France Archives - round trip

How I Applied for My TAPIF Visa to France

When people would ask me about my “trip” to France, I often chuckled. Because a trip suggests short-term for the purpose of sightseeing. And because it’s entirely easier to take a trip than it is to move abroad for work. Most trips don’t include health insurance coverage, salary, rent or visas — the last of which truly distinguishes between vacationing and moving abroad. I want to start off by saying every experience and every country’s process is different. And it even varies by what type of visa you’re applying for — and they are many. Although there are a...

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13 Best Books Set in France

Once I graduated from college, I had lots of time to myself again. Although I miss the late night girl talk, meetings at 8 p.m., working out in the middle of the day, and rolling out of bed for class — ok, wow that’s a lot — I’m also really enjoying this calmer pace of post-grad life. I’ve been using this time to explore my own hobbies: blogging, exercise and reading. As a girl, I always loved D.E.A.R. time at school, but when life got busy, that was one of the first things to go. But now that I...

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Basic French for Travelers

People like to joke about the French often, but the truth is that France is the most visited country in the world with 89 million tourists each year. And there’s good reason for it. If you know me, you know I’m obsessed with all things France and lived in Toulouse for a summer. Knowing a few key phrases for any country you visit is a great practice, and in France, these will come very much in handy. The French are known to be nicer to tourists who at least attempt French. If you’re traveling to France, here’s a quick...

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I’m Moving to France

Currently still in shock. I started my application to teach English in France last October. It has been nearly a calendar year of many anxious months waiting to hear back from TAPIF (Teaching Assistant Program in France). COVID has delayed these decisions several times, but yesterday I got the email: I’m moving to the Académie d’Aix-Marseille in southern France to teach elementary schoolers English. And I’m over the moon excited! If you know me personally, you know that these past few months have been rough. Results were supposed to arrive in early to mid April, and the virus kept...

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How to Spend A Day in Paris

I know what you’re thinking. It simply can’t be done. Pas du tout ! Listen here: if a day is all you have, take it and don’t look back. I was on a Europe tour, and France wasn’t on the list. Being the wannabe francophile I am, which shouldn’t come as a shock, I squeezed in a quick trip to the country I consider my second home. We left Brussels in the morning and made it back to our hotel later that night. Here’s a run down of how we saw the City of Lights in about 12 hours....

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Confessions of a France Study Abroad Student

Sitting in an American classroom with a French textbook can only do so much. Sure, it provides the base to succeed once abroad, but touching down on French soil is an entirely different experience. I worked in Toulouse, France last summer but haven’t experienced a traditional study abroad experience. I reached out to Instagram friend, fellow French lover and the blogger behind Girl With A Planner Abigail Nowell. She’s living in Lille, France, this summer to work on her French minor – quelle rêve ! She is taking an intensive French class at L’Université Catholique de Lille. Abigail is working on...

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Maddie Koerner on Solo Travel and Life in Europe

An Instagram picture may be worth a thousands words, but influencer Maddie Koerner knows that’s not enough. “The people that are seeing my pictures aren’t experiencing the excitement I felt when I saw the Eiffel Tower light up or the friendships that I’ve made throughout my journeys,” she said. “This is why I believe traveling is essential for everyone.” Communal travel Maddie spent her summer in Italy as an au pair; she watched the children while the parents were at work and also practiced English with them. Her work-free weekends included traveling to places such as Bologna, Milan, Portofino,...

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16 Things They Don’t Teach You in French Class

From verb tenses to conjugations, sentence structure to grammar, there’s a lot a classroom can teach you about a foreign language. My 13-year-old decision to take French instead of Spanish (because I didn’t want to be just like my older siblings) really was made on a whim, but it was in that classroom, G27, that I began to fall in love with the French language and culture. And without that foundational education and my passionate teachers, my love of travel and French would probably look different; honestly, my life would look different. While I’m grateful for my time in...

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38 Things to Do in Toulouse, France

Located in the south of France, the city of Toulouse offers both the conveniences of a big city and a small town feel. I lived in La Ville Rose, or the Pink City, for a summer and compiled a list of 30+ things to do from eats to sweets, activities to attractions (including the best A/C spots!): Eats: Marché des Carmes + Gwadasel: Get the French farmer’s market experience and pop into this small shop connected to the market for some fresh eats. Crêperie Saint Georges: Prepare. Your. Self. When in France, crêpes are a must! And my mouth...

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