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Montpellier

Bonjourrrr!!

I have been so bad about writing since I’ve been in Montpellier (even though I’ve had plenty of free time—bed and Netflix get priority) but I really am going to try to keep this blog thing going to keep my peeps at home updated, and also to be able to read these when I’m older wanting to reminisce. The past few weeks have been interesting to say the least. 

When I first arrived in Montpellier by bus from Barcelona, I only had 20 euros, my passport, and my laptop to get by after having my purse, money, and phone stolen in Spain (read first blog post for the full story). I had my new debit card shipped to my apartment, but unfortunately it arrived before I was even in the city, so it was sent to the “local” FedEx location. Trying to get to said FedEx location to pick up my card was an absolute fiasco. Very long story (as) short (as possible): The bus that was supposed to take me to FedEx was apparently no longer in service, so I waited an embarrassingly long time for a bus that never showed. I finally figured out the best way to get there with the help of some public transit employees (I had no phone to guide me), but it involved walking along an interstate for almost 2 miles with no sidewalk. I did the commute, but when I finally arrived, the FedEx office had closed just 5 minutes earlier and they wouldn’t let me get the debit card. So, I had to do my 2 mile awkward walk back with about 3 euros left and starting to get verrrry hungry. Luckily, I went again the next day and thank God I was successful! Once I had my card, I went straight to the ATM, then I got myself a big delicious greasy burger. 

The first week in Montpellier was a bit awkward and lonely. A lot of businesses were closed (in France the last few weeks of August are vacation time for the whole country) and most students were still out of town enjoying their last bit of summer. The city was very quiet, and of course I knew no one, so I used this time to get settled in, register for classes, and buy things I needed, first priority being a phone. I went on the “Students of Montpellier” Facebook page and posted, asking if anyone had a phone they could sell. I ended up buying one from a French girl named Laurie, who was really friendly! I was desperate to make a friend, so I asked her if she would like to get lunch, and she said yes. We had a lovely time and have hung out quite a bit since. My first friend in France! I’m usually a bit shy when it comes to making friends, but when you’re literally thousands of miles from home, you kind of have to get over that and just go for it. And I’m so happy I did!

After getting fairly settled into my new home, I actually went back to Barcelona for the weekend to finish what I started (lots of exploring and partying). No need to go into details there.

After a crazy weekend in Barcelona and then having to make a lot of purchases for my apartment and such, I really started to see my bank account dwindle, so I started my job search. I applied for a local company that hires English-speaking babysitters and tutors to care for and teach English to local children. I was invited to a Skype interview, then was offered the job! I am very excited to start in the next few weeks to keep busy, make some money instead of just spending, have a new cool experience teaching English, and finally taking a much needed break from food and bev! There are a few legal things I need to take care of before I am able to actually work, but having a few weeks to get accustomed to my school schedule before adding work on top of that will help me a lot. 

The other day, I had to go to the university to take a placement test to assess my current level of French. This definitely made me realise how much French I had forgotten since I was in France last year. Despite it being difficult for me, I placed at B2/upper intermediate, and received my schedule at the orientation a few days later. Luckily, my school schedule will not be too hectic; I will only have class 4 days a week with my longest day being just under 5 hours. All of the classes are French language oriented (oral comprehension, written expression, grammar, etc), but I will also be taking French in international affairs, as well as cinema. Everything is taught in French, no English is involved. Like I said, this will definitely be a challenge, but hopefully I’ll master the language pretty easily, being so immersed in it. 

One day last week, I started chatting with a Moroccan Erasmus (European study abroad) student on the tram, and he invited me to join a WhatsApp group chat for Erasmus and international students. Ever since I have done this, I have been invited to different events every night and already met so many people. Just the other night, there was a wine and cheese party alongside a river that goes throughout the city in a very nice park. There were probably around 50 people from all over the world. Everyone was really easy to talk to and I was able to make a few friends that I have already hung out with since! In a city of 70,000 students, there are always people hanging out and finding fun things to do. This is really great for me, because not making friends was my biggest fear when moving to a foreign country. I’ve so far only met once American here (mostly Europeans and Asians), but all of the international students that I have met are in the same boat as me: alone, and looking to have a good time and discover new cultures. 

That is pretty much what I’ve been up to these days. I really do love it here and feel pretty comfortable. It’s a very safe city and a very cheap one compared to other places in France. There are people from all over the world here and everyone is so friendly and genuine. Southern French people are very happy, pleasant, and hospitable. Probably my favorite thing about French culture is the way that people take their time in everything they do. They enjoy life as much as possible and spending quality time with one another is very important. This has already made an impact in the way that I look at life, and the French joie de vivre reminds me to enjoy every moment that I am here like it is my last. As I was writing this in my journal, I was sitting at a restaurant on a terrace in a shady park, drinking a glass of rose, people-watching and eavesdropping on peoples’ French, and eating a delicious meal.  I love this country and this language and this city, and I am excited beyond words for the next year, and hopefully more to come after that. 

Thanks for reading!!

Alannah

[ohlalannah-blog]

The beginning — Boston/Barcelona

Hola/bonjour/hey y'all!!!!!!

I have had a really insane 2 weeks since my arrival in Europe and I haven’t even thought about blogging. However, I did it last year when I was in France and it was a great way for me to process the events and emotions I was going through, as well as a way to keep my peeps at home updated on ma life. But now that I am all settled into my new French apartment, I actually have some free time to write. So voila!! Welcome to my blog!!

Let me start off by explaining what I am doing here for those who don’t know. This year, I will be participating in a French program for foreigners at a large university in Montpellier, France. The program is designed to improve each student’s level of French to a point where they would be able to take normal college classes (taught in French) to pursue a degree. So my overall plan is to complete this year-long program, then eventually enroll in a university for an additional 3 years to get my bachelors. It will definitely be a challenge, but by doing this, I will be saving an insane amount of money (tuition is about $250 per semester) and mastering a second language. This past summer, about 90% of the money I earned working went into savings. I had to do a ton of paperwork (all in French, might I add), drive all the way to Atlanta and back for a visa appointment that lasted 10 minutes, hire translators on multiple occasions, and decide on an apartment without being able to even see it in person. This has definitely be a challenge so far and I don’t doubt it’s only going to get more difficult, but I think that all the work will pay off and that this will make for a really cool experience. 

I left home the first week of August, from where I flew to Boston. I was an emotional wreck the few days leading up to my departure and I cried a lot, especially when my Saltwater Cowboys pals threw me a going away party, when I had to say goodbye to my mama, and when my dad and brother dropped me off at the airport. Even though I was sad to leave, knowing that I was leaving behind an important chapter of my life, I also knew I was about to start a super exciting new one and I was looking forward to it! 

I had never been to Boston before, but after finding a very cheap flight from there to Barcelona (which is very close to Montpellier), I decided to make a little trip out of it. I stayed there for 3 days, and I did a good bit of exploring solo. I did a walking tour of the historical sites of the city on an app I downloaded on my phone, tried a lobster roll (apparently a very important aspect of visiting Boston), and went on a whale-watching cruise where we probably saw 7 or 8 humpback whales. It was actually one of my favorite things I have done in the past 2 weeks. I turned out really liking the city!! On my last day, I went to the airport in the evening to board my overnight flight to Barcelona.

I absolutely love flying, but I have never had such a god-awful flight in my life. I was in the very last row, in the middle section of seats, in the middle seat. The guy next to me had the worst B.O. I have ever smelled. Since I was in the back, I was right next to where the crew stayed, and they were required to leave the lights on. I was also right next to a bathroom which was fun. I probably got a total of 30 minutes of sleep. But the flight was $150, so I don’t know how much I can really complain…. 

I arrived in Barcelona on the morning of August 7th and I was very very sleepy but very very excited!! I had only been to the city once, but it was at the end of my France trip last year when I had absolutely no money left, so I usually just stayed at my hostel and hung out with the people there. This time, I had money and a great person to spend time with, so I was pumped to see the city. 

I was warmly greeted by my wonderful Colombian friend Jorge, who is now living in Barcelona. We spent the afternoon catching up and napping at his apartment so we would have the energy to explore the city in the evening. We went out for tapas, then bar hopping. It was really cool staying with a local because he knew all the cheapest, coolest bars and restaurants to visit. Some that we visited included a fairytale themed bar (looked like a Disney attraction inside), a record-themed bar with great music, and a bar with an actual skate park in the middle. However, our fun night took a turn for the worst when at one bar, when Jorge and I were a little too tipsy and very distracted, the next thing I knew, my purse and his phone disappeared off the table we were sitting at. Someone must have very sneakily picked them up from right next to us when they knew we weren’t looking.

We looked everywhere for our belongings and talked the bartenders to see if they had cameras (which they didn’t), and we eventually had to accept that our stuff was gone and we weren’t getting it back. It was a very sad way to end such a fun night—and a weird way to start my time Europe—but we tried our hardest to not let it get to us too much. The next day, we filed a police report just in case anything were to be turned in, but we didn’t have high expectations. In my purse, I had my brand new iPhone 7, wallet with drivers license and debit card, about 300 euros of cash, and 2 new pairs of headphones. Of course now, I feel like an idiot for having carried all that around with me to begin with. I was just really lucky that I took my passport out of the bag before leaving the apartment that evening. I would have been screwed!!!

Despite the unfortunate event, I still planned on staying with Jorge for a week before heading to France, I just had to depend on him for all of our expenses (with promises to pay him back of course). We had an amazing week exploring the city. More than anything, we walked around, did some sightseeing, ate greasy delicious Spanish food and drank at plenty of bars. (I definitely took advantage of being able to drink legally.) There were multiple occasions where we had intentions of doing “touristy things,” but instead, I forced him to watch New Girl with me over a bottle of rose. 

We had a really lovely time and I absolutely fell in love with Barcelona. Other than the robbery, the only negative part was the fact that I know no Spanish. I don’t know how I still don’t know any after having studied it for a year, spending 5 weeks in Colombia, and doing hours and hours of Duolingo, but I really suck at it. There were a few times we would meet up with Jorge’s friends and they would speak primarily in Spanish and I would just listen and understand as much as I could, but it was usually about 2% of the conversation. The trip definitely encouraged me to learn the language, especially considering I am only a 4 hour bus ride away from the city and 2 1/2 hours from the Spanish border. 

Even though getting my purse stolen sucked really, really, really bad, it definitely taught me a lesson about robbery in Europe. It’s not something we really have to worry about in Charleston, especially not Mount Pleasant, but it’s very common here and you always have to keep an eye on your things. It also was a reminder that bad things happen, you just have to keep your cool and remember you will be okay! It all worked out alright, even though I’m short a few hundred dollars, I survived!!!

Thanks for reading, and please contact me at any time by Facebook, WhatsApp, or by texting my old number (if you have iMessage I can still get them on my laptop). I love hearing from people back at home :) 

A bientôt,

Oh la lannah