Last days in the US (Post blog)

I may have been putting off this blog because I keep thinking I Have to write it in French.

Voila! I do not!

So I must post a little more about Georgia and Nashville.

One more thing about Georgia..

Megan took me to a huge forest that was a botanical garden right around the corner from her house.  This very same garden captured Megan for several hours in her first couple weeks in Georgia.. that’s how large it is, one can seriously get lost. It was bloody hot so I didn’t get great pictures, but I did get a nice one of myself in the bathroom mirror with my super cute lima bean dress on that CJ said I would never wear. Point, Asia. 

Also, I’m pretty sure I picked up some Southern twang when I was down there. I am almost positive if I were there for more than a week or so I would definitely have a drawl.

Now Nashvile..

Well, starts off more about Georgia. I’ve only taken the Greyhound in Australia where it’s actually quite nice. So when I was warned about the Greyhound here I didn’t think anything of it.. oh but NOW I KNOW. All stations stink like urine, smoke and BO. The lady behind me in line asked me where I was going, nice friendly chit chat.. only gawked at the huge scar across her face for like four seconds.. I asked her where sh was going.. to Indiana, for a funeral. Her cousin, who was 17. I asked, only in hopes and wishes, if he was sick. But he was gunned down. I told her I didn’t know Indiana was so violent. She said it’s like that everywhere these days. Am I naïve to think that that’s actually not the case? It took me a while to recover from realizing that her world and my world are so very different.

The man behind me talked on his phone the entire time (although the  bus driver explicitly said after every stop, don’t talk on your cell phone so the whole bus can hear and NO CURSING. Like they said it a zillion times as if this were a serious concern on Greyhound buses.). Maybe the phone conversation wouldn’t have been so attention grabbing had it not been like this.

“No, Carly think that she gon’ keep me from my child just cause my baby girl in prison?! But she be getting out in Six months! We gon’ be a family.. I know, shoot I just got out in December, and I been doin a real good job with my life, ain’t no way she gon’ keep me from my child just cause I got my baby girl Stephanie around..”

Don’t get me wrong, this is not the funniest prisoner encounter I’ve ever had (Per request, I shall post some stories about a sublessor I had last summer who was not only engaged to a convict in prison, but was impregnated by two and dating another on the side... more to come)

Anyway, I survived the Greyhound. I read the entire book called Sarah’s Key, about a Jewish-French girl during the Holocaust.. there was a huge round up of Jews that they call Vel D’Hiv, which took place at a velodrome where races were held. The author makes sure to ntoe that although the plot is fictional, the events surrounding were not. Many people haven’t heven heard of this round up in Paris- I hadn’t but that doesn’t say much about the rest of the educated world- and it appalled me. 4000 Jews were taken from Paris, from French police- not Nazis, and never returned. Although sad, it was a great book.

.

Thank God for the Kindle.

In Nashville, I was blessed enough to stay with a family-friend of Dave’s. Husband, wife and ten-year-old son. Not only did they pick me up at the bus station, house me, AND take me to the air port, but they fed me in between! They took me to Cracker Barrel, a very southern restaurant that was carb filled and superb. And the lady of the house made biscuits and gravy for breakfast! I got to laugh and tell jokes and was very at home with them. Very thankful that was my last night in the US!

Dirrtty South

Actually, I just liked that as a title, but it's not that dirty.

I have arrived in Atlanta/Athens Georgia!! Here's a quick run down!

Packing for a year proved to be challenging.. but thankfully I am small and can pack lots of things ON my body..

And the airport lady let me have seven extra pounds :D

I had to say goodbye to my mom, which sucked, but thank the Lord for iPhones so we can Skype all we want :)

A few delays/packing issues later (by delays, I mean weather delays as well as Asia having to unpack her entire carry on on the plane so that it will fit in the overhead container while the rest of the plane is seated and staring..), I arrived! Let me tell you that arriving in the 82 degree, pouring rain weather of Atlanta, Georgia was not so fun with sweats, Uggs, a sun hat, sweat shirt, and a Snuggie. Interessttingg.



Megan and I went to Cheesecake Factory, succumed to the temptation of Hersheys chocolate cheesecake..
And were VERY tempted to try some walk-in weaves.
That.is.funny.

Mostly I was here to hang out with Megan, but we did get to do some down south things..  Like the Waffle House!
And of course, the waiter gave us free tickets to a band called Stryper (Megan likes to tell people we got stripper tickets..) because we were "cute".
He definitely had to ask us how old we were before giving us the tickets.
One day I will look my age.
That day is not today.

Needless to say, we didn't go. But it was very sweet of the waiter to give us free tickets. Maybe we would have gone if we didn't have other plans..

 Like making chocolate bowls from balloons!!

Found this on a blog during my Stumbling, I knew Megan would try it with me. I may or may not make a mini blog post about how we did that!

Got to play volleyball with a bunch of the neighbors, have ice cream in chocolate bowls and play
Catch phrase.

 It was like my perfect night!!

The night before, we went out in Athens.. and I don't know if anybody knew this, but there are black people here.
IT WAS AWESOMMMEE!
SLO has about .. seven.
Athens has about seven million.

I definitely miss that diversity.
Athens is also the #2 party school in the nation.. and their downtown is amazing, like SLO but bigger.. more people, more bars.. More danccinngg.
Love it!

I also love that the world is so small! I got a Facebook message from a girlfriend from high school I call Grandma, and she all of the sudden was on the drive to see me in Athens! I heard my name at the door "Hi, is Asia here?" and was soo confused- I like having visitors in different states :)

It was great to catch up with her,hear about how life has changed in all sorts of ways in the last 5 years.
But I love that some things have stayed the same :)

On my way to the Greyhound, post soon!

C'est La Vie!

So I have been trying to blog about my last few weeks in the US, but they were so amazing, it may take some more time..
I am so awful at this blogging thing.


If there is one word that could describe my life it would be CHANGE.
All the time.
So, surprise surprise, day before I leave to France, big changes!
.. Change and BLESSED.


I have been debating on whether or not to live in the smaller city I'm working in (Beziers) or in the big city (Montpellier) which is 30 minutes away.. THEN the director emailed with an opportunity to switch and I JUMPED on it.

So "A" is where I was, "B" is where I am, and "C" is the big city! 5 km away!

SO NOowwww, I will be working/living IN Montpellier- WITH accomodation! 


And the new place comes with a lot more: information about when I'll be working (Tuesdays and Fridays), information about what schools I'll be working in (une école de Castries et deux écoles du Crès) and a ride to work! 


Whether or not the accommodation is free, I'm not sure quite yet.. I will be staying in une chambre chez l'habitant.. so living with a family, free rent maybe in exchange for services? We'll see!! Free or cheap, good with me!


My only stipulation: I must be able to have visitors. 



So that lifts my mood quite a bit.. a little freaked out recently about dragging my 200 lb luggage all around Paris trying to find the train station, but it will be juustt fine. 
Sitting in Starbucks in Athens, waiting for the Greyhound bus, then to Nashville for the night, then Paris.