parlez-vous francais?

Initially when we moved to Paris, the adjustment and trying to find a place to live was enough to worry about. I was starting a new job (my FIRST real job, and in a foreign country!), homeless, jet-lagged, and starry-eyed.

Feeling more settled in now and realizing that I have already been here for 2 months (!), I am starting to reflect on all of the things I want to accomplish while I am here. I have a never-ending list that continues to grow of cafes, museums, parks, etc. that I really want to visit. Not-so-touristy things... my students helped give me a few ideas when I asked about their favorite things to do and see in the city. I want to really know this city because I already love it so much.

Beyond that, I have been starting to get serious about learning--really learning--French. Yes, I have taken it for 8 years already. Yes, I live in a French speaking country and can get around just fine with my French. BUT I teach entirely in English, and I now tutor a 6 year old boy as well in English. Not to mention that we speak English at our apartment (duh) and all of my friends here speak English. I am beginning to realize that unless I really try to put myself out there with speaking French, I could potentially leave here no better off with French than when I came. It's not as if I avoid French; I speak it in the street everyday, but that is much different than having a long meaningful conversation.

However, there are little victories here and there. I am getting better about understanding the mile-a-minute conversations at lunch with the other teachers I work with, so I am trying to encourage myself to stick my neck out a little more and speak! I think I have been too afraid of being wrong or of making a mistake so it has been easy to stick to situations where I can control my French. No more! I have been studying French and practicing on Rosetta Stone again in the evenings and am going to look for either lessons or a person that I can have a "conversation exchange" with. I am going to really make an effort to be bold and speak French everywhere I go (Emily and I had a long conversation about this last night and actually had a short conversation in French in the apartment!). Mark my words and hold me to them: I WILL BECOME FLUENT.