as of late ...

I can't believe I haven't written in 2012 ... consider this my first post of the new year! I can't believe how quickly these past six weeks have been (crazytown). We already have another vacation and I'm off TODAY to Berlin and Budapest for 10 days. It has been abnormally cold in Europe lately, so I'm not sure booking a trip to Eastern Europe was the best idea, but I'm bundling up and heading out of France. I have been super busy lately with teaching and my new internship with CIEE in Rennes. I have had such an incredible time in the office. In addition to doing some translation for course syllabus', I wrote a dossier for prospective students with reduced mobility and I serve as a support person for the students, which has been excellent. Speaking to students every day and answering their questions, giving them advice, or just chatting is actually the best job ever. I should write a lot more about what I've been doing, but here are some photos and I will fill in more when I get back from my trip!

attempting to grow some herbs for the kitchen

all january france celebrates with a marzipan filled pastry
called 'galette du roi.' each one is filled with a little plastic
toy - my toy collection speaks for itself...

january was COLD

so, to stay warm, we made raclette, which is potatoes and ham
smothered in melted cheese ...

raclette party

kelsey, berit, and claire

we haven't had much snow, but the beginning of february
we had a winter wonderland for about 24 hours

my roommate berit and i decided to celebrate super bowl
by making super bowl food and not actually watching it ...

i went to the opera at the beginning of february to see benjamin
britton's adaptation of henry james's 'the turn of the screw'

prom! the roaring twenties was the theme of this year's
prom at chateaubriand. i went with my friend kelsey who is
also an english assistant and it was so fun. the students were
REALLY into it and they dressed up completely in twenties
garb. it was very impressive.

the decorations at prom were fantastic - complete with
piano player!

here the students could pose with each other in front
of this 1920s french bike.

dancing dancing.

even though my dj responsibilities were hijacked, the music
was great, and the student dj's were super into it.  

i went to paris for a small conference about students with disabilities
studying abroad in paris and had the chance to meet up with my friend
shana's (freshman year roommie at bowdoin) sister. we grabbed
a couple glasses of wine after the conference and had so much fun, i wish
i had been able to stay the whole weekend ...