Finals, Visas, and Other Fun Life Moments

Has anyone ever tried to study for finals and figure out the legalities of moving to a new country at the same time? Well, don't ever do it. I beg you. It's awful.

I have two finals tomorrow. They are the only finals I have this week, and the only thing between me and graduation. I also have to complete paperwork so I can have a necessary component for my visa in my hands by the time of my visa appointment. Or else I cannot move to France and/or have to change my flight and spend more money.

So now I am facing the eternal struggle: which do I focus on more? I suppose I should focus on my finals now, since I've done all I can do regarding my visa paperwork for the moment (I did it all for the whole day when I should have been studying). But now all I can think about is my visa. And money. And getting everything done in time. So every time I look at my study material in an attempt to continue, I just get lost in thought.

I really need to focus. I need to make sure that I at least pass these finals so I can maintain my GPA and continue to graduate with honors. Go out with a bang, right? In fact, I should probably stop writing and get back to work right now. So I'll leave now.

Just remember to avoid filing for visas around stressful times like finals and graduation. Seems like common sense (which apparently I don't have), but you never know.

$$$!!!

Ah, money. Money, money, money. I wish I could say that I didn't care about it, but I kind of need to pay bills and eat food, so yeah. I care.

I am completely freaking out over money right now. Being an au pair is EXPENSIVE. They do not tell you how expensive it is. Not only do I have to pay for my flights (over $1000), but I also have to pay for my own language lessons for an entire year (about $1400), my visa and residence fees (don't even get me started, that is a whole other post), my phone, and God knows what else. It is all adding up way too quickly for me to be comfortable with.

It's times like these that I get frustrated with life. I am frustrated that I work so hard and yet I see so little return for it. I am frustrated with living in debt (because there is no way I am affording this without a loan and a credit card). And I am afraid.

It seems like I've been saying that I'm afraid a lot lately. Which is strange, considering that I wrote a post a while ago about bravery and how I was not afraid to go to a new place and live there. I didn't lie about that. I really am excited for this new journey. It's not living in a new country with new people that I'm afraid of. It's not being able to live my life fully because of money and debt.

Yet here I am, still going through with this au pair business. It might seem foolish to some people. After all, I could stay in the US and work and gain savings rather than lose money to debt and interest rates. It's definitely more practical and sensible, and I appreciate that. I've always thought it was important to be practical about things.

But I'm young. I've just graduated from college (well, next week, anyway). And I don't want to be stuck. The only thing I'm more afraid of than being a slave to debt is being stuck. If I were to stay in the US, I would continue to live with my parents (which is problematic in quite a few ways, but necessary because of the next point). I would find an average job that would pay barely anything. Art history majors don't have many good-paying options. I would remain in the place I have been since I was born. And life would be debt-free, for sure. But guess what else it would be?

Monotonous. Empty. Soul-crushing. These may seem like dramatic words, but I'm not exaggerating. I'm not one who tends towards drama. Staying in the US would be good for my pocketbook, but wildly damaging to my self. If there's one thing I've always wanted, it was to be independent, to experience new things, and to make my way through the world.

Sure, as an au pair, I will still be making next to nothing. I will be in debt. But you know what? I'll be stretching my mind in beautiful ways. I'll be learning a language in the best environment. I'll be experiencing new things, traveling to new places, and growing as a person in ways that I probably never knew I could. I highly doubt I could get that by staying in the US. Actually, I know I couldn't.

So while it may be difficult, and I might struggle financially, ultimately this is the best decision for me. Here's to hoping that everything works out in the end!

Cool Finds

I bought a few cool things yesterday (and on sale, too!) that I am really exited to take with me to Paris, and I want to share them because they are too cool not to share.

This one is probably the most amusing. I'm not a very raunchy person and I don't swear all that much, but even though I know I won't actually be using most of what's in this book, it would be really useful to know these things! That way I could better understand what people are saying in the real world, not just proper French. Also, it's just funny to read! It does have lots of useful slang in it too that would make me look less lame to the French people who are my age.

I had to pick this up the moment I saw it. Apparently Paris is a great city for walking adventures, and I love walking around and exploring places, so this seemed perfect. I don't think it would be a value buy if someone were to go for a week or so vacation in Paris, because there are 50 total walking routes, but since I'll be staying for nearly a year, this will be the perfect way to explore Paris. I'm really excited to put these to use!

Of course, I had to get a general guidebook as well, so I chose this one. I explored a few different guidebooks when I went to London, but I liked this one the best. It has lots of useful information in it, and on top of that it's very nice to look at. What can I say? It's the art history major in me.

So now I'm set book-wise for my trip. Let's hope that preparing for the other aspects of heading to France go just as smoothly as buying these items!

And now comes the lemonade!

That's right, I have a new family!

I am very excited. I didn't end up going through an agency, but I am still very pleased with the outcome. This time I will have two kids who are a bit older, which is nice, and the parents seem like such lovely people. To top it all off, guess where I will be living?

Paris! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

It turns out that losing the au pair job in Germany truly was for the best. I already speak a bit of French, and I will be living in one of the best and most romantic cities in the world. I can hardly contain my excitement! We are starting the visa process right away, which makes me feel a lot more secure about the job. I can't wait to meet the family and get to know them, and to have amazing adventures in the city of light!