....
It is crazy. While I am really excited, I am also terrified. When we made the decision a few months ago (see future choices flow chart below), it sounded so romantic to live in France. We'll be in Grenoble, which is about 3 hours from Switzerland and 3 hours from Italy. I daydreamed about how neat it would be to be immersed in another culture (not to mention eat their food..) and basically just experience more of what life has to offer. See the Alps, visit Chateaus on the weekend.. you know, normal life.
However, in the months that followed, it has been more about documents and travel arrangements than searching out the best baguettes. Then there was that whole "Let's have a baby" to make it even cooler. (I just keep reminding myself that women have been giving birth since the dawn of time, so it can't be that bad... right? Don't answer that.) So, needless to say, it's been a bit hectic, but we are getting there.
So, here are some fun details:
Nate will be getting his PhD in Business Marketing. Aka homework and research for life. He is specifically interested in cognitive behavior- ie what makes an advertisement appealing and why, what are the factors in consumer behavior, etc.
His program will be in English. If Nate wanted to, he could go through the program and never learn any French. However, life will be in French for me, so I'll be digging up those notes from high school pretty soon.
Once he finishes, Nate plans to go into academia. We don't have a university in mind where we'd like to go, and a lot of opportunities can present themselves in 4 years, so we'll see. He's also interested in entrepreneurship and consulting. It is an open road.
Ginger Baby will not be a French citizen. In fact, I don't know what Ginger Baby will be. I guess we'll get something sorted when we come back to the US. In any event, French citizenship is not just granted because you were born there. You have to be born and then stay until 18. You have to mean it.
*Side note on Ginger Baby- we find out the sex on 9/4. Stay tuned!
As for what I'll be doing, I am in the process of growing a human. I'll stay home with the baby for the first few months, and then we'll just see what kind of balance evolves. I'm certified to teach English as a second language, and so I may tutor for a bit on the side while Ginger Baby is little. Once the baby is older, I may start teaching classes as well. It will be interesting to see what works. Another option is pursuing a Masters, but again, how things go with Ginger Baby will be the largest determinant in what I do. Career wise, my main goal is to become a Social Studies teacher. Life wise, my main goal is to be a good wife and mother. I feel strongly about both, so here's to creating that timeline and finding the balance.
Our visits to the US will be minimal, if at all. An international flight with a toddler is a situation where no one wins, for starters. However, visitors are totally welcome! I can't guarantee a place to stay, but AirBnB has some great deals nearby!
Speaking of, we'll be living in an AirBnB place for our first week or so there. Despite our best efforts to secure an apartment before arriving, being on another continent is just too far away to make arrangements. So, it should be fun. And by that I mean that I hope it's fun.
So, here we go! Vive la France!
