felt absolutely overjoyed that I was going to see Karoline again soon and that I would have the incredible opportunity to travel and explore a new place with her. I also felt completely overwhelmed by the love and kindness that I had received that day from all of my loved ones. My heart was glowing brighter than every star in the sky and I felt like the luckiest girl in the world to have been blessed with so many incredible people in my life. I felt so grateful towards my host family for everything that they have done for me, starting with them choosing me to embark on this adventure with and allowing me to become a part of their family. I was so thankful for their beautiful gift, which means more to me than they’ll ever know.

After I came back to reality, my host dads explained to me how all of this had come about. They explained that before Karoline had left Nantes, they had found her contact information by scrolling through my list of friends on Facebook. They then reached out to her to organize a time where I could fly to Copenhagen to see her.  The three of them were in cahoots and forming an elaborate, top-secret plan, the whole time! When I hugged Karoline goodbye in February while saying, “But what if I never see you again?!” and she told me not to worry, she had good reason to say so. When I told my host dads that I was feeling down because it had been Karoline’s last day in Nantes and they said, “Ne t’inquiete pas, ça va aller,” they also knew exactly what they were talking about. Looking back, they all did a remarkably good job of keeping everything secret; I suspected nothing!

I think that I said “Merci beaucoup” to my host dads about a thousand times that night, and hugged them both at least a hundred times. I couldn’t shut up about how happy I was, even though no words exist in neither French nor English to sufficiently express the extremity of my happiness or gratitude.

After weeks of excited anticipation, the moment for my reunion with Karoline finally came on Tuesday, May 7th. When she came to pick me up at the airport, seeing her face in person, rather than on my phone screen, made me so incredibly happy. I couldn’t wait for the three days that lay ahead of us and all the memories that we were about to make.

From the airport, we took a short metro ride into the city center, during which we talked excitedly, thrilled to be reunited. Our first destination was the former meat-packing district of Copenhagen, which is now filled with tons of cool restaurants. Here, you can find almost any kind of cuisine imaginable. For lunch, Karoline brought me to one of her favorites: a Mexican restaurant called Hija de Sanchez for some deliciously spicy tacos. 

Although it rained while we were eating and just after we left the restaurant, a beautiful burst of golden sunlight began to shine through the parting clouds as we made our way into the city center. I immediately fell in love with Copenhagen: Whether I was looking around the little streets filled with funky, colorful boutiques and cool cafes, or the grandiose buildings and impressively beautiful palaces and royal residences, I loved everything that I saw. One of my favorite parts of the city was Nyhavn, the port in the center of the city that’s lined with vibrantly colored buildings. I especially loved the way the sunlight and the colors of the nearby buildings reflected on the water, making it look like a swirl of watercolor paints. 

After relaxing in a cafe housed in one of these colorful buildings, we set off to find the statue of the Little Mermaid. (As it turns out, that picture of the cookie cutter was actually in the shape of a mermaid! How I confused a mermaid for the Virgin Mary, I have no idea.) Along the way, we found some Lime scooters and hopped on them, in hopes of making the journey a bit quicker and easier. While we definitely had a lot of fun racing through the streets, my experience on the scooter has made me realize a few things: One, I have a fear of speed. Two, I have terrible balance. And three, are we sure that these things aren’t dangerous at all? When we reached the Little Mermaid statue, I fell in love with the view of the sea and the way that the sunshine sparkled on the bright blue water.

For dinner, Karoline took me to one of her favorite restaurants in Copenhagen, called Mahalle Lebanese kitchen. After having the most incredible meal, I decided that this is officially one of my favorite restaurants in the world. Out of all the delicious things that we tried, our favorite dish was the flatbread “pizza” topped with hummus, olive oil, halloumi cheese, avocado, pomegranate seeds, and spices. For anyone traveling to Copenhagen, this restaurant is a must-try! We had a lovely time at dinner, using the moment of relaxation to talk, laugh, tell stories, and catch up on everything that’s been going on since we’ve last seen each other. 

After dinner, we took the metro to Karoline’s parent’s house, where we would be staying. We entertained ourselves during the long metro ride by me trying (and miserably failing) to correctly pronounce the names of each metro stop in Danish. When we finally arrived at our stop,  I got to meet Karoline’s mother and brother, both of whom were so incredibly sweet and absolutely wonderful hosts!

On Wednesday morning, we started off the day perfectly by going to a nearby traditional Danish bakery to pick up some pastries and bread. When we got back to the house, Karoline put together a delicious breakfast of tea, bread with cheese and blueberry jam, orange juice, and cinnamon buns. After we finished eating, we set off for another day full of adventures. First, we visited the Kronborg castle in a town called Helsingør, which is actually the castle that inspired William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. One of my favorite things about the castle was that it stood right on the edge of the sea and that across the water, you could see the coast of Sweden. After we finished exploring the castle grounds, we strolled around the adorable streets of Helsingør, which were lined with lots of cute shops and old half-timbered houses. Next, we took the ferry and popped over to Sweden. Yep, Denmark and Sweden are so close to each other that getting from Helsingør, Denmark to Helsingborg Sweden only takes 20 minutes by ferry! We spent several hours in Helsingborg, where we got lunch at a great restaurant called Cafe Mezo and then walked around in a lovely flower garden. So, even though it was just for a bite to eat, now I can add Sweden to the list of countries I’ve visited! 

After we returned to Denmark, we visited the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in a town called Humlebæk, which was a really cool and interesting experience. The museum and its grounds, which stood at the edge of the sea, were absolutely beautiful. There were tons of intriguing expositions, interactive installations, and impressively creative artwork everywhere I looked. One of my favorite expositions was one of Yayoi Kusama’s infinity rooms, called “Gleaming Light of Souls.” The dark room was lined with mirrors that reflected the many colorful, glowing orbs that hung from the ceiling, making for a surreal, disorienting, and beautiful sight. I absolutely adore Kusama’s work, because I love the way that she creates these fascinating worlds where the viewer can fully immerse themselves in her artwork. I absolutely loved this museum and highly recommend it for anyone interested in art.

Shortly after we returned home, we ventured back to Copenhagen to go out to dinner with Caroline's mother and brother. Karoline found a great organic restaurant called BOB Biomio Bistro in the meatpacking district. This restaurant is perfect for vegans and vegetarians, as it offers many delicious meat-free or animal product-free options. I don’t even remember exactly what I had or what it was called, but I do know that it was absolutely delicious and that I would highly recommend it! This restaurant is perfect for any vegan or vegetarian travelers looking for healthy options.  As we ate dinner together, I really enjoyed spending time with Karoline and her family and felt so grateful to the three of them for welcoming me so kindly into their home and making my experience in Denmark so magical.

On Thursday, my last day in Denmark, I woke up feeling sad to know that I only had a few hours left with Karoline. But, at the same time, my heart felt full and happy as I thought about how wonderful this trip had been and all the new memories that we had made together. After another delicious breakfast, we drove into Copenhagen, listening to our favorite Christine and the Queens songs the whole way. We started off our last morning in Copenhagen by grabbing some hot chocolate (and another cinnamon bun, of course!) at a cute cafe called the Coffee Collective Cafe. Next, we braved the rain and walked around the Nørrebro neighborhood, which is known to be loved by hipsters, artists, and students. Also located in the Nørrebro area was the Assistens Cemetery, which is the burial place of many famous Danes, such as fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen and philosopher Søren Kierkegaard. As the rain came down, we strolled through the surprisingly beautiful and peaceful cemetery. I’ve realized that while this is not true of many other cities, Copenhagen is a city that works in any weather, even in the rain. The dark gray skies make the bright orange and red brick buildings stand out, making this city look even more gorgeous in less than ideal weather. So, if the weather forecast for your trip to Copenhagen looks bleak, fear not! You’re sure to fall in love with this place, rain or shine. 

Our last destination before we headed to the airport was the French Bookstore and Cafe, or Den Franske Bogcafe in Danish. This shop was absolutely adorable and was the perfect place to seek shelter from the rain and find some gifts for my host family at the same time.

Saying goodbye to Karoline at the airport was difficult, as I know that it will most likely be quite a while before I see her again. However, I was so happy and grateful that have been given such a beautiful gift that allowed me to see her again, spend time together, and make so many new memories with her in such a magical place.

Karoline, thank you so much for everything! Thank you for being the most incredible friend, Danish language teacher, and tour guide. I can’t wait for you to visit the US with me one day and to show you all of my favorite places! 

[aupairadventures]

The Nelsons Take Nantes (And Paris, too!)

Last month, my Mom, Aunt, and sister came to visit me here in France. Without a doubt, this experience was one of the top highlights of my year abroad. For months, I had been looking forward to this moment. In fact, from the second I landed in France last August, I couldn’t wait for my family to come to visit. I knew that they would fall in love with this beautiful country just as much as I have. The way that I feel about France is no secret, and couldn’t wait for my family to understand exactly why I feel this way. My mom and I talk frequently over the phone, and there’s always so much to share with each other and catch up on. During our chats (which are so very dear to me,)  I’ve described many different things to her; I’ve told her about the peaceful river in Vertou, about the majestic castle in Nantes, or the colors in last night’s sunset. I’ve told her about my host family, about my friends, about funny stories and embarrassing moments. During our phone calls, we’ve both shared laughter and shed tears, and been there for each other through all our days, both good and bad. After months of describing what my life here looks like, I couldn’t wait for my family to experience it firsthand and turn their obscure imaginations into reality.

I felt so excited that we would all be embarking on a new adventure together and so proud of my family, especially my sister, for doing something that they’d never done before; This was the first time that my Aunt visited Paris and northern France, the first time that my Mom visited Europe, and the first time that Trinity left the United States. I love being able to say that the first time that my Mom and sister ever crossed the Atlantic ocean was to come to visit me.  

To say that their visit was magical would be an understatement. When my family was here, I had one of the most perfect and happiest weeks ever. Every moment that we shared together was so special, and their presence brought a golden, rose-colored light to my world.

On Thursday morning, the day after I returned to Paris from Budapest, I went to Orly Airport to greet them. I was so excited and impatient that I could barely contain myself, and my excitement led me to practically jumping off the shuttle bus like a crazy woman, leading to me getting reprimanded by a French security guard. (Long story!)

I’ll never forget the moment when I went into the airport and found my mom’s face through the whirling airport crowd. I ran towards her at a breakneck pace and tackled her in a hug, feeling happier than ever to finally see her again. I’ll never forget how I laughed at Trinity’s reaction delayed reaction, either. We looked over to see her sipping a cappuccino at the airport Monop’ cafe, saying, “Oh! I didn’t even see you there!” before laughing and wrapping us up in a group hug. 

Our first day in Paris together was nothing short of spectacular.  The three of us explored the city, saw the Eiffel Tower, stood on the Trocadero, ate macarons, and saw Monet’s Water Lilies in l’Orangerie, (fulfilling a lifelong dream of my Aunt’s).  I felt so happy when I looked over at my family and saw the stars in their eyes as they gazed around them with a sense of childlike wonder. I loved experiencing the city through their eyes, with a totally fresh perspective. It reminded me of how I felt when I came to Paris for the first time, and reminded why this magical place is so dear to my heart. Seeing my family being so joyous in a city that I love so much made me happier than anything, and was the best gift ever. 

Thursday night, after going to the Eiffel Tower to watch the sunset and see the tower sparkle after nightfall, we went out to dinner together to celebrate our first night in France. Tucked away on a small, hidden street a few blocks away from the Eiffel Tower, we found the most amazing little Italian restaurant. While the outside might not have looked like much, the people there were so friendly and the food was absolutely to die for. The honey and goat cheese pizza, spinach lasagna, cheesy ravioli, Caprese salads, and tiramisu were so incredible that we came back a second time the following night! 

On Friday morning, we took a long walk around the area, enjoying each other's company and the beautiful blue skies and golden sunshine. Trinity’s dream was to find a Brandy Melville and go shopping there, so we did just that. On our way there, we wandered through a lovely fashion district filled with gorgeous little boutiques and extremely expensive designer stores. To be honest, I have absolutely no idea where we were or what the name of this neighborhood was; all I know is that this area was absolutely beautiful. 

After another delicious lunch, we took the metro to the Louvre, which is one of my favorite places on Earth. As I knew that they would, my family absolutely loved the Louvre and were totally in awe of its beauty and opulence. We spent the whole afternoon there, exploring all of the different collections, gawking at the impressive architecture and artwork, as well being up to no good and laughing a lot, as can be seen in the pictures below: 

That night, we decided to go to the Eiffel Tower to see if it would be possible to go up to the top. We got extremely lucky with the line and only had to wait about 30 or 40 minutes total. I’m so glad that I waited to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower for the first time with my family and that I saved this special moment for them. This memory was one of the highlights of our week together. I was especially proud of my mom, who’s scared to death of heights, but was so brave and conquered her fear. While I’m not particularly scared of heights, I am very afraid of elevators, so my mom and I clung on to each other tightly while my daredevil Aunt and sister felt no fear at all, even daring to try to lean over the edge of the fence, declaring, “Look! There’s a soccer game down there!”

We decided to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower at the perfect time of day, as we got to see Paris in all her beautiful forms. We watched as the bright blue sky was lit up with golden sunlight before fading into shades of pink and purple as the sun began to set, and watched the glowing lights of the city below us come alive as the sky darkened and fell asleep. Seeing Paris from above was one of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen, and made me love this city even more (If that can be humanly possible).  

We started out our last day in Paris by visiting a boulangerie-patisserie and snacking on some chocolate eclairs as we walked to Le Musee d’Orsay. This was my first time visiting this museum, and I absolutely loved it. This museum is actually housed in a former train station built in the last 1800s, making for gorgeously interesting architecture. My favorite part of the museum was the top floor because of the beautiful impressionist paintings and an incredibly photogenic clock tower. 

After spending the morning at the museum, we walked to the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore and Café, (one of my favorite places in Paris,) and gawked at the beauty of the Notre Dame Cathedral, savoring our last moments in Paris before taking the train to Nantes to begin the second part of our French adventure.

Trinity and I managed to turn the usually mundane 2-hour train ride into a fun occasion as we ate pizza together, watched our favorite John Mulaney comedy special on Netflix, and tried as hard as we could to not laugh too loudly.

After a long train ride, walk from the train station to the bus stop, long bus ride, and a short drive back home, we were all so exhausted and so overjoyed to finally arrive at my host family’s house. After all the traveling I had done, I hadn’t been home in almost 2 weeks, so finally coming home felt so lovely. There’s nothing like sleeping in your own bed after being away!

On Sunday, we had an absolutely lovely morning. After sleeping in late, we went to the Vertou farmer’s market together, where we bought lots of fresh veggies, salad greens, raspberries, and some impressive looking lavender goat cheese. After a delicious lunch together at home, we got in the car and headed to Nantes to spend the afternoon showing my family the city that has become my home. I took them to all of my favorite places: Le Jardin des Plantes, la Cathedrale, le Château, my favorite boulangerie, all the little shops in the Bouffay quarter, my favorite thrift store, Place Royale, and le Passage Pommeraye. My mom said that le Jardin des Plantes was her absolute favorite place in the city because all the nature, flora, and greenery reminds her of the Berkshires, where I grew up. (I think that she enjoyed feeding the goats there as well!) It felt so special to finally show my family around the city that has become so dear to my heart, and that I have told them about countless times. Seeing my Mom, Aunt, and sister in all of my favorite places in this city made me feel like my two worlds were colliding and made me realize that now,  in my memories, there would forever be a little piece of Lenox, Massachusetts halfway across the world in Nantes, France.

    At the end of the day, when we arrived back to the house, my host family had just returned home from their weekend trip. As I watched my family and my host family greet each other, introduce themselves, and exchange hugs, I felt a wave of happiness wash over me. Watching my two families, two groups of people that I care so deeply about, come together for the first time was such a beautiful and special moment to witness.

   That night, we all had the first of many amazing aperitifs and dinners together. My host dads (the absolute perfect hosts in every way,) went above and beyond to welcome my family and make them feel at home, for which I am so grateful. They showed my family such kindness and generosity, just as they have done for me since the moment that I met them. That week, every night during dinner, surrounded by lots of smiles and laughter, I could feel my heart glowing as I looked around the table.

   That week, my host kid Mathilde, my family and I, embarked on many other adventures. We returned to Nantes to visit L’Ile des Machines, see the gigantic robotic elephant and ride Nantes’ huge, three-story carousel. On a sunny, blue-skied day, we took a lovely road trip to a little seaside town called Pornic, which is about 45 minutes away from Vertou. We had a little picnic by the ocean, walked around the charming town and visited the little shops along the way. 

During our last day together, we went on another little road trip to Clisson, one of my absolute favorite little villages. I wrote about Clisson last October when I visited it for the first time with my friend Ellie, but I’ll write about what it’s like again, just because I love it there so much! Between the cobblestone streets lined with lovely shops, the creperies and ice cream stands, the picturesque river and stone bridge, the beautiful hiking trails, all the little vine-covered houses with terracotta roofs and brightly colored shutters, and the ruins of a medieval castle, Clisson is one of the most adorable places I’ve ever seen. On that sunny Wednesday, we saw the sculpture covered ground of Garenne Lemot, strolled through the forest, and walked through fields of yellow and purple wildflowers. We ate crêpes for lunch and basked in the sunshine as we ate gelato and explored the ruins of the castle. The five of us spent a magical day there, and it was a great way to bring my family’s first adventure in France to a close. 

   Early on Thursday, it came time for my family to take a train from Nantes back to Paris, and then catch their flight back home. We left the house before the sun had even come up and drove to the train station, my heart feeling heavy the whole time. I’ve always hated saying goodbye, and never been good at handling the emotions that come along with it. As we stood on the train platform before they boarded, I hugged them all fiercely as tears ran down my cheeks. I felt so heartbroken to have to say goodbye to them and was missing them before they had even left. However, I felt comforted by the knowledge that we had all had the most incredible time and had created so many beautiful new memories together. I am infinitely grateful for this experience and will cherish them forever. I’m looking forward to seeing my family again soon in just a few months, as I know that any more adventures lie ahead, and we have many more memories to make.

[aupairadventures]

Retracing my Ancestors’ Footsteps in Budapest, Hungary

I promise that I have a good reason for not writing and publishing a blog post in over a month! Since the beginning of April, I’ve been away traveling, exploring new places, making memories, and having a blast.

After spending a little bit of time in Paris, I set off for my first destination: Budapest, Hungary. Due to my grandmother’s Hungarian family ancestry, visiting Hungary has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. I’ve always been very close and had a special connection with my grandmother. Ever since I was young, I always loved hearing her funny, touching, and wild stories about her childhood and growing up in a Hungarian immigrant family. I especially love my grandmother’s stories about her grandmother, a strong, bold, and colorful woman named Anna Zvolanek. As my grandmother’s story goes, Anna left Hungary when she was only 16 in search of new opportunities. She immigrated to the US, passed through Ellis Island, and then began a new life in Long Island, New York. She soon fell in love with my grandmother’s grandfather, another Hungarian immigrant named Edward Cheslock, and the two began a family of their own. According to my grandmother, Anna was a phenomenal cook and pastry maker, and was famous in the neighborhood for her incredible apple strudel, poppy seed roll cakes, and apricot “rugelach.”

According to my grandmother, Anna grew up in a small village just outside of Budapest. My grandmother says that when she was a child, she remembers seeing Anna often returning to Budapest to visit her extended family. My theory is that during my time in Budapest, I must have unknowing walked down the same street that Anna once did or visited the same place that once was familiar to her. It’s for these reasons that my journey to Budapest didn’t feel like any regular trip, but rather like an important spiritual pilgrimage. During my time in this beautiful city, I feel that I truly learned the importance of returning to your roots, learning about your family’s history, and retracing your ancestor’s footsteps. This experience made me feel even closer to my grandmother and gave me a better understanding of everything that has led to my existence and made me who I am. 

I was so happy to have my friend Gabriela by my side during this journey, and I have her to thank for this amazing time spent in Budapest. Several months ago, after Gabriela read in one of my blog posts that it was my dream to one day travel to Hungary, she reached out to me. She told me that she also had been wanting to explore this country and asked if I would want to travel there together. I responded that yes, of course, I would, and a plan was created!

I’ve known Gabriela since we were tiny students at Morris Elementary School in Lenox, Massachusetts, and our houses were on the same street. Gabriela and I both attended high school at Miss Hall’s School in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where we grew close while participating in our school’s Theme Committee. Since Gabriela is a year older than me and was in the grade above me, I’ve always looked up to her as a role model and thought of her as a hardworking student, compassionate community member, strong young woman, and great friend. After traveling with her, I’m glad to add “Amazing travel companion” to that list! After our time together in Budapest, I’ve become convinced that we’re a traveling-match made in Heaven. Years ago, who would have thought that Miss Hall’s two girls from Lenox would one day be living abroad, one in Italy and the other in France, and would decide to meet up in Hungary? 

Throughout the trip, the two of us had an absolute blast together. Almost every moment that we spent together was filled with the best conversations. We talked about everything from  how our adventures abroad have been to the 2020 American presidential election. We talked politics, feminism, had deep philosophical conversations that made my head hurt, re-lived old Miss Hall’s memories, shared silly stories, and laughed non-stop. I always love the conversations that the two of us share. We could talk for hours about everything and nothing all at once, and somehow never run out of things to talk about. 

The moment that I fell in love with Budapest, I fell fast and hard. While I had never visited this city before and everything was unfamiliar to me, I simultaneously felt so comfortable and so at home. Every ray of sunshine or gust of wind seemed to be calling out to me, “Welcome home, Shanti. We’re so happy to have you back.” Budapest is without a doubt one of the coolest cities that I’ve ever visited. The streets are filled with such distinctive character, and the city radiates an intriguing, funky energy that I’ve never encountered anywhere else. Whether you’re exploring the Jewish quarter, visiting a stunning cathedral, trying a new kind of traditional Hungarian food, watching a breathtaking sunset, or seeing the city’s sparking lights at night time, there’s always something new and exciting to try out. There’s never a shortage of interesting things to do, and “boring” is the last word that anyone would ever use to describe this place. This city always keeps you guessing, and there are surprises waiting around every corner. 

It goes without saying that I highly recommend visiting Budapest to my fellow travelers! Here are some of my favorite places that you absolutely have to visit:

Not too far from our hostel (a lovely little spot called “Meander Hostel” that I would recommend that my fellow travelers on a budget,) was St. Stephen’s Basilica. While this building might look a little surprising and not like a traditional church, (“Oh! I thought it was a government building!” exclaimed Gabriela when she saw it for the first time), it is nonetheless a beautiful and fascinating piece of architecture. If you think that the outside is gorgeous, just wait until you see the interior. With its colorful, golden, mosaic ceilings, the inside of this basilica was so beautiful that it made my jaw drop. On Sunday morning, I joined Gabriela as she attended an 8 am mass at St. Stephen’s. While I am not at all religious myself, I still greatly enjoyed this experience. I thought that the ceremony was so interesting and beautiful, and it made me understand why attending mass each Sunday morning is so important to so many people around the world. While I still don’t consider myself a religious person and don’t think that attending weekly mass will be a part of my life,  I will happily join my religious friends when they attend mass, if I’m invited. Thank you, Gabriela, for sharing this experience with me and answering all of my many questions!

One of my favorite places in Budapest is Fisherman’s Bastion, an absolutely gorgeous terrace located on the Buda side of the Danube river. Featuring 7 fairy-tale like towers, this site offers the perfect view of the beautiful city of Budapest. While standing on the terrace, you can see a panoramic view of the city and see some of Budapest’s most famous sites, such as the Chain Bridge,  St. Stephen's Basilica and the Hungarian Parliament Building. Budapest is beautiful at all times of day, but it’s especially breathtaking in the evening. I recommend going up to Fisherman’s Bastion to see a beautiful sunset and then watch nighttime fall over the city as the lights come up and the city begins to sparkle. 

One of the most beautiful places to visit at night time is the Parliament building. When the sun goes down, this building is lit up with gorgeous golden light and looks like a star shining at the edge of the Danube river. I highly recommend taking a stroll along the river next to the Parliament building in order to see this magnificent sight. Remember to walk to the back of the building to see the reflection in the water mirror, as pictures below:

Just behind Fisherman’s Bastion, you’ll find St. Matthias Cathedral. This cathedral, with a gleaming white exterior and an intriguingly unique and colorful roof, is another beautiful site. A short walk away from Fisherman’s Bastion, also located on the Buda Hill, you can find the Buda Castle. (We didn’t visit this site this time around, but we saved it for our next trip to Budapest!)

When in Budapest, you absolutely have to visit one of the thermal baths. Gabriela and I visited the Szechenyi Thermal Baths, and I can say with full authority that it was worth every penny. The warm, healing water felt absolutely incredible; our poor feet were so sore after all of the walking we did in the city, and the water definitely helped! The baths that we used were located in a large outdoor courtyard surrounding by a stunning, buttercup yellow, palace-like building. Going to the thermal baths was a great way to spend a sunny morning, and I highly recommend this activity to my fellow travelers. My only complaint was that this specific location was very touristy and quite crowded, as it’s the main thermal bath spot in Budapest. While we didn’t visit it, I’ve heard good things about another thermal bath location called Gellért, which I’ll check out the next time that I visit Budapest.

On my last day in Budapest, I went on a free walking tour about the history of Budapest’s monuments, which I found to be very interesting. During the tour, I learned a lot about this city’s rich and complex history, which further deepened my understanding of this place. Our tour guide was lovely and enthusiastic, and the tour was a blast. I highly recommend doing one of these tours on your first day in Budapest, as it will help you get a good understanding of the layout of the city, and your tour guide will give you great recommendations for things to do, places to see, and delicious food to eat. You can find these daily tours with the organization “Budapest Free Walking Tours”  on the steps of St. Stephen’s Basilica.  If you want to join a tour, don’t worry about signing up, just show up!

The organization offers tours about the history of Budapest, communism in Hungary, and the Jewish Quartier in both English and Spanish; just check the website to find out the schedule. And of course, remember to give your tour guide a well-deserved tip!

One of the many great things about Budapest is that the food and restaurants are super cheap, making it an ideal city for travelers on a budget. The food in Budapest was seriously amazing, and Gabriela and I truly ate our way through this city. As a result, we have lots of recommendations for must-have traditional dishes and great restaurants. Here are some of our favorite spots:

Lion’s Locker: One of the absolute best places we went to was Lion’s Locker, an adorable little cafe and breakfast spot located on a tiny side street. We were so glad that our wanderings lead us here, as the food was great and the staff were almost as sweet as the raspberry jam “Hungarian crepes” that I had for breakfast.

Espresso Embassy: If you’re searching for the perfect coffee shop, look no further than Espresso Embassy. I swear, I had the best chai tea latte of my life there, (which is really saying something as I’m quite addicted to them and tend to order one everywhere I go.)

Hummus Bar: On a tight budget, but still craving something delicious? Try Hummus Bar, a super cheap yet very healthy and insanely good hummus and falafel restaurant. This place is quite popular in Budapest, and you can find their different locations all around the city.

Làngos: Another great option for travelers on a budget are langos, a super-not-good-for-you-but-so-good traditional fast food made of fried dough, sour cream, copious amounts of cheese, and vegetable or meat toppings (A bit like a deep-fried pizza!) If you’re looking for something cheap and quick for dinner, try a langos food truck. So unhealthy, but so delicious! Just a warning: Food truck langos can be a bit difficult to eat with your hands sometimes, and can result in sour cream ending up all over your face and pieces of cheese spilled all over you: This is probably not the best option for first-date food.

If you’re craving langos but want to feel a bit fancier, try the Langos Papa restaurant. It’s just as delicious, but with toppings like arugula, goat cheese, honey, and walnuts, it feels a bit more gourmet.

Another great restaurant, located just a few doors down from Langos Papa, is a traditional Hungarian restaurant called Kantin. There, we tried some traditional dishes like goulash, creamy mushroom soup, paprika mushroom noodles, cottage cheese dumplings, and cherry strudel, all of which were incredible.

Karavana Food Truck Market: Located in the Jewish Quarter, this lively food truck market is perfect for a casual night out. Here, you can find lots of different kinds of cuisine: everything from traditional Hungarian dishes to french fries and burgers. (Or, the perfect combination of the two: Langos burgers!) My personal favorite was a food truck called Las Vegans, which offered delicious vegan veggie burgers and healthy fruit and vegetable smoothies.

Szimpla Sunday Farmers' Market: You can also find this awesome farmer’s market every Sunday morning in the Jewish Quarter. Located in an old “ruin-bar,” this was without a doubt the hippest, coolest, and the most interesting market I’ve ever been to. Gabriela and I came here for breakfast after mass on Sunday morning and ended up spending hours here. There are lots of stands with fresh, local vegetables, freshly baked bread, cheese, mouth-watering pastries, and traditional Hungarian cuisine. At the ruin-bar counter, you can also find coffee and tea, of course. The tables set up in the courtyard in the back make it the ideal place to grab breakfast or lunch, try some delicious food, and get lost in conversation.

The Great Market Hall: If you want to go to a market on a day that’s not Sunday, try the Great Market Hall. Here, you can also find lots of vegetables, meats, and yummy pastries. This is also a great place to pick up some souvenirs, gift, and postcards. However, speaking honestly, the Great Market Hall doesn’t come close to the Szimpla Sunday Farmers' Market. After hanging out in that adorable, picture-picture market, the Great Market Hall, unfortunately, felt a little bit underwhelming. But, that doesn’t mean that it’s not worth a visit! 

Gelarto Rosa: For some dessert, try the Gelarto Rosa gelato shop. The rose-shaped treats are almost too beautiful to eat, but oh-so-delicious. Located right next to St. Stephen’s Basilica, you can enjoy your treat on the church’s steps or by one of the fountains in the square. 

Chimney Cakes are another popular dessert that I highly recommend. These pastries are made of dough, cinnamon, and sugar, or chocolate, and are baked in a cylinder shape with a hollow center. When you pull a piece off, the cake begins to unravel and resembles a slinky toy. Cool, right? A cinnamon and sugar chimney cake was the perfect afternoon snack for Gabriela and I after we got caught in an unexpected rainstorm and were in need of some warmth and cheering up.

My journey to this city was nothing short of magical. I left this city feeling in love, deeply moved, and closer to my family’s heritage than ever before. I boarded my return flight to Paris with a happy heart, dreaming of my next trip to Budapest; I can’t wait to come back to this city and learn even more. I feel so proud to say that my family comes from this beautiful and fascinating place. Thank you for everything, Budapest!

[aupairadventures]

How is it possible to feel so at home in such an unfamiliar place? Budapest, thank you for welcoming me home with open arms. (à Budapest, Hungary) https://www.instagram.com/aupairadventures19/p/BwD25nrjdHL/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1iscxcb4y5dtk

[aupairadventures]

How is it possible to feel so at home in such an unfamiliar place? Budapest, thank you for welcoming me home with open arms. (à Budapest, Hungary) https://www.instagram.com/aupairadventures19/p/BwD2jjLD7kg/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=10y6anre1rnkg

[aupairadventures]

Nantes, you never cease to amaze me. This city is full of surprises, and Trentemoult might be one of its best kept secrets. To visit this hidden gem, an old yet colorful and charming fishing village, all you need to do is take a short ferry trip across La Loire river ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 (à Trentemoult, Pays De La Loire, France) https://www.instagram.com/aupairadventures19/p/Bvi7KjVDHAl/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=66zlmvz3cwyn

[aupairadventures]

I’m going to live in an appartement just like these ones one day, and that’s a fact 🏙 https://www.instagram.com/aupairadventures19/p/BveeRaajckg/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=xmc1qq28s3fo

[aupairadventures]

I’m so lucky to call this place my home; to live in Bretagne is to live in a fairytale ✨🇫🇷 Head to Au Pair Adventures on Facebook and Tumblr to check out of some articles about my explorations of Nantes, Rennes, and Vannes, some of the most magical and charming cities in this incredible region. (à Bretagne, France) https://www.instagram.com/aupairadventures19/p/BvQ_XenDcHq/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=yeqkam16hhsj

[aupairadventures]

A Broke Girl’s Guide to Budgeting on an Au Pair's Salary

Let’s be honest: Money can be quite stressful for any young traveler or au pair. I don’t know a single au pair who hasn’t said “I’m so broke right now” sometime within the last month. For us au pairs, trying to save money, pay for necessary expenses, and travel all at the same on a salary of 80 euros a week is no easy task. While I’m certainly no financial expert, I feel that I have learned a lot about budgeting during the past six months. I wanted to share with you the different tips and tricks that I’ve learned, and I hope that it’s useful to some of my fellow au pairs and young travelers. Without further ado, here are 5 tips for keeping a budget and saving money while working as an au pair.

(Keep in mind that this article is based on my own personal experience and that each au pair’s experience can be different!)

Start saving money and planning out your finances before you go abroad:

Before you hop on that plane and fly to the other side of the globe, I highly recommend planning out everything money-related ahead of time. When searching for your host family, remember to ask lots of questions about your salary and payment: How much will you be paid? Will you be paid weekly or monthly? What expenses will your host family cover, and what will your responsibilities be? It’s a good idea to make sure that all of this information is detailed in your contract and that you discuss this with your host parents.

Before you set off for your au pairing adventure, get clear about all of the expenses that you will have and how you plan to cover them. Au pairs will usually have to cover the cost of their plane tickets, some visa costs, activities during their free time, and travel during vacations. Au pairs will also sometimes be responsible for covering the cost of their language classes and tickets for public transportation, but it depends on your individual agreements with your host family.

From what I’ve seen, most au pairs are paid a salary of about 80 euros a week/320 euros a month. And of course, since au pairs live with their host family, they will cover the cost of lodging and feeding you. Your host family should also cover any costs of the activities that you do with the children.

Before you start working as an au pair, ask yourself these questions: What costs am I going to be responsible for and what will my host family cover? How am I going to cover these costs? How much money do I want to save for going out and doing fun things during my free time? How much money do I want to set aside for traveling throughout the year? Will I use my weekly salary to cover these costs, or will I use money that I’ve previously saved? In my personal experience, I recommend using money that you’ve previously saved to pay for your plane tickets and language classes, and then using the money from your weekly au pair salary to pay for smaller expenses such as activities, public transportation costs, and travel. The money that I made working during my senior year of high school and last summer was enough to cover the cost of my plane tickets and language classes, so I highly recommend working and saving money before you start au pairing.

2) Have a side-hustle in addition to au pairing, (if possible):

While it might not be possible for all au pairs, working on the side is a great way to make some extra money. If your visa (or lack or visa, you lucky EU citizens) allows for it, you can apply for a part-time job that would allow you to work during your free time or during the day when your host kids are in school. Plus, this is also a great way for you to get some hands-on experience and practice the language that you’re learning. However, this is not possible for a lot of au pairs, myself included. If you have an au pair visa, you’re actually not allowed to have another job in addition to working as an au pair; the conditions of your visa forbids it! However, if you have a “working-holidays” visa or no visa at all, you’re all set to pick up another job!

Even if you aren’t allowed to have another job, you can find “under the table” work. For example, I currently am an English tutor and give lessons to several kids in the neighborhood. If you’re interested in doing this and live in France, I recommend a website called “Mes Voisins” (“My Neighbors”). This website allows neighbors to connect with each other and offer their services to other town residents. You can make a profile and post an announcement introducing yourself and offering to babysit or give lessons of your native language. This is a great way to make some extra cash, so I highly recommend giving it a try!

3) Travel smart and save money:

Nowadays, there are countless ways to save money while traveling. Exploring the world doesn’t have to be as expensive as you might think! Here are all of the resources I use to save money while traveling:

Skyscanner: Okay, I know that you’ve all obviously heard of Skyscanner, but I just need to reinforce how incredible it is. When looking for plane tickets, this site should be the first place you go. You can find some ridiculously cheap tickets here. The only problem is that I’m a bit too obsessed with hunting for cheap flights and have accidentally spent hours on Skyscanner. However, all those hours have been worth it, because thanks to this website, I’ve been able to travel to some incredible places this year.

Volotea: If you’re traveling in Europe, this is another great website to use to find incredibly cheap plane tickets. When Volotea has sales, tickets can get as cheap as 10 euros! Wow!

FlixBus and OuiBus: Use these two websites if you’re looking for an extremely inexpensive way to travel, and don’t mind a looooong bus ride. While I haven’t personally used either of these, I’ve heard great things from my au pair friends.

OuiGo: Honestly, thank God for OuiGo. This company offers train rides at super low prices. Using OuiGo, I’ve been able to find one-way train tickets from Nantes to Paris for only 10 euros!

HostelWorld: For travelers on a budget, staying in a hostel in the way to go! Ellie and I used HostelWorld to find lodging when we traveled to Spain, and thanks to this website, we were able to find a great hostel. Our hostel was beautiful, the staff and our fellow travelers were so friendly, and it cost a fraction of what a hotel or an Airbnb would.

CouchSurfing: For travelers on an even tighter budget, look no further than CouchSurfing.  Why? It’s completely free! How exactly does it work? Hosts with an extra room or couch can open their homes up to travelers, and it’s a great way to meet new people and experience a new place or culture with the help of a local. Okay, it might seem a little unconventional, but I’ve had a great experience using it. That’s how Ellie and I met Marc and Balint, our awesome French-Hungarian hosts in Seville, Spain.

While traveling, I also recommend trying to eat out less, as restaurants can get super expensive. I know I’ve said it a million times, but Monoprix picnics are honestly the best! If you’re staying for several days in one place, going grocery shopping and cooking your own meals will help you to save money. If you're staying in a hostel, make sure to check and see if they offer free breakfast. If so, definitely take advantage of that!

During your traveling adventures, try to plan out some low cost or free activities. One of my favorite things to do while traveling is to explore museums, which is a very cost-effective activity. Many museums in France offer reduced prices for students or people under 26. For example, the Louvre (aka one of the most incredible places in the world) is completely free for EU residents under 26. All you need to do is show your student/au pair visa, and you’re good to go!

4) Know when the best time is to go on a shopping spree:

I wanted to let you all in on a secret that I had no idea about before coming to France. In France, most stores have really great After-Christmas sales during January and February. But I mean like, really great sales. I’ve bought shirts from Bershka for 1 euro that were originally priced at 20. This is the best time to buy clothing or do a Hema run, so if there’s something that you really want to buy, wait until January!

5) Take a deep breath!

I don’t know about you, but spending money always makes me feel super stressed out. I hate looking at the bank app on my phone and seeing my account balance dwindle. I always feel much more at ease when I’m not spending any money at all and the number in my bank account isn’t budging one bit. But here’s the thing: being an au pair is honestly not about saving money. Your time au pairing should be about traveling, having fun, and making memories; not about stressing out about money and trying to be 100% financially responsible 24/7. Honestly, if your goal is walking away from your au pairing experience with a ton of money saved, 80 euros a week is not going to get you very far! So here’s my advice: Try your best to save money while traveling, plan out your finances, be a smart shopper, (as in don’t make the same mistake I did and accidentally spend 60 euros in SuperU on macaron baking ingredients), but also don’t stress out too much! Use this incredible opportunity to explore as much as you can and have the experiences that you’ve always dreamed of, and don’t let your financial stress get in the way.

[aupairadventures]

Nantes: My favorite places in my favorite city

Yesterday, I spent the day with my friend Laura, an au pair from Colombia that I met in my French class. Since Laura only arrived in Nantes several weeks ago, we decided that it would be a good idea for me to take her on a little tour of this incredible city. As the two of us were walking around on an unseasonably warm and sunny February day, I was reminded of why I find this city so beautiful and why it’s so special to me.

I loved seeing the look of awe on Laura’s face as we explored all of Nantes’ wonders, and it reminded me so much of what it was like to set foot in this city for the first time. When I first moved here, this city absolutely terrified me. I, a girl from a small town in Massachusetts, initially felt uneasy around all the hustle and bustle. The whirling and crowded city felt so alien and foreign to me, and at first, I feared that I would never adjust. However,  I could not have been more wrong. After some initial hesitation, I fell in the love with Nantes; and when I fell, I fell hard and fast. This city has taught me so much about the beauty of embracing your fears and welcoming the unknown into your life.

I may not be a born-Nantaise, but within the past few months, this city has become my home. Before I found my host family last April, I had never even heard of this place. Now, several months later, I can’t imagine my life without it. Since I moved here, this city has come to mean so much to me and had become very dear to my heart. Perhaps it’s because of the city’s stunning architecture or rich culture and history. Perhaps it’s because of its bustling, vibrant nature or its abundance of places to explore and things to do. Maybe it’s because last year, this city welcomed me with open arms and made me feel a sense of belonging, even though I was thousands of miles away from everything I had ever known. It might be because this city has been the setting of many of my firsts, and has been the backdrop to so many new experiences and adventures. Perhaps it’s because I have found a family here and have created strong friendships that I know will last a lifetime. Maybe it’s because my friends and I have made memories in every corner of this city, or because I can’t look at a single thing in this place without being reminded of happy memories and feeling a wave of bittersweet nostalgia. It breaks my heart to know that I will have to leave this city one day, but I am comforted by the knowledge that I will certainly be back to Nantes to visit many times in the coming years. Who knows, maybe this city is where I’ll raise my children one day; I love the sound of that.

As you can see, Nantes is without a doubt one of my favorite cities. Of course, I know that I’m quite biased on this, but there are so many reasons to love this place. I highly recommend this destination to any and all travelers; I bet that you’ll come to love this city just as much as I do.

Still not convinced? Let me tell you about my favorite places in Nantes, and I’m sure that by the time you finish reading this, you’ll be on Skyscanner booking a flight.

1) Le Château des Ducs de Bretagne

How incredible is it that I walk by an actual castle every day on my way to French class? This castle is a must-see for any travelers visiting Nantes. You can walk around the courtyard on the inside, have a picnic on the grass on a sunny day, walk around the wall of the castle and be rewarded with a beautiful view, or even go down the slide attached to the side of the structure! Just across the tram tracks lies The Water Mirror. During the summer, lots of people love coming here to splash in the fountain or sunbath on the nearby grass. But, when the water is completely still, you can see a beautiful reflection of the castle in it. Within the castle, there are two museums: Le Musée d’Histoire Urbaine and another museum for temporary expositions. Several weeks ago, some friends and I went to an exposition called “Cimarron,” which was a colorful, beautiful, and moving contemporary photography exhibit.

2.) Le Musée des Beaux Arts

If you love art or just enjoy museums, be sure to check at Le Musée des Beaux-Arts. The best part? On the first Sunday of each month, the majority of museums in Nantes are totally free of charge!

3.) La Cathédrale Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul de Nantes

The architecture of this cathedral is nothing short of stunning! This was one of the first places in Nantes that I visited with my host family when I arrived, and it was also the place that my friend Ellie and I used as our meeting spot the first time that we met up, so the thought of the cathedral and the memories I’ve made there always brings a smile to my face.

4) Le Jardin des Plantes

Le Jardin des Plantes is easily my absolute favorite place in Nantes. I could write pages about why I love it so much. This beautiful botanical garden, which is open to the public free of charge, is complete with a playground, walking trails, a cafe, greenhouses, flower and herb gardens, lots of trees, fountains, sculptures, lots of birds, a merry-go-round, and even a goat petting zoo. The garden is absolutely gorgeous; filled with brightly colored blossoms and greenery everywhere, it’s like a little slice of paradise. When the weather is nice, it’s my favorite place to go for a walk, have a picnic with friends, grab a pain au chocolat at the nearby boulangerie and sit in the sunshine, or find a shady bench to read or journal. Au Pair Super Tip: This is the perfect place to take your host kids! They’ll love the playground, the merry go round, and the petting zoo, and walking around here is a great way for the kids to play outside and get some exercise.

5) Shopping

Nantes is the perfect city for those who love to shop. There’s an abundance of chic fashion stores, vintage shops, and adorable boutiques. When visiting Nantes, be sure to check out Le Passage Pommeraye, a beautiful shopping center built in the 1800s.

6) Restaurants:

In Nantes, there’s certainly no shortage of great cafes and restaurants. Looking for a delicious croissant, baguette, or macaron? You can find all that and more in one of the many different boulangeries or patisseries. On the search for a crêpe or a galette? In any city in the Brittany region, you’re sure to find tons of creperies. Want to grab coffee with a friend and spend hours chatting in a cute café? Try Le Select, a great cafe with a vintage vibe, or La Maison d’Elise, a cat cafe. Yes, a cafe that doubles as a cat shelter! (How adorable.) Even if your searching for healthy, vegan food, Nantes has you covered! In fact, two of my favorite places in Nantes or the TreeHouse, a vegan café/grocery store, and Totem, an incredible vegan restaurant with the most amazing vegan desserts I’ve ever had.

7)  Le Jardin Japonais

If you’re looking to find some more nature when in the city, look no further than Le Jardin Japonais (The Japanese Garden) located on L’ile de Versailles. Filled with red maple trees, walking paths, streams, bamboo plants, and even rocky waterfalls, this little garden is another great place to spend a sunny, Autumn day.

8) Architecture:

I have to say, I love the architecture in the Bretagne area, especially here in Nantes. Whenever I’m walking around the city, I can’t help but look up to stare at the buildings around me. I mean, just look at how pretty these buildings are! Whether it be in Nantes, Paris, or Toulouse, my favorite part of French architecture are the balconies that adorn the historic buildings.

9) Les Machines de l'île

“The Machines of the Isle of Nantes” is an artistic exposition located in the former shipyards of Nantes. Several artists created many different gigantic, robotic animals. The most famous of these robotic works of art is the Elephant, a 12-meter high creation that passengers can climb aboard and be taken on a 45 ride around the area. Just watch out: The Elephant will spray water from its trunk when you least expect it! (Take it from my host kid; who got absolutely drenched the last time we visited.)

10) Le Lieu Unique

One of the coolest places in Nantes is the Lieu Unique. While the building actually used to be a factory for the French biscuit brand LU, it now serves as a location for a vibrant cultural center with an abundance of things to do. Visitors can eat in the cafe or restaurant, shop in the bookstore, grab a drink in the bar, get a massage or relax in the sauna in the spa, see a contemporary art exposition, or go to one of many different performances, concerts or live music events.

11) Le Tour Bretagne

   One of my absolute favorite places in Nantes is the Tour Bretagne. While it may just look like a skyscraper filled with administrative offices from the outside, this tower has a secret: For one euro, you can ride the elevator to the top floor (over 30 stories high!). There, you’ll find a funky, bird-themed bar called “Le Nid” (“The Nest”), which is one of my favorite places to go out with friends. After getting a drink and hanging out in one of their egg-shaped chairs, you can go out on the balcony and see the most incredible view of Nantes. Whether you see it during the day, as the sun is setting, or late at night, this view is always sure to stun. From the top of this tower, you can see the entire city from a bird’s eye view, which makes all the buildings (Even the cathedral!) look tiny enough to be doll furniture. I love spending time on the balcony and looking out over this city, as it reminds me about why this beautiful city is so special to me, the countless memories I have made here, and why love Nantes so fiercely.

[aupairadventures]

Sleeping on a Stranger's Sofa in Seville, Spain

Last Saturday morning, my friend Ellie and I bid farewell to Nantes and hopped on a plane headed South. While our final destination was Seville, Spain, our first destination was Toulouse, a city in the south of France. While I had expected to feel quite anxious at the airport, as I usually do, I was pleasantly surprised by how calm I felt. In fact, I barely felt nervous at all. Maybe it was because I was so excited about the upcoming adventure, or maybe it’s because I traveled so much this year that I’ve finally gotten used to air travel. Either way, my serenity definitely had something to do with the fact that Ellie, my amazing travel companion and one of my best friends, was right by my side. I knew that I could count on her and that if any kind of stressful situation arose, we would figure it out and get through it together. How did I get so lucky to have such an amazing friend?

We arrived in Toulouse a little after noon, and the prequel to our adventure began! Because we had a long layover in Toulouse, we decided to make a day of it and have a mini day of travel before we flew to Spain. As soon as we emerged from the metro and stepped into the city center, I knew immediately that I was about to fall in love with this place. First, we found the nearest Monoprix and did some grocery shopping for lunch, and then walked around and explored this beautiful city. My favorite thing about Toulouse is the stunning architecture. Toulouse is actually referred to as “The Pink City” because of the distinctly rosy, terra-cotta colored bricks that the buildings are made out of. Under a cloudless blue sky and golden sunlight, our views were nothing short of perfectly picturesque. After walking for a while, we found a little garden next to a cathedral, where we had a picnic. (Part of our lunch consisted of an entire baguette and an entire wheel of camembert cheese; It was delicious, don’t judge us). 

Our short time in Toulouse came to a close as the sun began to set and we headed back to the airport to catch our next flight. We were sad to leave when we had only spent several hours there, and there was so much more left to explore. I’ll definitely be visiting Toulouse again, and hopefully for a longer time next time.

After waiting at the airport for a little while, we boarded our flight to Seville. The airline we used was the infamous Ryanair, so we were both a little nervous using this airline after the horror stories we had heard. However, we really didn’t have any complaints. Okay, it definitely was not the most glamorous flying experience, but hey: They tickets were cheap, the plane got us there in one piece, so we really didn’t mind! My only critique would be this: The inside of the airplane was the brightest color of yellow I have ever seen! Late at night, after a long day of travel, the color made my eyes hurt. (But other than that, no complaints!) 

We arrived in Seville just before midnight and then took a taxi to our destination. Our driver was an adorable older man named Francisco, who was so sweet and made great conversation. In the span of only a 13-minute drive, the three of us had the best conversations that covered almost every topic imaginable. We talked a lot about traveling, about languages, about the most difficult words to pronounce in both English and Spanish, and how the difference between Spanish and Latin American accents. He also gave us lots of great recommendations for the best things to do, the most impressive places to see, the most delicious restaurants, and where to find the best sangria.

We arrived at our destination a little after midnight. What exactly was this destination, you ask? Well, to be perfectly honest, we spent the night with a complete stranger. Cue: All of my relatives gasping in shock and calling me to tell me what a dangerous decision that was. Hold on, let me backtrack and explain myself a little. I promise it’s not nearly as sketchy as it sounds.

When Ellie and I booked our flights, we knew that the low-cost tickets would come at a price: landing in the middle of the night. Since our arrival time would be too late to check into our hostel, we decided that we would just sleep at the airport. We figured that if Damon and Jo (our favorite travel bloggers) could sleep on a bench in Barcelona, we could sleep in the airport in Seville. We thought that it certainly wouldn’t be the most comfortable, but it would be an experience! However, when I told my host dads about this plan, they both raised their eyebrows. “Um, are you girls sure that’s a good idea? Are you sure the airport will even let you do that?” they said. After doing some research, it turns out they were totally right; the Seville airport is closed between 1 and 4 am, and travelers are not allowed to spend the night there.

So, in search of shelter, Ellie and I turned to a website to called “Couchsurfing.” For those of you don’t know, Couchsurfing is a great tool for travelers on a budget looking for a place to stay. Hosts with an extra room or couch can open their homes up to travelers. It’s a great way to meet new people and experience a new place or culture with the help of a local. And the best part: It’s completely free!

At first, we were a little worried about doing this for the first time. Would we, two 18-year-old girls, really going to feel safe sleeping in a stranger’s house? However, our minds were put at ease when we realized that Couchsurfing verifies the identity of the hosts, we could read reviews from previous guests, and we could chat with potential hosts before making arrangements to stay with them. We were lucky enough to find the most perfect hosts: a French-Hungarian couple named Marc and Balint. After reading their incredibly positive reviews and chatting with them over email, we knew that we would be in good hands.

When we arrived, our hosts were even nicer than we could have imagined. They welcomed us in with a delicious dinner and lots of great conversation. We stayed up talking until the early hours of the morning, talking, laughing, and drinking tea together in the living room. We intrigued by Balint’s stories of moving from the countryside of Hungary to Paris after high school, their experiences working in fashion in Paris, and their move from France to Spain last fall. Later, as Ellie and I were drifting off to sleep to sleep in a quite comfortable bed, I whisper-laughed to her, “I’m so freaking glad we’re not sleeping on a bench right now.”

Day 1:

After sleeping in on Sunday morning, Ellie and I went out to brunch with Balint at an adorable little cafe in the El Carmen neighborhood. We sat at an outdoor table, under a bright blue sky, half bathed in Spanish sunlight and half shaded by the nearby orange trees. The food was delicious: we had coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice, and toast with local Spanish olive oil and tomatoes. As we ate, I asked Balint to teach me some basic Hungarian words. Since my ancestors come from Hungary, learning Hungarian and traveling to Hungary has always been a dream of mine. I’ve always adored hearing my grandmother’s stories about her family’s immigration to the US, and what growing up in a Hungarian household was like. Thank you, Balint, for the language lesson and for teaching me all those Hungarian swear words. I’m sure they’ll come in very handy one day.

After brunch, Balint was kind enough to walk us to our bus stop, so that we could travel from El Carmen to Triana, where our hostel was located. Even though the bus was late and we had to wait for nearly an hour, Balint didn’t leave our side. He waited with us the whole time and kept up the company, only saying goodbye after our bus arrived. Our time was once again filled with lovely conversations. The three of us all made sitting at a bus stop into a fun activity: We all laughed a lot as we tried pronouncing difficult Spanish words and I struggled desperately to correctly roll my R’s.

After our bus ride, Ellie and I walked through the charming streets of Triana until we arrived at our hostel, which was called “Triana Backpackers”. When we walked in the door, we were met with beautiful multi-color mosaics, brightly painted doors, and window frames, and gorgeous plants and flowers growing everywhere. This was my first time staying in a hostel, and it certainly did not disappoint. Everyone there, from the staff to our fellow travelers, was so nice! Ellie and I loved staying in a hostel because we got to meet so many interesting people from all over the world. We’re both looking forward to staying in more hostels the next time that we travel. 

After getting settled, we set out into the streets of Triana in search of lunch. On a street right along the edge of the river, we found an amazing tapas restaurant. The highlight of our meal was the dessert: the most delicious chocolate cake I’ve ever had. After refueling, we headed across the bridge into the city center of Seville. We spent hours exploring this lively, vibrant, and absolutely gorgeous city. I swear, Seville is the most beautiful city that I’ve ever seen. Incredible architecture, brightly colored buildings, palm trees, cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages, flower gardens, and orange trees are everywhere you look. I probably said the words, “Oh my god! Look at how gorgeous that is!” at least 500 times that day.

Before dinner, we strolled through a garden filled with flowers and palm trees. On one side of the garden, a street performer played the violin, and on the other, a happy couple was playing the guitar and serenading other. As the music filled the air, Ellie and I decided to have an impromptu flamenco dance performance in the middle of the park. We definitely looked like crazy people, but the laughter that we shared was worth the strange looks we received. In the charming Santa Cruz quarter, we found another great restaurant, where I discovered my love for gazpacho, a traditional Spanish tomato soup, and tortilla, a Spanish omelet with potatoes and onions. Ellie loved the food she ordered as well, even know she made a mistake when ordering and accidentally ordered a gigantic plate of garlic shrimp, made for several people to share. Since I’m a vegetarian, she had to finish about 30 pieces of shrimp all on her own!

After dinner, we wandered the streets of Seville yet again. The city was even more beautiful at night with everything all lit up. We paused our exploration to listen to a little concert given by a street performer with an absolutely beautiful voice.

Day 2:

The next day, Ellie and I went back into the city to see “The Mushrooms,” a sculpture-like structure that you can go to the top of and see a great view of the city from. When one of our roommates asked where we were going, he misheard and gasped, “What?! You’re going to go do shrooms?!” No, James, we’re going to go see the Mushrooms. Those are two very different activities.

After seeing this incredible view, we made our way to the other side of the city to visit the Cathedral. There, we climbed up the La Giralda tower. We climbed up 35 flights of stairs, but every step was worth it was the magnificent view once we reached the top.

After exploring the Cathedral's orange tree garden, we went out to lunch again, where I had another amazing tortilla. (I ordered a tortilla tapas four times within the span of three days, so it’s safe to say I was pretty addicted.) I also got a glass of delicious red wine for only 2 euros. Um, yes, please! One of my favorite things about Seville was how inexpensive all the restaurants were. In any other city, we definitely would not have been able to afford eating out that much. But in Seville, eating at a restaurant was less expensive than shopping at a supermarket.

That evening, we went on a free tour with an organization called Heart of Sevilla. We went on a very fun and interesting tour about the origins and history of flamenco dancing. We learned a lot, and now understand why Sevillans are so proud of this part of their culture. The tour concluded at a bar with a free live flamenco performance. We drank lots of sangria there before finding another bar called Taberna Alvaro Peregil, which I highly recommend. Our tour guide had told us that this was one of her favorite places in Seville and that we absolutely had to try the orange wine before we left. It certainly did not disappoint; it was syrupy, sweet, and absolutely delicious.

Day 3:

On the morning of our last day, we started the day by taking a flamenco dancing class. It was very challenging, but also lot of fun! The instructor, a fiery and talented dancer, didn’t speak a word of English but was still a wonderful teacher. She got across her point and taught the lesson very well by yelling “Vale!!” “Arriba!!” very loudly and frequently.

Next, we spent several hours exploring the Alcazar, which is the palace of Seville. I am not exaggerating when I say that it was one of the most gorgeous places I’ve ever laid eyes on. The palace building itself was astonishing with its impressive architecture and brightly colored mosaics, but it didn’t even compare to the beauty of the gardens. The gardens were filled with sweet-smelling flowers, towering palm trees, fountains, with water that sparkled under the heat of the sun, butterflies flitting from one blossom to the next, parrots resting on the branches or the lemon, grapefruit, and orange trees, and peacocks roaming throughout the grounds. (Seville traveler pro-tip: The oranges may look and smell delicious, but we don’t recommend eating them: They taste even more sour than a lemon!) Everywhere I looked or corner I turned around was more beautiful than the next. This place so magical and beautiful that it almost made me want to cry.

In the afternoon, as the sun beat down, Ellie and I sat along the bank of the Guadaíra river and ate some chocolate and orange flavored gelato as we dangled our legs over the water. After we finished relaxing, we went on another free tour about the legends and mysteries of Seville. Once again, the tour was very interesting and we learned a lot, even though the ghost stories our tour guide told us left us feeling a little creeped out.

That night, we met up with Marc and Balint again to grab a drink at a bar in the city center. After drinking and talking for a while, the four of us spent hours playing quite a hilarious, shocking, and scandalous game of Cards Against Humanity. Thank you so much, Marc and Balint, for being the most amazing hosts and for laughing so much with us!

Ellie and I walked back to our hostel around midnight. Well, when I say “walked,” I really mean that (grace of the sangria we had just drunk,) we played music off a phone speaker, sang out loud, and danced through the deserted streets. We giggled and hollered as we skipped and twirled under the silver light of the moon and the orange glow of the streetlamps.

We woke up quite early on Wednesday morning and headed towards the airport before the sun had even come up. As we walked across the bridge and looked out at the sparkling lights of the city for the last time, I felt like I was leaving behind a little piece of my soul in this place. This city had become my home for the past 72 hours, and I had made so many memories there. In only a short time, this place had come to mean so much to me. This city is so special, and I know that this certainly will not my only trip; I’ve promised myself that I’ll be back one day soon.

Seville, thank you for everything. I’ll never forget what it felt like to fall in love with you.

[aupairadventures]

A Spontaneous Roadtrip to Rennes

On Friday night, I got a text from my friend Jorgia, an au pair from Australia, asking if Ellie and I wanted to explore somewhere new the next day. At first, the overthinker in me said, “This is too last minute! This isn’t enough time to plan a trip!” But then, I realized that some spontaneity was exactly what I needed. Why not just take off for the day and explore somewhere new? After some quick Google searching, we decided that Rennes, a city in Brittany, would be the perfect destination. Sure, the forecast called for rain, and since it would be Saturday, the gilets jaunes would be out protesting, but that wouldn’t stop us. Jorgia, Ellie, and I were on a mission to travel, and we weren’t going to let a little rain or revolution scare us away.

On Saturday morning, we hopped in my car and headed North. We drove for about an hour and a half until we reached our destination. Rennes is an absolutely lovely city, but I do have one major complaint: Who the hell designed Rennes’ roads?! I’ve driven in many different places in France, and I have yet to encounter a worse traffic layout than that found in Rennes. When you exit the highway and enter the city, you have to drive through a large stretch of road with about a million different lanes. What are all these lanes for, you ask? Well, all within the same road, there are a billion lanes for going straight, a million lanes for turning left, a thousand lanes for turning right, and 100 bus lanes. (Okay, I’m really exaggerating here, but that’s exactly what it feels like!) Are these lanes clearly marked? No, not at all. To drive in Rennes is to ask yourself, “Wait a second, how did I end up in the bus lane when I was just driving in the turning lane a minute ago?” On top of it all, half of the lanes have a red “Interdit” sign next to them, but like, how can you tell which lane the sign is for? And why is there a traffic light every five feet? And how am I supposed to know which traffic light is for me when there are a thousand traffic lights for five thousand different lanes? Whoever designed these roads was clearly not a big fan of simplicity. Rennes, I love you, but seriously, you need to fix your roads. They’re awful.

Parking was quite a stressful experience, as well, after our Waze navigation told us to turn down a blocked-off road, promising to lead us to a parking lot. Where’s the parking lot, Waze? Where?! (Me using Waze usually leads to a lot of me yelling, “What do you mean ‘turn left’?! I can’t!!!”) After having to perform 10-point turn to reverse out of that narrow little road and following more confusing directions, we finally found a parking garage. (That didn’t even exist, according to Waze.) When we finally got out of the car, I was quite proud of myself for getting us there in one piece. And, I was quite proud of my friends, too, for being such good co-pilots.

The painful driving experience was all worth it, however, when we emerged from the parking garage and stepped into the most magical little garden. The beautiful flowers, trees, and vines provided us with the perfect opportunity for an impromptu photo shoot.

After we had finished exploring the garden, we walked for a few minutes until we reached our first destination: Le Musée des Beaux Arts. This museum only cost 4 euros for students, so remember to bring your student ID or student visa with you. We had a great time at the museum and had lots of fun exploring the different exhibitions. My favorites were the ancient civilizations exposition and contemporary art section.

After our visit to the museum, we found a nearby supermarket to shop for some lunch. Since I’ve started traveling, I’ve come to truly appreciate the beauty of getting lunch at a supermarket and having a picnic. It’s so much fun and a great option for travelers on a budget. It is so much cheaper than going to a restaurant for lunch and will save you so much money. After we checked out, we returned to the garden and found a bench next to the flowers to picnic on. And yes, Ellie and I ate a whole entire baguette together. And it was delicious. I regret absolutely nothing.

After we finished eating, we took a  stroll over the cobblestone streets in the shopping district of Rennes. Here, you can find lots of adorable boutiques, cafes, restaurants, and chic clothing stores. It’s the perfect place to go on a shopping spree, or in our case and with our budget, just go window shopping. In this area, you can also find lots of old colombage-style houses, which date back to the 17th century. You can find these adorable buildings in many different cities in the Brittany area. I love seeing these types of building, as it reminds me of the rich history of France, and makes me feel like I’m stepping inside of a fairytale.

Our last destination of the day was a town square that we accidentally stumbled upon, where we discovered a little pop-up book market next to a carousel. We wandered around the market for a while, and eventually, (for reasons I can’t even remember), ended up all laughing hysterically together until we ran out of breath, had tears in our eyes, and aching ribs.

(A Snapchat selfie in the car before we left Rennes and drove into the pouring rain.)

As the sun began to set and darkness fell, (And we finally found our way out of the maze that was the parking garage,) we began our journey home. While the drive home was quite dark and rainy, we had the Mamma Mia soundtrack to sing along to and keep us all awake until we returned to Nantes. Despite the less than ideal driving conditions, I felt happy and heart-warmed the whole ride home, thinking about the day I had enjoyed with my two phenomenal travel companions, and the amazing memories we had just made. The moral of the story is: Stop overthinking your travel plans and just let yourself be spontaneous; You never know what adventures lie ahead.

[aupairadventures]

A Socially Anxious Girl’s Guide to Making Friends Abroad

I’m about to tell you all a secret: About a year ago, I was diagnosed with social anxiety, though I’ve struggled with this disorder for many years. Cue: gasps of shock from everyone who’s ever met me. This is probably my best-kept secret; unless you’re someone who’s extremely close to me, you probably would never have suspected that this is something that I struggle with. Throughout high school, I became quite good at hiding behind a mask of fake smiles and faux-bubbliness as a way of coping with my anxiety. “Fake it ‘til you make it,” right? This isn’t to say that all my smiles in high school weren’t genuine. In fact, as bizarre and confusing as this might seem, I do consider myself to be a people person. I do truly enjoy interacting with others, meeting new people, and having conversations with them. However, I’m simultaneously prone to feeling very anxious around other people, especially in larger groups. While my heart might want to connect with the people around me and enjoy spending time with others, my head can become overwhelmed with anxious thoughts and feelings, making socializing quite difficult, and sometimes nearly impossible. It doesn’t quite make sense how I can be both an introvert and an extrovert at once, or how I can both love being with others and be terrified of it at the same time.

I’m not sure if this will make sense to anyway who doesn’t struggle with social anxiety, but I’ll try to best to explain what it feels like. (In my case, at least, as anxiety disorders don’t manifest themselves in everyone the same way.) Having social anxiety is like this: Imagine yourself surrounded by a group of people, everyone talking, laughing, and enjoying themselves. On the outside, you look perfectly normal; You’re smiling, nodding your head, laughing politely and appear to be listening attentively. On the inside, well, that’s a different story. You feel nauseous and sick to your stomach. Your palms are sweating and your chest feels tight. You feel self-conscious, like everyone in the room is staring at you. Anxious and self-deprecating thoughts are overwhelming your mind. Your brain won’t stop telling you, “You’re being so annoying right now.  Everyone here hates you. Just stop talking before you make a fool out of yourself and everyone starts laughing.”

Was what my brain telling me true? No, of course, it wasn’t. But did I tell myself these lies so frequently, to the point where I couldn’t help but to isolate myself and stop seeking out connections with others? Yes, I most certainly did.

When I first decided to move to France, one of my main goals for the year was to work on overcoming my social anxiety and try to make friends.  I felt so worried and scared that this would be an impossible task and that I would end up feeling lonely and isolated yet again, halfway across the world from home. I doubted my ability to have courage and to be strong enough to overcome something that I’ve struggled with for as long as I can remember. However, my desire and my determination were stronger than my fear. To make this dream a reality, I had to metaphorically look my anxiety in the eye and say, “Shut up, I don’t care what you have to say. I’m going to make friends this year, whether you like it or not.”

I started off my “Operation: Make Friends” a few days after arriving in France, by posting in the Au Pair Nantes Facebook group. As I had seen several other au pairs do, I shared a post introducing myself and saying that “I just arrived last week and would love to meet new people and make new friends. Let me know if you're interested in meeting up!” Several girls commented on my post or messaged me, and some of these girls have become some of my closest friends. Who would have known that these simple sentences would lead to such amazing friendships?

Two of the girls who messaged me and I made planned to meet up on a Sunday evening to get pizza together in the city center. I was thrilled when they asked, and I enthusiastically agreed. However, the day of the meeting, I was feeling incredibly anxious. I couldn’t stop thinking about all the things that could possibly go wrong. “I’ll get lost as I’m walking there,” I told myself. “I’ll take the wrong tram on the way back home and be lost in this strange city in the dark,” “Maybe the girls will never show up and all look like a fool waiting there all alone,” “If they do show up, they’re going to hate me.”

While I felt so anxious that I nearly decided to cancel at the last minute, I knew that if I wanted to succeed, I would have to face my fears and push through. So while my heart raced and every last cell in my body screamed to just stay home, I mustered every last ounce of courage and dragged myself to that goddamn restaurant.

And guess what? None of the horrible scenarios I had imagined even came close to happening. On the contrary, the two girls I met that night were absolutely lovely, and we had a great time together. I loved the conversations that we had, and as the evening went on, I felt myself gradually relaxing and feeling more comfortable with each passing minute.

A week later, I made plans with some other au pair girls to meet up for drinks on a Friday night. Yet another anxiety-spiral occurred in the hours leading up to the meeting. Once again, I felt so nervous and kept imagining the worst possible scenarios. And once again, I came quite close to canceling. This is pretty ridiculous, right? Just a week prior, I had had a great experience meeting up with other au pairs and had proven to myself that there was absolutely nothing to be afraid of. So, why did I still feel so anxious? Why was I sabotaging myself? Why couldn’t my brain just leave me alone and let me live my life? Once again, I had to metaphorically look my anxiety in the eye and say, “Knock it off. I’m going out, I’m going to meet up with friends, and everything is going to be fine. I don’t care what you have to say.” Sure enough, I ended up being so glad that I faced my fears and meet up with those girls. The girls were so nice, and we all had a great evening together. I met lots of other au pairs that night, many of which have come to be some of my best friends today. I feel very grateful to my past-self for deciding to be brave and go to that bar because if I hadn’t, I might have never met some of the amazing people who now are a part of my life.

Whether you struggle with social anxiety or not, meeting people and making friends abroad can sometimes feel scary and challenging. So, here are some tips for ways to reach out and connect with new people. f you’re an au pair, there are lots of different au pair Facebook groups. If you live in or near a larger city, you’re sure to be able to find one for your region. I recommend posting a message to introduce yourself and ask if anyone wants to meet up. You can also read through the group’s post and comment on the posts of other au pairs, or message them to ask if they’re interested in hanging out. This strategy worked well for me, and I’ve met some of my best friends this way.

I’ve also met lots of my friends in my French classes. Unless you’re an EU citizen, your visa will  most likely require you to take language classes (This is the case in France, at least, I can’t speak for other countries.) In your language classes, you’ll meet lots of different people from all over the world. There’s a 99.99% chance that your fellow students will also be looking to met up with new people and make friends, so why not strike up a conversation with someone and ask if they would want to hang out? I know, this is a lot easier said than done. I used to feel quite nervous when initiating a conversation or asking someone to hang out. I would always be afraid that they would be annoyed or think that I was being overbearing and that I would be rejected. But honestly, no one is going to get annoyed at you for saying, “We should hang out sometime!” Worst case scenario: they say no. Best case scenario: you’ve just found yourself a new friend. Just go for it!

Several months later, I feel that I can proudly say that I have made great progress in overcoming my social anxiety. In no way has it completely disappeared or am I completely free from it. My anxiety is something that will always be a part of my life, but now, it’s evolved from an overwhelming force that controlled my life to something that is much more manageable. While things like initiating a conversation, inviting someone to hang out, or being with a large group of people used to make me feel incredibly anxious, they are now things that I do on a daily basis and no longer feel as anxious about. In fact, I have come to greatly enjoy them! I feel proud to say that I have truly found my place here in Nantes. I have met so many incredible people and have started many amazing friendships. I feel immensely grateful for my friends here. These girls kind, thoughtful, compassionate, strong, and courageous, and are phenomenal women in every way. My friends and I have made so many incredible memories together that I will forever remember and cherish. We have been there to support each other in both our happiest and most difficult moments. My friends have reminded me of the collective power women that create when they come together; Together, we are a force to be reckoned with. 

[aupairadventures]

I’ll be Home for Christmas

Several weeks ago, on December 19, I returned to my hometown of Lenox, Massachusetts, USA to spend the holidays with my family. It would be the first time I had been in my hometown and seen my family and friends for the last four months, and I couldn’t have been more excited. I channeled my excitement (and nervousness, too) into planning obsessively for the trip; I made countless packing lists, packed, weighed my suitcase, unpacked, re-packed, repeated, studied maps of the Paris metro system, and went over my travel route until I had into committed to memory. I think by now I’ve established that I absolutely hate flying, right? So, it should come as no surprise that I was feeling quite anxious in the days before my trip. As my stomach felt sick and my chest felt tight, my mind raced with thoughts like, “What if I get lost in the Paris metro? What if I take the wrong line? What if I lose my passport? What if my wallet gets stolen? What if I don’t make it to the airport in time? What if I miss my flight?” I knew that the journey ahead of me would be long and probably stressful at times. I knew that to get from Nantes to Paris, and then from Paris to Boston would consist of driving to the bus stop, taking a bus, then taking a train, then taking the line 4 metro, then taking RER B, then taking an airport shuttle until I finally arrived at Terminal 1 of the Charles de Gaulle airport. After I arrived, I would have to check in, go through customs, go through security, find my gate, board my plane, and then take a 7-hour flight. Only after almost 24 hours of traveling would I finally land in Boston. On the night before I left Nantes, as my mind ran wild with all kinds of terrible potential scenarios, I eventually had to tell my anxiety that it needed to shut up and leave me alone, that I would be absolutely fine and that I am more than capable of succeeding. “I know you’re scared,” I said to myself, “But when you finally reach home, it will have all been worth it.”

The journey was certainly long, and at some moments, quite stressful. But guess what? I did it. I made from Nantes to Boston in one piece, and none of the awful scenarios my mind conjured up happened or even came close to happening. Some moments of the journey were even fun and enjoyable; I spent my train ride to Paris listening to music and writing in my travel journal, I had fun watching “Love, Actually” during my flight, and I met a really sweet woman at the airport, with whom I had a nice, long conversation while in the security line. (Some of the airport employees were on strike that day, so the wait to go through security was rather long…. France. Typical.)

The moment when my plane began its descent into Boston Logan International Airport is a moment that I’ll never forget. I remember looking out the window and seeing thousands of beautiful city lights shining in the nighttime darkness, as if to say, “Welcome home!” The site was so beautiful that my face couldn’t help breaking into a huge smile. It’s truly an incredible feeling to look outside of a plane window and see something familiar when the last months have been filled with so much newness and exploration of uncharted territory.

Walking into the airport and setting foot again on American soil was the weirdest, most wonderful feeling. It felt strange to see a huge American flag on the wall as I walked into Customs, rather than a French flag, which I become so used to seeing. It felt weird to see the airport signs written in English when I expected to see them written in French. I felt a bit out of place and disoriented, but simultaneously felt totally at home.

The most amazing moment, of course, was being greeted by family at the arrivals gate. It was such a special moment that will forever be in my memory. I remember so vividly walking into the arrivals gate and looking into the massive crowd of people. I search for the faces of my mother and sister, until I heard my mother’s voice ring through the airport chatter, as she called out my childhood nickname at the top of her lungs. I turned towards the sound and was met with the beaming faces of two of my favorite people in the entire world. Feeling so happy that I could have burst, I ran at a breakneck-pace towards my mom and sister, as they simultaneously ran towards me. When we reached each other, I practically threw myself into them and wrapped my arms around them, holding them tightly. The three of us enveloped each other in a fierce hug, laughing and shrieking and causing quite a scene. A similar phenomenon occurs whenever I was reunited with any other member of my family or one of my friends; lots of hugging and excited shrieking. After only seeing their faces on the screen of a laptop of hearing their voice through the speaker of my phone, to actually be able to hug my loved ones and speak with them in person was nothing short of miraculous.  I think I can safely say that this moment at the airport was one of the happiest moments of my life. As I write about this memory, I can’t help but be reminded of a very similar moment that took place four months ago; when I walked into the arrivals gate in the Nantes airport and meet my host family for the first time. I’m reminded of how magical and unforgettable that moment was, as well, and how happy I felt. Why is it two of my happiest memories have taken place in the arrivals gate of an airport?

(My favorite picture of my younger sister, Trinity, and I, taken on the night before I left for France back in August.) 

While I was only home for a little over a week, (which I came to discover is just too short an amount of time,) I had an amazing visit and made countless memories with my loved ones. I felt so happy and grateful to be able to spend time with my family and share the magic of the holiday season with them. I suddenly became aware of how special the things that I used to take for granted are; waking up in my old room, getting coffee with Mom at the café that I used to work at, or laughing at vines with my sister. Some of my favorite memories from my visit home are as follows; going out to dinner with my Grandmother at our favorite restaurant, eating breakfast and drinking smoothies with my Grandfather, cooking Christmas dinner with my mom and my aunt, watching Empire with my grandmother (our favorite show), Eating waffles with my family on Christmas morning, watching all three of John Mulaney’s Netflix Comedy specials in one night with my sister, going to my little brother’s basketball games, Christmas shopping with my Mom in Target in Marshalls (One of my only complaints about France is that neither of these stores exists!), spending the day in Northampton with my mom and sister, and visiting New York City with my sister and aunt. While this is a long list, these are just some examples of the many memories I made that week. Every moment at home, no matter how simple, felt like a miracle.

(An old photograph of my grandmother and I.) 

(An old photograph of my grandmother, aunt, mom, and I together.) 

(A family photo taken last summer, at my high school graduation from Miss Hall’s School.) 

(One of my favorite old photographs of my mom, aunt, and I.) 

(My sister and I in Rockefeller Center in New York City together, happy and full after eating lots of vegan cupcakes.) 

One night, my mom and I were driving home from Target, blasting music in her car,  and dancing and singing along to all of our old favorite songs. As we drove through the familiar streets of my hometown, the sights of all the houses lit up with millions of flashing, multi-colored Christmas decorations made me feel happy, nostalgic, and entirely at home. The route from Target to my house is one that I know like the back of my hand. During my lifetime, I’ve driven on these streets countless times; every pothole, bump, or twist and turn are dear to my heart. Along the way, we drove past my high school. My mom turned right and pulled into the driveway so that we could see the school up close. When I looked at my old school, glowing with warm yellow light from the inside out, I was hit with a wave of emotions. At that moment, so many old memories came flooding back to me. I was reminded of how much life I had lived in this town. This town was where I grew up, and this town has seen me through all of my many phases. This town has seen me in both my darkest and most joyous moments. In this place, I have made so many memories, both good and bad. In the halls of my high school, I grew from a shy, insecure fourteen-year-old girl into a bold, confident young woman. In the halls of that school, I both fell in love and had my heart broken for the first time. In this place, I have both cried a thousand tears and laughed until I could barely breathe. Like I said, so much life has been lived in this tiny little town. No wonder this place is so special to me. No wonder coming back made me so happy, and no wonder leaving it was so hard. No matter where in the world my body physically is, there’s a little piece of my heart that will forever remain in this town. If coming home last month taught me one thing, it’s that I wouldn’t be the person I am today with Lenox, Massachusetts.

(The Berkshires in wintertime is truly a magical sight.) 

On New Year’s Eve, after an incredible week spent with my family, my mom drove me to Boston for my late-night return flight to Paris. Before we went to the airport, we stopped at a little restaurant and got vegan pizza together. I tried to eat my pizza and slowly as possible; every moment that I delayed would be another moment that I could spend with my Mom, another moment I could spend in my home country. While I was looking forward to returning to France and was excited to arrive in Paris the next day, my heart felt heavy with the sadness of yet again leaving home. I felt so torn; On one hand, I was so excited to see my host family and friends in France. On the another, the thought of not seeing my family and hometown for the next six months broke my heart. I’ll be honest, as I said goodbye to my mom at the airport, I threw my arms around her and cried on her shoulder for quite a while.

As we said goodbye, I thought about how similar this moment felt to when we said goodbye four months ago. We were yet again standing in the same airport, in the same terminal, in the exact same spot. But as I reflected, I realized just how much has changed since August. I have grown so much and in so many different ways. When I left home back in August, I boarded my Paris-bound plane with so much excitement, of course, but also with so much anxiety and fear.  I felt so unsure of myself and of my ability to succeed. I worried, Could I really move far away from home, across an ocean, at 18 years old? Could I really live in a foreign country? Would I make friends, would I find my place? Would I really be brave enough to pull this off? On New Year’s Eve, as I hugged my Mom goodbye and boarded my plane, my emotions were very different from my emotions of four months ago. Four months later, I now know the answers to all of these questions. I have proven to myself that I indeed am brave enough and that I am capable of anything I put my mind to. I now know that I absolutely adore France, I have found an amazing group of friends here, and have truly found a home in a country half the world away from my birthplace. I’ve been so lucky to have expanded my family to include many people who I may not be related to by blood, but who are no less my family. I am greatly looking forward to all the adventures that the new year in France holds for me. I feel incredibly grateful for all that the past year brought into my life; 2018 was an amazing year filled with joy, discoveries, difficulties, and many lessons learned exploration and growth. In 2019, I can’t wait to see what happens next.  

(A photo of the path in front of our old house, taken last Autumn.) 

[aupairadventures]

Paris in January

Upon returning to France after an incredible week back in the US, (more on this in my next post!) I had the opportunity to stay in Paris with my friend Chelsey for the last few days of my Winter vacation. Though I felt a bit sad leaving home and was missing my family, I was also feeling quite excited to be back in my adoptive country, to explore Paris, and to see Chelsey, a dear friend who I hadn’t seen in several months. My trips to Paris to see Chelsey are always so much fun, and this week, of course, was no exception. 

On Wednesday, my first full day in Paris, Chelsey and I spent the day with her two absolutely adorable host kids. The four of us took the RER to Versailles, not to visit the Palace, but a nearby children’s museum. There, we saw an exposition about world history, but with a twist: All of the exhibits were made out of Playmobil toys. The museum and the exposition were super cute, and Chelsey’s host kids really enjoyed it. If you’re an au pair in Paris and looking for a fun activity to do with your host kids, I definitely recommend taking them to this exposition. The best part about it? It’s free for everyone under the age of 26! 

On Thursday morning, since Chelsey had to work and take care of her host kids at home, I ventured out into Paris on my own. I was a little nervous about being on my own for the day, as it would involve taking the metro and navigating the city without Chelsey’s Parisian expertise. However, I succeeded in finding my way around the metro system and around Paris without any issues or confusion, which I was very proud of myself for. I wish I could go back in time and drop into my sophomore year-self as she sat in French class, utterly confused and helpless and my teacher explained the Paris metro system to the class. “I don’t understand this at all, not one bit,” I thought to myself, “But that’s okay, I’ll probably never need to use it.” Oh, Sophomore Shanti, if only you could see us now.

First, I went to the Notre Dame area, where I walked around the surrounding park, took lots of pictures, and at one point, just stood, feet firmly planted, staring up at the majesty of the Notre Dame Cathedral. No matter how many times I see this famous tourist attraction, I’ll never stop being totally awestruck by it. My first activity of the day was visiting the Crypte Archeologique, an underground museum, with its entrance located right next to the Notre Dame. I spent some time exploring the museum and learned a lot from all the exhibits, which taught me lots of fascinating information about the geographical history of Paris and the history of the Notre Dame.

After I resurfaced above ground, I walked along the Seine in search of a cafe where I could grab a bite to eat. In my search, I discovered the most wonderful place, called the Shakespeare and Company Bookstore and Cafe. This might just be my new favorite place in Paris! First, I went into the bookstore side, where I spent quite a long time exploring this adorable and charming place. The interior was beautiful, in a quirky and unexpected way. The rooms were small, tight spaces packed floor to ceiling with thousands of brightly colored books on wooden shelves. Lots of different photographers and posters with literature-related quotes covered the walls. Throughout the shop, there were many antique mirrors and old, funky pieces of furniture.  There were lots of comfy chairs and sofas where customers were encouraged to curl up with a good book. There was even an antique wooden desk with a typewriter stationed on it, where customers could sit down and write as they pleased. And best of all, there was even a cat that lived in the bookstore! Her bed and food were set up in a little corner, tucked away safely from the traffic of the store. Aggie the Cat, (her name according to a sign), wandered around the shop as she pleased, even jumping onto the chair of a reading customer and curling up for a nap in their lap. 

One of my favorite things about the store was a large mirror that was almost completely covered with hundreds of little pieces of scrap paper. On the paper, customers had written little messages or love notes to Paris, explaining why they had come to the city or why they loved it so much. The scrap paper came in all different forms; post-it notes, old metro tickets, receipts to nearby stores, or old book pages. The messages were written in so many different languages; French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese. This reminded me of one of the things I love most about Paris. Yes, it’s a tourist city, which means lots of crowds of people with cameras and baseball hats. But, it also means that as you walk down a street, you can see people from all over the world, and hear so many different languages being spoken. When I’m visiting a tourist attraction in Paris, I love eavesdropping on conversations being spoken in languages other than French or English, even if I can’t understand a word. It makes me think, “I wonder where that person is from. I wonder if one day I’ll visit their city. I wonder if maybe one day I’ll speak their language.” 

Unfortunately, the bookstore had a no-photos policy, so I wasn’t able to take any pictures of the inside of this magical little spot. But trust me, this little store was just incredible, and I highly recommend visiting this bookstore if you're in the Notre Dame area.

After I had finished exploring the bookstore, I went next door to the Shakespeare and Company Cafe. The cafe’s interior was just as lovely and Instagram worthy as the bookstore. The menu was perfect for vegetarians and vegans and filled with lots of healthy and delicious options. There was even a bakery case filled with beautiful pastries, many of which were even vegan! For lunch, I got an avocado and vegetable futomaki roll and a tumeric latte. I ate my lunch at one of the outside tables, where I could look over at the Notre Dame and observe the hustle and bustle of the tourists passing by. 

After I was finished, I once again returned to the Notre Dame to go explore the interior of the church. Chelsey and I visited this cathedral the last time I was in Paris, but it was so beautiful and I loved it so much that I wanted to go back and explore even more. Even though I’ve already seen the church’s interior, I still couldn’t help but lose my breath when I stepped inside and looked around, absolutely overwhelmed by the cathedral’s beauty and sheer size.

As I walked around the cathedral, I saw that mass was going on. Intrigued, I decided to sit down in the pews and observe. Religion is never something that’s been a part of my life. My family isn’t religious at all, so wasn’t raised religious, nor it is a topic that I know much about. I’ve never attended mass before and I can count on one hand the number of times I’d been in a church in the US. So, I thought that it would be interesting to see what attending mass would be like. A while into the ceremony, the churchgoers suddenly stood up and began to form a line leading towards the priest at the front of the church. Confused, I looked around, trying to figure out what was going on. “I probably need to get in the line, too,” I thought, “It’s probably rude if I stay seated.” So, utterly bewildered, I too joined the line. As I looked towards the front, I saw the priest handing small, circular pieces of bread to the churchgoers. “Oh, okay! We’re taking communion,” I realized. “Cool, I know what this is.” I felt calm momentarily until I realized that wait, I’ve never taken communion before, I have absolutely no idea how this works or what I need to do. Do I need to say something in Latin to the priest? Is there something I’m something supposed to do with my hands? Should I press them together, like I’m praying? Should I, like, bow or something? Do I have enough time before it’s my turn to discreetly get my phone out and Google this? With just a few people ahead of me until it was my turn, I began to frantically look around at the others, so I could try to copy their movements. I saw one man walk up to the priest, and then saw the priest place the Eucharist wafer into the hand of the man, who then placed it into his own mouth. “Alright Shanti,” I said to myself, “Just do exactly that.” Finally, my turn came. Feeling quite nervous and afraid of messing up and doing something offensive, I stepped forward on shaking legs. I approached the priest with my hands outstretched, and whispered, “Merci beaucoup,” so quietly it was almost inaudible. The priest held the wafer in his hand, said some kind of prayer, and made some kind of sign in the air, drawn with the piece of bread. I looked down at my hands, expecting him to place the bread into them, as he has done with the man before me. Instead, as my gaze was cast downwards, the priest took the Eucharist wafer and shoved into my mouth, pushing it past my closed lips. I was so shocked I could have choked. I was certainly not expecting that. I choked out another quiet “Merci,” before awkwardly shuffling away. Safe to say, I didn’t totally succeed at my first communion. I hope that I didn’t do anything too terribly wrong! Still, I was happy that I tried something that I’d never done before and got to have the experience of attending mass and taking communion for the first time at Notre Dame.

That night, I reunited with Chelsey at home before we went back out to spend the evening in Paris. Before getting on the metro, we stopped by Monoprix to get sandwiches, lots of snacks, and sparkling cider. We then took the metro to the Eiffel Tower, to see it all lit up at night. The Eiffel Tower is another tourist attraction that I don’t think I’ll ever get over. No matter how many times I visit, it always makes me have an almost out-of-body experience when I look at it. Every time I see the Tower, it makes me think to myself, “Holy shit! I live in France. That’s crazy! Can you believe that I actually live here? Woah.” That night, Chelsey and I sat on a bench in the surrounding park and stared up at the Eiffel Tower as we ate, drank, talked, and laughed. Our conversations revolved around how crazy it was that a girl from Idaho and a girl from Massachusetts somehow found each other, and were now sitting together in Paris, under the soft yellow glow of a sparkling Eiffel Tower.

On Friday morning, as Chelsey once again tended to her au pair duties, I set off for another Parisian adventure. That day, I went to the Paris Museum of Modern Art. I fell in love with this museum, and highly recommend checking it out for several reasons. Firstly, the beautiful location: The museum is just across the Seine from the Eiffel Tower, making it the perfect place to take some great photos. As I walked towards the museum, I was greeted with a stunning view of the Eiffel Tower in front of the fading sunrise. Next, the line was impressively short, and there was barely a wait time to get into the museum. I know, the Louvre is amazing, but if you don’t have time to spend an hour waiting in line, this museum is perfect. Next, the museum’s permanent collections are completely free, regardless of age or European residence. And, if you want to see one of the temporary expositions, you only need to pay 5 euros! I had a great time visiting this museum, and I loved all of the different artwork there. I especially loved an exposition called “Quelque part dans le désert” (“Somewhere in the desert”) by an Israeli photographer named Ron Amir. The exposition featured photographs taken of a refugee camp located in the Negev desert, in the south of Israel. The exposition was beautiful, moving, and absolutely heartbreaking. 

After spending the morning at the Museum of Modern Art, I found another museum called “Musée national des arts asiatiques Guimet” which was located nearby. While I hadn’t planned on visiting another museum that day, the building’s beautiful, unique exterior caught my eye and decided to check it out. The other reason was that it was absolutely freezing that day, I wanted to go inside and warm up! I was pleased to discover that this museum is free for European residents under the age of 26, so all I needed to do was show my passport and student visa, and I was in. This museum, featuring historical artwork and artifacts from Asian countries, had lots of fascinating expositions. Unfortunately, my phone had died at this point in the day, and I was unable to take pictures. But, the museum was beautiful and I would definitely recommend it.

Later that afternoon, I met back up with Chelsey and her host kids for a holiday fair and amusement park in the Tuileries Garden. The four of us had so much fun and spent a great afternoon together. Chelsey and I went on one of those spinning swing rides, and were both so scared we could have had heart attacks. The whole time, we clung onto each other desperately and screamed at the top of our lungs, convinced the swing was going to break and we would crash down onto the street far below us. Fortunately, we survived the experience, although we certainly stumbled off the swings feeling quite dizzy, while the children who had ridden appeared completely fearless and unfazed. Chelsey and I also went on the giant ferris wheel together, which was definitely a more relaxing experience than the swings. At the top of the ferris wheel, we had the most breathtaking view of Paris. From high up, we could see all of the famous landmarks: the Eiffel Tower, the Sacre Cœur, the Louvre, and so much more. The view was truly so beautiful that I could have cried. As we looked out at this beautiful city, I kept thinking about how much I love my adoptive country, and how blessed I am to have the opportunity to live here. I thought about how much this experience has taught me, and how grateful I am for the adventures I’ve had and the dear friends I’ve made. If I could offer one piece of advice to anyone, it would be this: Travel, no matter how scary or difficult it might seem. It will change your life in a million different ways.

[aupairadventures]

Speaking "Fr-anglais": An Anglophone's Journey of Learning French

About four years ago, during my freshman year of high school, I started taking French classes for the first time. I’ll be honest, when I first started learning this language, it absolutely terrified me. In the fall of my Freshman year, nothing about French class came easily to me. On the contrary, I found class to be extremely difficult, and I felt like I just couldn’t keep up with the rigorous pace of the course and the challenging material. I remember my first oral presentation so vividly. I was very shy when I was 14, and the idea of getting up in front of my class and giving a presentation in my first language was horrifying enough. But doing it in French? Forget about it. Standing before my classmates and teacher, my hands shaking, I gave what was probably one of the worst presentations to ever take place in the French classroom of my high school. My script was so simple, all I really had to say was, “Je m’appelle Shanti, j’ai quatorze ans, j’habite à Lenox,” but I stumbled and tripped over every word, and felt like I wanted to throw up the entire time. I remember that after I was finished, I sat back down in my seat and felt tears stinging behind my eyes. In that moment, I made up my mind: There’s was no way in hell I would continue taking French the next year. As soon as the year was up, I was dropping the class.

A few months later, during a student-parent-teacher conference, I remember my French teacher talking to my mom and I about how I never spoke during class discussions. “You have to start speaking more,” she said, “You simply can’t learn a language if you never practice speaking it.” Too shy and self-conscious, I decided to ignore her good advice and continue remaining silent during class. I never dared to raise my hand to answer a question or join in a discussion. My lips remained firmly sealed and my arm stayed glued to my side. However, participation made up quite a large percentage of our grade, and it became clear that I was going to fail the class if I didn’t start speaking. As much I scared of speaking, I was even more scared of doing poorly in the class or of disappointing my teacher. So, although my hand trembled as I raised it and my voice shook as I spoke, I finally faced my fears and began speaking during class. The first few times I raised my hand, my anxiety skyrocketed, but the more that I spoke, the less anxious I felt. As I progressively got more comfortable participating in class and speaking French, something incredible happened; I fell in love with this language. I started to truly enjoy my French classes, and came to realize that I had a passion for learning French. In many ways, the experience of taking this  class and the support of my French teacher helped me to develop my self-confidence and to find my voice. I think that this is part of the reason why I love French so much, and why the language has a special place in my heart. For me, these memories of high school French class symbolize breaking through my fears and changing from a shy, quiet girl into a woman who has confidence in her voice.

I wish that I could travel back in time and speak with myself when I was fourteen years old. There’s so much that I would tell her and talk with her about, and French would definitely be one of the topics. I would tell her, “You think the passé composé is hard? Just wait until you start learning the futur anterieur, (or any other tense out of the thousands of tenses that exist).” I would say, “Within the next few years of high school, there are gonna be a few French tests that stress you out so much that you cry while studying but don’t worry, everything is going to be just fine. You got this.” Most importantly, I would say, “Thank you for being brave and deciding to not quit French. Thank you for speaking in class, even though it was scary. If you hadn’t, we might have never ended up where we are now: working as an au pair in France and speaking French every single day. And I can’t even begin to tell you how grateful I am for this, and how happy you’re going to be in four years.”

Since I arrived in France in August, I have loved having the opportunity to speak French every single day. In the past three months, I have learned so much and my abilities in French have definitely improved. However, this does not mean that I haven’t completely fallen on my face while speaking French. I make plenty of mistakes on a daily basis and have embarrassed myself countless times. Sometimes, I absolutely butcher pronunciation, I make grammatical errors, I stumble through my sentences, or forget basic vocabulary. But here’s the thing: it’s okay! You can’t expect yourself to speak a second language flawlessly after only living in the county of said language for only several months. You’re going to make lots of mistakes, and you shouldn’t beat yourself up over it. There’s nothing wrong with making mistakes. On the contrary, every time you make a mistake, it’s helping you to learn more! Sure, it would be a lot quicker and easier if I could wave a magic wand and speak French fluently overnight. It might spare me the strange looks I get from waiters or supermarket cashiers as I butcher their beautiful language with my American accent. It might save me from the embarrassing moments where I stop in the middle of my sentence to try to conjugate something in my head before I say it. I might save me from accidentally saying curse words or super sexual things when I mistranslate or mispronounce something. (To my fellow French-learners, I implore you to exercise caution when trying to use the phrase, “Je suis excitée.” Hint: It doesn’t mean what you think it does. And neither does “préservatifs.” Also, for the love of God, know the difference between “baisser” and “baiser.” Knowing the difference in spelling and pronunciation will save you a world of embarrassment.) But what’s the fun in that? My advice to you, fellow second language learners, is to lean into those embarrassing moments, make peace with sometimes looking like an idiot, and have as much fun as you can while doing so.

Here’s some of my other advice for improving your French:

This is a pretty basic suggestion, but watching movies and TV shows in French is always a good idea! There aren’t many French movies or series on Netflix, but they're definitely a few good ones if you do your research. Recently, I’ve been watching a French series called “Dix Pour-Cent” (Known as “Call my Agent” in English,) which I highly recommend. It’s entertaining, dramatic, hilarious, and is a good show to watch for French learners at an intermediate level. I’ve found that if I watch the show in French with French subtitles to help me follow along, I have no problem understanding what’s being said or keeping up with the plot. On most movies or shows on Netflix, you can also change the audio to French, so you can even practice your French listening comprehension skills while watching your favorite American movies or shows.

I also recommend listening to French news, whether it be on the radio or on TV.  I try to join in with my host family watching the evening news whenever I can. Not only will it help to improve your French, but you’ll also learn more about French politics and current events. As an American, it’s been very interesting to watch French news and see France’s perspectives on world events.

Listening to French music is also a great idea! Some of my favorite French artists are Louane, Pomme, Christine and the Queens, Julien Doré, Maître Gims, Vitaa, TAL, Angèle, and Vianney.

Reading books in French is also a great idea. You can reread books that have been translated into French that you’ve already read in English if it difficult for you to understand the plot of a book when reading in French. Or, you can challenge yourself and read a French book that you’ve never read before. Right now, I’m about to start reading a French book called “Ensemble, c’est tout,” which one of my host dads highly recommends. I’ll keep you all posted on my thoughts and how it goes!

If you’re an au pair from a country that is not a part of the European Union, you will most likely be required to take French lessons as part of your visa requirements. I take French classes three times a week at a language institute called “Francophonie,” which I have enjoyed greatly and highly recommend. If you take language classes like I do, I encourage you to lean in and put as much effort into your classes as you can. Try to be present during classes, participate in class discussions, listen actively, ask lots of questions, take lots of notes, and put time and energy into your homework. The more effort you into your French lessons, the more you will learn and the more you will get out of them!

Finally, my most important recommendation is to practice speaking French as much as possible. Speak to as many people as you can, whether it be your host family, their family or friends, your friends, the teachers at your host children’s school, waiters, customer service workers, strangers on the street, French people you meet on Tinder, etc, etc. I know, it can be nerve-wracking and totally terrifying. Let me remind you, I’ve made a fool out of myself more times than I can count. But, I promise, it will get easier each time you do it, and it will help you to improve your speaking ability. Let’s go back to what my very wise French teacher once told me, during a parent-teacher conference when I was a high school Freshman, “You have to start speaking more. You simply can’t learn a language if you never practice speaking it.” Four years later, I can say with full authority that she was 100% right.

So, I think that I’ve made it clear how much I love learning French. This language may be difficult and sometimes downright infuriating, and yes, I have certainly made more mistakes than I care to admit, but there is something so special about this vibrant and beautiful language, and it’s so magically rewarding to see yourself progress. One day, I hope to be completely fluent in French (And after I master French, many other languages as well!) I know that this will be challenging, and there are many mistakes to be made in my future of language-learning, but I believe in myself and know that as long as I never give up, I can do it!  

[aupairadventures]

Falling in Love with Paris: Part 2

After my weekend in Paris with Chelsey, I returned to Nantes for only three days before heading back to La Ville Lumière with my host family. As we’ve established, I absolutely fell in love with Paris when I went with Chelsey, so I was overjoyed to come back and see more of this beautiful city.

Thursday:

After we arrived on Thursday, we spent the evening with my host parent’s friends and their kids, at the house of my host kid’s godmother. The evening was lovely, as the friends of my host dads are incredibly sweet and welcoming, and dinner was delicious. If you’re an au pair, I really recommend going with your host family when they visit their friends or family for dinner parties or gatherings; it’s a great way to practice the language that you’re learning! It’s the perfect opportunity to practice speaking to new people and to also improve your listening comprehension. If you listen to and join in the conversations around the dinner table, you’ll hear new accents, learn new vocabulary and expressions (maybe even some jokes or swear words,) and you’ll also hear people talk very fast! You might feel a bit lost at first, but eventually, you’ll begin to pick up on and understand the conversations. It’s so rewarding when you realize that you can understand what’s being talked about, and even more rewarding when you can actually join in the conversation and successfully communicate with others. Learning a language is hard work, but in moments like this, sitting around a dinner table and being able to have a conversation with a native speaker, remind me why I love learning French so much and why it’s so important to me.

Friday:

On Friday, I spent the day exploring the city with my host family. In the morning, we visited the Musée de l’Homme, a history museum with exhibits about the historical anthropology of the human race. The exhibitions were quite interesting and impressive, but what was even more impressive was the view of the Eiffel Tower from the museum’s second story windows. After our visit to the museum, the family and I spent the afternoon at the Arc de Triomphe and the Place de la Concorde.

On Friday night, I met up with Chelsey again. There’s no way I could be in Paris without seeing this ray of sunshine! I took the metro (on my own, I might add, which I was very proud of myself for,) to meet up with her, then we took the metro together to the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower during the day is beautiful, but at night, it’s nothing short of breathtaking. The tower is lit up with golden light, and there’s a light show every hour on the hour, where the tower’s lights intensify and sparkle. It’s definitely on my list of ‘Most Beautiful Things I’ve Ever Seen.” Chelsey and I went to the Trocadero, to have the best view of this spectacular sight. We spent a good hour trying (and failing) to take pictures of each other with the tower, laughing a bit too loudly all the while. After taking about 300 photos, we walked down the stairs of the Trocadero so we could walk along the banks of the Seine. We sat along the edge of the water, our legs dangling over the side of the stone reinforcements, and gazed up at the Eiffel Tower, transfixed by its beauty, and in a state of utter disbelief. 

Saturday:

On Saturday morning, Chelsey and I meet up with my host family at the Musée de l’Orangerie. I absolutely adored this museum its exhibitions. We saw Claude Monet’s Water Lilies, and work from other impressionist painters, like Renoir, Matisse, and Degas. I’ve attached photos of some of the pieces we saw below.

After our morning in the museum, we strolled through the Jardin des Tuileries and took a walk around the city until we found a restaurant for lunch. Chelsey and I both had an amazing vegan salad with quinoa, grapefruit, and avocado. I had a great time during lunch, and not just because of the delicious food. It was so lovely to bring together Chelsey and my host family, and for them to get to know each other. And, as is always the case when I’m with either Chelsey or my host family, the conversations certainly didn’t fail to make me laugh!

After lunch, we spent the afternoon exploring Le Marais, the gay quarter of Paris. I think that I’ve found my absolute favorite place in this city! This quarter is filled with adorable boutiques, such as a yarn and fabric store and an antique shop. One of my host dads brought us to the store that his parents ran when he was a kid, and also to the department store where he used to work when he was a student. My favorite thing about Le Marais was all of the Pride flags and rainbow-colored crosswalks that we saw; it made my queer little heart so happy!

As we walked through the cobblestone streets, the majority of the conversations were focused on my host kid asking if Chelsey and I were a couple, and then getting upset when we said no, and demanding, “Why not? Well, you should be!” At one point, my host kid said something so funny, that I tripped over myself and fell on the sidewalk because I was laughing so hard!

Before we left, we stopped to get tea and coffee at a little restaurant called Caffe Vito. As we were sitting and having our drinks, one of my host dads told us, “You’ve never been to a gayer place than this cafe.” Now, I didn’t totally understand why he said this. I failed to see what exactly was so gay about it, other than it being in Le Marais. I’d really love to know! But for now, I’ll just take his word for it.

At the end of the day, Chelsey and I had to say goodbye to each other once again. Since we won’t be able to see each other for a little while, we were pretty emotional and definitely caused a scene on the metro. But fear not, Chelsey and I are going to have plenty more adventures together, (and there will most certainly be blog posts about them!) 

On Saturday night, my host family and I went to see a Cirque du Soleil performance together. The show was absolutely incredible and left me absolutely speechless! The performers, from the acrobats to the dancers, to the musicians, were unbelievably impressive, and the performance was nothing short of magical.

Sunday:

On Sunday, my host family and I had a very Parisian petit-dejeuner of pain aux raisins and baguette, before we headed off to our final destination of the weekend. Before we left Paris and returned home to Vertou, we went to an art installation at the Atelier des Lumières. The exhibition was quite fascinating! I wish I had been able to take pictures of videos, but I’ll do my best to explain it. The exhibition took place in a large, warehouse-like room. On one side of the room was a large staircase and balcony. In the center of the room, there was a circular shaped room, and another rectangular room filled with mirrored walls, floors, and ceilings. There were also two large holes in the floor, enclosed by the banister, with pools of water at the bottom. The room was completely dark, but videos of moving artwork were projected onto the entirety of the room; on every inch of the walls, ceiling, and floors. Music also played over the speakers, as well, making it an experience that strongly appealed to your senses. It made you feel as if you were actually inside of the artwork, rather than just a removed spectacular looking at a 2-dimensional painting. The installation very beautiful and moving, and extremely well done. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it!  

After my first weekend in Paris with Chelsey, I didn’t think that it was possible to adore this city any more than I already did. But, my experience this past weekend certainly proved me wrong. Paris, it broke my heart to say goodbye, but don’t worry; I’ll be back before you know it.