Mes GRANDES Nouvelles: Fleur de St. Louis is going to France!

Here I am in the Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris this past summer, the day of my engagement to Tony.  ♥ Paris had my heart well before that trip, and now it is a city that means more to me than I ever imagined it could. 

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Just before the arrival of 2018, I posted 12 Dreams for Doing in the new year. Among them: making it back not only to Paris but to other parts of France, and trying a little solo travel. Today I am beyond thrilled to share mes GRANDES nouvelles, my big news, with you! As of a few weeks ago, these dreams have become my reality and I will be spending the 2018-2019 school year teaching English to primary students in the Académie de Amiens (a school district north of Paris). For me, the opportunity to join my passion for teaching with my passion for the French language and culture is truly a dream come true. 

Spending an extended period truly immersing myself in France has always been my dream, but the journey to arrive at this point began about three years ago when I started paying attention to my inner voice, honoring that my passion for all things French was more than a hobby on the side. It became important to me that I find ways to integrate my passion into my every days and I became very intentional about making that happen. Getting back into my studies of the French language at the Alliance Française de St. Louis was a start, followed by the creation of this blog and the decision to finish my degree en français.

I believe that if you follow your dreams, doors will open. It was because I chose to commence with these endeavors that I learned about TAPIF, a Teaching Assistant Program in France. This program would allow me to spend 7 months teaching English while living in France. My first thought: this sounds amazing, but could I really do this? And then I couldn't stop thinking about it. 

I casually mentioned it to Tony, and his immediate response was that this would be an incredible opportunity that he knew I would really enjoy. From that moment, he has been my biggest supporter and source of encouragement. To know that I get to marry someone who believes in my dreams as much as I do has made my heart so incredibly full. While this is something I am very much doing for myself, it is also an experience we are thrilled about as a couple. Tony will be visiting me in France several times (we already have one of his tickets!). We are so grateful for this opportunity to continue to travel the world together. He knows that when it is time to take a big leap towards his dreams, I will be right there by his side. We will be taking this year to chase dreams and travel, followed by our wedding in 2019. I can only imagine what the future holds for us.☺

I don't say bon voyage until September, and there are many preparations that will occur in the meantime. I will be sharing my journey to France and in France here on the blog if you are interested in following along! There is much more to come!

Warmest of wishes from me to you 

as I celebrate this next chapter of my journey,

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