Over the Hump

I feel as though I am coming over the initial hump of the second stage... I am starting to acclimate into the French culture and even moreso am beginning to really fall in love.

The first four months were the hardest, I couldn't stop thinking about my family in Oregon, stressing about trying to find a job in a country with a foreign language... but now things seem to be smoothing out.

Yesterday I had the chance to meet two young women in France that wanted to meet me due to my opinions on this very blog.  I was nervous, at first, since meeting strangers can be unnerving.  As I used my bike pass and hopped on, I had a sense of calm over me and I felt.. well.. it felt just plain right!

I met them at a bar called 'Flanigans' up near Place Therreaux- and really a great bar.  Wednesdays provide cheap cocktails and the entire menu is written in English.  I had Bri in tow as a sort of 'fly on the wall' and protector- because one should never meet strangers without a friend.

They were at the entrance and was we started talking.. a mélange between French & English, it felt really good to get out and talk with people that are around my age... and they too were discovering Lyon as a city, despite the fact they were from France.  I felt as though I was in a Sex & the City episode, as we slurped our cocktails and mocked certain cultural differences.  We laughed about our boyfriends downfalls as well as where we want to go in the future, our 'dream jobs', what we 'want to be when we grow up.'  It was so comfortable... and if you two are reading:  THANK YOU.

One cocktail turned into two... then a burger and another cocktail- 4 hours later we all decided it was time to go home and we 'bisou'd' goodbye and headed our separate directions with plans to meet the following week.

I found places and companies that would like specialized Business graduates to teach Business English... not recruiting until January... but just in time.

Biking through this city during the crisp night made me realized how lucky I was and how content I was becoming.  Lyon is becoming a part of me- just like Portland or Forks.  The places we live in define who we are and Lyon has defined me as a person able to move thousands of miles away and survive.

So, I continue to provide you all with advice... but keep in mind that although a move is hard- France can sometimes ease the pain.

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