Parlez Vous Français?

That's usually the first question that people ask me when I tell them that I'm moving to France for a year. In all fairness to my French tutor, I do speak a little French but not nearly enough to be welcomed with open arms by the Frenchies upon my arrival.

So not only will I be homeless when I touch down at Charles de Gaulle airport some time in mid-September I will also have a huge language barrier to overcome. Actually, my French isn't that bad but it's really not all that good either. Ok who am I kidding here my French really IS that bad (I'm sorry Marie). I just guess I have my work cut out for me in more ways than one.

Passport, Where Art Thou?

To move to France I need a passport and I had a perfectly fine passport mildly used passport that was valid until February 2008. Unfortunately, I was forced to renew my passport to ensure that it will be valid for a least 6 months after my return home in May 2008. So I filled out my renewal application, had some awful passport photos taken, wrote a check for $67, placed everything neatly inside of a padded envelope and voila, off to the passport processing office in Philadelphia, PA it was sent.

Ten weeks later I'm still waiting for my beloved passport to be mailed back to me. It was difficult to part with her as she had been a part of my life for the past 9.5 years. She was with me when I celebrated St. Patrick's Day in Belfast and again when I visited my Aunt and young cousins living in Vienna. She was there when I touched down at Charles de Gaulle airport for the first and was by my side as I fell in love with the city of Paris. Lastly, she was there with me when I learned that one can practically live off of pennies in the city of Krakow. Needless to say she is missed and I long for her return because without her I cannot explore the cities and countries that I have only experienced in my dreams.

US government and passport officials, please send me my passport shiny and new and in a timely manner so I can get my visa and get this show on the road.

The Beginning

All things have a beginning and with this post I mark the beginning of my blog. It is here that I will log my journey from native working New Yorker to an English language assistant living in Paris Creteil somewhere in France. There are still many unknowns regarding my future and I stand to face quite a few challenges but I say bring it on, bring it on baby.