Adventures!

Somehow, the entire month of June slipped away from me. It was indeed an eventful month. Here's what we've been up to!

End of May: Jason returned from the US and it was glorious. I keep thinking I'll get used to being without him for however long he goes away but I never do. It's definitely harder being the one who's left behind. I don't know how military families do it. I have so much respect for you!!

Ema's mom had her baby and my young friend was NOT thrilled about having a little brother. On top of the new addition, they moved into their new house, which is still very much under construction (even now, a month later) and there are several Polish men running around, making loud noises all day long. It would be a lot for me to handle and I'm not 3 years old. She lashed out at me for a bit there and I was not in the least bit impressed with her antics, but we had a talk and she's been getting better ever since. Kids: I get them.

June 8-9: Jason planned us a trip to St. Émilion, a medieval city about 45 minutes outside of Bordeaux that makes some pretty baller wines. It was, in a word, stunning. It's this tiny little town, nestled in a rambling hillside, surrounded by vineyards as far as the eye can see. The buildings are just sort of sprinkled about, with no real rhyme or reason, and it makes for a beautifully asymmetrical skyline. It poured all day Saturday and we had to hide out in the limestone caves and the monolithic church to stay dry before checking into our quaint little hotel that appeared to be some man's house (in a good way). After a lovely dinner on the steepest, cobblestone-iest street I've ever seen in my life, we drank a bottle of AMAZING wine in the hotel and listened to the rain. On Sunday, a bunch of Jason's co-workers came down for the afternoon and we had a very typically French lunch, lasting three hours and consisting of several dishes and multiple bottles of wine. We hit up a few more wineries for some tastings before watching the sun set of over the city and heading back to Bordeaux. Fantastic.

June 14-16: On Friday, we took a school trip to Arcahon, the city on the bay, just west of Bordeaux. It's known for it's colorful houses and oysters, both of which totally exceeded expectations. We probably walked a good seven miles over the course of the day but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

 

That evening was Ashley and Guillaume's last night in Bordeaux so we took them out for dinner and drinks. We met their friends Isabelle and Thierry, an older couple with the heart of teenagers, who raged with us until close and then joined us for kebabs at our place until 2:30am. It was epic.

The next morning, our new washing machine arrived, and the delivery guys tried to dissuade me from taking because it wasn't in its original packaging and there was some sort of scuff on the side. Look, sirs. I ordered this thing in April from an online company whose name roughly translates to "Buy Things on the Cheap." Unlike the last machine, it has all the pieces still attached and nothing it falling apart so I'm gonna just take it and hope for the best. Also, I am hungover and I don't feel like arguing with you in the street at 10am. Let's get this bad boy up the stairs. P.S. It works fine.

Later that day, we were off to the country to see Ed and his family, including his mother, who was visiting from Canada. She certainly gave my ears a work out but I am certainly not going to complain when there's endless amounts of wine and cheese to help keep me focused. Yes, please tell me more about your neighbor's sister's cat. Fascinating!

On Sunday, I was back at Arcachon, this time with Jason, Rick, Fanny, and Sarah, who is visiting for the next couple months. Since there were no academic objectives to meet, this trip consisted of way less walking, way more napping on the beach. We also stopped at the Dune du Pyla (or Pilat. Spelling doesn't count in France) at the end of the day. It's the tallest sand dune in Europe and I had heard that it was pretty massive. Much like my trip to the Grand Canyon, I knew it was going to be big but you can't really imagine how big until you actually see it. It was a big ass pile of sand, that's for sure. Since the sun doesn't set until after 10pm these days, and 4 out of 5 of us have real jobs, we headed home around 8, with sandy toes and glowing tans. Not a bad way to spend the day.

Rest of June: Still working with the kiddos, still going to classes, still looking for a job for the fall. I have a somewhat promising lead on this teacher trainer position, but it's still only 20 hours a week. Some plans are brewing to get me to stay in the country after September, but I'm going to keep my mouth shut until the paperwork comes back approved so I don't jinx anything. I have been busying myself with giving Jason French lessons, which has been fun, because it's almost like being back in the classroom. I write lesson plans, create/find assessments, assign homework... It's kind of nice! And Jason is learning a lot very quickly, so that is encouraging.

Up next: Barring any floods that might complicate our plans, we're spending this weekend in the Pyrenees! Lourdes and Cauteres are on the list, both of which look like mountain paradise to me. I'm amped about hiking and fresh air, though I must admit that I am also doing some recon for next ski season. Gotta use this snowboarding jacket for something.

Beaches, mountains, and medieval villages? June is a winning month.