It is exactly 8am and I am sitting in the lobby of the Hotel du Simplon. I arrived 6 hours too early to check in. I have settled in the sitting area fully equipped with some sort of table top candle chandelier decorated with fake fruit, wilting flowers, and banister posted wrapped in fake ivy. Its pleasant and dare I say, very French. The flight landed an hour ahead of schedule, customs was a breeze, and I successfully claimed all of my baggage. Leaving the airport I had definite ‘bag lady’ status, however, at 6 in the morning there weren’t too many people around (so my “tourist embarrassment” was at an all time low, phew…). There was no line for the taxis, again because it was so early in the morning, I hopped in and quickly warned the driver that my suitcase was REALLY heavy! He called over a friend who helped him hoist it into the back of the van. He was very nice, asked if I spoke French and I replied yes. I realized that if you introduce your French knowledge as “un peu” you are bound to impress if you know more than “je m’appelle Sara.” As we began our drive (which took a little less than an hour) he put on some music. We started out with the radio and after discussing that we both liked music he put on a guitar CD. I asked if he played but he explained he only had a passion for it. We began to listen to the music, he asked what genre of music I like…I said I liked all different kinds of genres. He then began to quiz me on the instrumentals, which included Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins, Lionel Richie, The Beatles and Rod Stewart. He had a true passion for American music and kept referring to Bruce as The Boss, rightfully so. He kept saying, “The Boss 40 years!” When we came closer to the city center he pointed out the venue where all the big artists come and play and told me The Boss has come to play there TWICE! Also, U2 and Dire Straights. He gave me his number in case I needed a cab again and he helped me lug my baggage into the hotel. I stored my big bags until I can check in and now here I am!
Initial stresses of the trip so far include only a couple minor details and one big shitty situation (for lack of a better term). It looks like I will be moving to Rouen, a school district in the north of France. This change in plans is no fault of my own, in fact, it was completely out of my hands. I received a voicemail from the French Embassy in Washington D.C. when I landed here in France informing me that there is no position available for me here in the ‘Academie de Lyon’ (the Lyon school district). The Academie decided to transfer my information to another school, hours north (right across the water from England, actually), and had failed to inform me of this earlier (I had an idea of this about a week ago, but have been on and off the phone trying to find out details everyday until now). I plan on enjoying my time in Lyon and I think I will do some touristy stuff while I’m here. I guess I’ll go up north in a week or so, maybe I’ll head to the south and go to the beach for a couple days and relax, who knows! I was a little upset about this whole ordeal but more frustrated than anything else. My excitement about living in Lyon has been building since April and now after finding out it is pretty much official that I have to move, is a bit disappointing. I do whole heartedly believe that everything happens for a reason so if I do indeed head up north to the town of Eu with population 8,000 I guess I will just face whatever other challenges are thrown my way. Side note: If I do end up in Eu and you feel so compelled to check it out online make sure you look it up as part of Rouen or else you will be bombarded with results referring to the European Union, the city is actually looking to change its name in the coming years for this exact reason.
Despite the glitch in my future plans I am very excited to be here with a visa and a job. I love how everyone around me is speaking French, as silly as that sounds. I hope to spend the later part of my morning at a café, sipping a nice big cup of coffee as I read my book (The Gold Coast by Nelson DeMille). My friend Marissa is scheduled to land at 3pm and will hopefully arrive at the hotel around 4. If she is up to it I think I will try and buy a French SIM card so I can set up a phone number here.
So, in my spare thinking time on the plane, the time waiting for my baggage, and now the time in the hotel I have realized I forgot my ipod charger, Lyon guidebook (which, If I move out of here, isn’t really a big deal), and MY TOOTHBRUSH! I did however pack a set of 4 wisps – a phenomenal invention created by the brilliance of Colgate that has built in toothpaste and soft bristles for brushing on-the-go. So it’s a given that I will be making a trip to the pharmacy today or tomorrow. So, as I texted my sister this morning, I completed my first goal and that was getting to Lyon. Now wherever life takes me has yet to be determined. C’est la vie!
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