The WHAT and WHY

What am I doing this next year of my life?

Going to Paris! I will be living with a family as their au pair (nanny). Just outside of Paris in a little suburb called Sevres will be my home for the next 11 months and will be my base for many exciting adventures to come! The family I am staying with consists of three kids: the eldest is a 13 year old girl followed by her two brothers, 10 and 5. While the kids attend their international school during the weekdays (except Wednesday), I will be attending my language school in Paris. Hopefully I can work my way towards a bit of fluency while I'm there. On weekends, I am off to explore and find my place in this French family's life. I am so excited!

Why am I doing this?
If the obvious reasons do not suddenly jump out at you, then please go on google and find images for "croissant", "tuileries", "the Louvre", "City of Lights", "crepes", and everything else France has to offer. As for the technical part of this answer....it's a long story.

It all starts right before I began my senior year of high school. I found the American University of Paris and fell in love with the curriculum, the location, the opportunities, and almost everything else about the school. I had to go! I applied with the help of some great essay editors, and got in. I was stoked! Had I been a little wiser, I would have applied to some schools in country, but knowing me, that wasn't really going to be an option, was it? I got into the International American Univ in London as well and was offered their highest scholarship. The only problem was.....London is not France. I was utterly captivated.

Well, months down the road, I accepted to the University in Paris, a ton of things began falling through, anxiety took over my brain, and frankly, I was receiving every answer to NOT go. So I battled it out. Thankfully, I have faith that there is a divine plan for us all and that we have a Heavenly Father who really, honestly, truly cares about our sanity and well being. I turned to Him in the form of Priesthod blessings, my patriarchal blessing, scripture study, and a ton of personal prayers. I scrambled to apply to Utah State University and was accepted and fluidly signed up for all of my classes. Don't get me wrong, USU is an awesome school and probably my future school, but I was so miserable applying that night for a future that I didn't want quite yet. I went into my cold, dark car and cried. So.....back to the point, I realized I needed France out of my system! I got back on to the au pair websites that I had meandered through a couple of months earlier and began sending my profile to every family I could. After a few Skype interviews and a lot of email correspondances with families from the South of France to good old-fashioned farms in the countryside, I interviewed with a family that I thought would be awesome! Well, they told me they chose someone who could paly the guitar and the piano.

Story is not over, though! They said they really liked me and passed my name on to their neighbor who is now my current French family. Within a couple of days, my future fell into place.

So, that is why I am here in France as an au pair and to take language classes so that I ca become a bit of fluent. Keep reading as I share my life in France!