Tips and Tricks Archives

TAPIF Recap: Thoughts on Teaching English in France for Two Years

After graduating with journalism and French degrees, I set out to find myself during a gap year in France. As part of the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF), I taught English lessons in French public schools for a year and then renewed for a second year. During my first year, I divvied up my 12-hour contract among three primary schools on the outskirts of Marseille on Tuesdays and Thursdays and taught six different grade levels in a total of 17 classrooms. For my second year, I was placed at one elementary school near Marseille’s center and taught in...

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How I Got a Job in France (Not Teaching English)

When I moved to France in September 2020, I planned to stay for my 7-month teaching assistant contract. By then, my gap year would have inspired me in my next steps, and I would return to the United States to start my “real” adult life. Well, that’s not exactly how it played out. During my first TAPIF teaching contract, I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving and reapplied for a second year. I worked as an au pair during the summer between the two school years. Now as my second (and final year) of teaching is winding down, I’m...

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What I Miss Most about the U.S.A. When Abroad

When I moved from Missouri to Marseille, France, I thought it would be for just a school year. But then my teaching stint turned into au pairing for the summer and then back into another teaching stint. So all in all, my original plan to stay from October to April drastically changed. And now I’ve been in France for a year and a half. For years, living in France has been my dream, but that doesn’t mean I don’t miss life in the U.S.A. France is becoming more and more like home, but sometimes being far from my home...

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2021 Gift Ideas for Wanderlust Lovers

I feel like a child. I truly get so giddy when the holiday season rolls around and I get to make my list. No, it’s no longer Barbies and dress up that I’m looking forward to finding under the tree. Instead, it’s a picnic backpack for charcuterie nights at the park and travel-themed art prints. The holiday season is the perfect time to not only treat yo’ loved ones (and yourself) but also to stock up on practical purchases, too. I’ve rounded up some of my favorite buys, wish list items and gift ideas for wanderlust lovers. This post...

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Idyllic Provence Road Trip in Vaucluse, France

Southern France has stolen my heart. Lavender fields, rolling hills, cobblestone streets and all in the sweet sunshine? C’mon! A little over a year ago I moved to Marseille to teach English and au pair, and since then, I’ve had the privilege of exploring southern France at my leisure. Personally, you can’t go wrong with any destination in France, but some tug at the heart strings more than others. I’ve compiled some of my favorite Provence road trip destinations so that you can profiter and simply savor the best of southern France in the Vaucluse department at your own...

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How I Saved $7,000 to Travel Europe

Since I started taking French in high school, I dreamed of being in France and traveling all over Europe. In high school, I took a class trip to Europe, and during college, I spent a summer in Toulouse and studied abroad in several countries during winter break. All that to say, I have an insatiable wanderlust, especially for France, and my dreams to return came true when I accepted a position to teach English in France. With the teaching assistant salary being so meager at around 800 euros per month, I knew I’d want to save up big time...

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6 Expat Life Lessons After One Year in France

I cried my entire way through airport security. Last September, I left the States to teach English in France for a year, but from Day 1, it has been a wild adventure. When I arrived to check in for my flight one year ago, Brian from United told me he wouldn’t give me my boarding passes because Americans simply weren’t allowed into France due to Covid. False. I showed him my visa, work contract, emails with the embassy — just about everything but my first grade report card. My mom and I argued with him for about 20 or...

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How to Teach English Abroad in France

My first trip to France was intoxicating. I was 15 and traveled to Paris for a few days on a high school trip. And I couldn’t bear the thought of being away from France for too long. After studying abroad and working for a summer in France, I still wanted more of my beloved France. But how? My French teacher had told me about a teaching assistant program in France, and I was delighted when I was accepted to teach English in France for a year. Oh, and I have zero teaching credentials! Perhaps you’re dreaming of moving to...

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3 Easy Ideas to Decorate with Maps

Sometimes I get overwhelmed but in the most awestruck type of way. Travel never fails to remind me what a big world we live in. And maps show me how much more exploring I need to add to my bucket list. And it can really overwhelm me with how small I am and how vast this world is. Like, wow. I’ve long been fascinated by maps and love buying new ones when I travel to a new destination. For years, they’ve become a home design staple for me, and often I’m getting compliments and long pauses at the wall...

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