Hometown Heroes

Before I close out this blog (which, I promise, I'm getting ready to do soon-ish), I wanted to say thank you to a certain group of people.

That group of people is my Hometown Heroes.

Let me back up. It can be daunting to move to another continent by yourself. You know what makes that easier? Moving to another continent by yourself with the support of your #squad. Just because I did this by myself, doesn't mean I did it independently. I would never have been able to do this without my people "back home." (And by "back home," I mean in Texas, in Louisiana, and all over the States.)

So here's where I get to make my shout outs. Because guys? Guess what. I love ya.

My family: I remember the day that I told my parents and brothers (over Brandon's 17th birthday dinner at Hoffbrau) "I'm going to try to move to France next year." They didn't even bat an eye. We solved the one issue (what to do with Nolie*) within a few minutes over appetizers. They were just as supportive throughout the whole process. They never questioned my somewhat questionable decision of quitting my full-time job with benefits for a one-year penny-paying gig across the ocean without any certainty of regaining employment upon my return. They didn't blink when I moved in for three months before I left and seven months when I got back.** They lent me money at the end of the year so I could finish my travels. They not only supported me, but never stopped encouraging me that I had made a great decision. I could never thank them enough for this. I love y'all!

My best friends: I am convinced I have the best best friends in the world. I'm not kidding. I'm not just saying that. I am certain of it in my heart. The reasons might take an entire other blog, so I won't list them all here. I have somehow found all the good people, guys. Here's the thing: I left with the full knowledge that my close friendships would be intact when I returned. I have the kind of friends who still love me when I disappear for college, or grad school, or endless stretches of "can't come to the surface to breathe" non-stop teacher work. They understand and I am so thankful. They know I always come back. I knew that I would leave and our relationships would pick right up where we left off upon my return. (It didn't hurt that it was 2012-2013 and there was Skype, Facebook, email, and my FreeMobile phone plan.) But truly, they were so loving and so supportive and, just like I knew we would, we picked right up where we left off and kept going strong. I love y'all 5ever.

All of my friends and followers: I had SO much fun telling my stories on this blog. And the crazy part? Some people actually read it! Like you! You're reading this right now! Interacting with y'all, both on SYTYCF and on Facebook, made sharing so much more fun. It was an absolute joy to have you guys along for the ride and I hope that I sent a little joy back to you, too. I know this is two and a half years late, but thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking some of your precious time to read even a little of this blog. I am flattered and honored. (And, if you really did enjoy reading, stay tuned for my new blog, coming soon! Think less chronological, detailed, and temporary, more free-flowing, impressionistic, and long-term. It really is coming. I'm already writing. Expect it on an Internet near your summer 2016. Updated April 2016: New blog is now available! Come find me at www.katyontheroad.com.)

Basically, everyone I know was so supportive from the very beginning to the very end, and I feel so #blessed because of it.

announcement post on Facebook from April 4, 2012

(There was much rejoicing. Seriously, y'all were THE BEST part of getting to make that announcement. Also the mad sense of liberation. You know. It was all GREAT fun.)

Also, a HUGE special shout out to those of y'all who actually sent me things in France! From cards to packages, I appreciate the time, money, and effort that it takes to send something abroad. Y'all lit up my life (and decorated my room), and it made things so much easier to have a near-constant stream of love from home. Y'all are the BEST.

Now for the pictures. And the memories. On y va!

my very first package... from my parents! Deodorant and Reese's pumpkins are important, y'all. (And apparently other stuff, too, judging by the size of that package. I can't remember just now.)

from Amy & fam, Kara & fam, & Irene

from my parents... I still wear those white snowflake pajama leggings. (Only at home. You're welcome, world.)

again, parents

from Mattie & Matt

from Mattie & Matt... this was in the winter when I was sick as usual. Also Reese's! I still have those socks. :)

My friend Blake sent me this comic giving Harley Quinn's backstory. I love it and still read it. (Also? I'm a Batman girl, if you're curious.) Blake I miss you and I NEED TO CALL YOU. I am the worst and I'm sorry.

from Shannon & fam

a BIG shout out to Nakia, my only visitor from home! Granted, she was already in France visiting friends, but STILL it was so great to see her!

We went to Montpellier for the day.

... and she brought me my favorite gum!

(Also, I'll remind y'all that Irene did come and visit me in Narbonne, too! But Nakia was my only transatlantic visitor.)

French Aaron & Cristie

(ps: Cristie I'm still sorry I missed your wedding because of the whole living in France thing... but it looked beautiful!)

ALL OF THE SKYPES

And, of course, thank God for Skype. (I didn't have an iPhone at the time, so no FaceTime.) Also, my album for Skypes was called (just like above) "All of the Skypes," and I get the accompanying song "All of the Lights Skypes" in my head whenever I see it.

French Aaron

YES I WAS SKYPING MY BROKEN DOG. Don't worry about it. Also MeeMaw and my mom were there so there were people too. Chilllll.

But I also sent her a postcard. So maybe you can unchill about that. 

Whatever, it's fine. Don't worry about it.

This was actually with my family, but they were showing me the snow on Christmas day. (Yes, for those of you who may not know, it snowed in Fort Worth on Christmas for the first time during my lifetime on the year I happened to be spending Christmas near the Alps. Where it was, by the way, 50°, if you were curious. This? Right here? Is Katy Dubya luck.)

Kara & baby Jake!

This one makes me laugh. ALSO HE WAS SO TINY.

B & Nolie Mae

Vitaly and his ridiculous moustache

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Please notice my cabinet and wall, which were decorated exclusively with cards from you beautiful people. It made me very, very happy. 

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So, to all of you who played ANY part in my year abroad, from home or from afar, just know that I am so thankful to and for you. It meant so much to me. It still does. You're all my heroes. And I love ya.

♥

*The answer? She stayed with them. I accidentally haven't gotten her back. It's okay, I think they like her better than me anyway.

**Holy cow. I just realized that was seven months just now when I counted on my fingers. Wow. That happened.

Les souvenirs de Narbonne, Pt. 5: Assistants, Amis, Famille

In September 2012, nine assistants arrived in the city of Narbonne, France. There were three English girls (Charley, Emily, and Lottie), three Spanish girls (Anais, Carmen, and Violeta), one German girl (Dörte), one Canadian guy (Zack), and one American girl (oui, c'est moi).

When nine strangers from two continents are placed in a small-ish town in the south of France, it could go really well or it could go really badly. You're about to see all of the evidence to the former. We were, indeed, the lucky ones.

Not only were we lucky in that we were in good company as assistants, but we also accumulated QUITE the group as we went along! A group of nine became a group of [I don't even know how many] through the addition of roommates, workout friends (clearly via someone else beside me as I do not work out), and about 100 Spanish kinés (physical therapists), among others.

We were a diverse group of (mainly) intruders to our little town (we did have a few native French friends in the mix, too, but they were definitely the minority). We came from different origins and brought with us different languages, cultures, and histories, but we shared a destination for that short year. In all honesty, most of my life has been spent with people whose backgrounds are quite similar to mine. To have spent a year figuring things out, making our way, and just doing life in a brand new place with so many people of such varied perspectives is something I value so much, and it's something that I wish everyone could be fortunate enough to do.

Wish I could figure out who said this (originally) to cite...

On top of being interesting and enriching, it was THE MOST FUN EVER. I'm not kidding. When I was looking through these pictures for this post, it hit me that this was the time period in my life during which I had MOST free time and the LEAST responsibility. Ever. Less than college (I had fun in college, but I also took a challenging course load, finished a year early, and then moved on to quite a challenging grad program), and certainly 7,903,741 times less than being a full-time teacher here in the States. I worked twelve hours a week, and that was it. I had no money to speak of, but I had THE BEST TIME EVER. You've seen the pictures of me traveling the world. Now see what I was up to when I was back home in Narbonne.

And get jealous.

(Even current me is jealous of past me.)

(If you've read the post about all of our favorite places, you'll recognize lots of them here!)

(DISCLAIMER: This is the largest amount of photos I've put in any post. It's long. But it's not wordy. Just see the love, y'all. Or, if you're not into a million photos, sit this one out.)

first night at the Wallabeer

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Zack's birthday

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Dörte's Birthday

Epiphany/Three Kings' Day

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Mardi Gras (English style, with pancakes)

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a string of random things

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I spy notre cher Dobble!****

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Recognize those hands?? Oui, c'est moi.**

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Whatever Zack was selling, I wasn't buying.****

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I think I was saying PLEASE don't touch my kneecap.***

(Katy trivia: I hate kneecaps. No one can touch them. Not even you, person reading this, whoever you are.)

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one of a few international dinners at the Maison Orange

(everyone cooks something from home)

Fresh from the oven, melty gooey cookies were my contribution. (I find that when you can find cookies in France, like at a bakery, they're too hard. I wanted to them show real chocolate chip cookies how they are meant to be enjoyed!)

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It wouldn't be a true international dinner if it didn't eventually turn into a dance party.****

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Sometimes, we went places besides Narbonne...

...like Girona (Spain),

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...Sète (France),

thanks to Lyndsay for this photo!

...l'Abbaye de Fontfroide (France),

...Minerve (France),

...Madrid (Spain),

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thanks to Lyndsay for this one, too!

and again, Lyndsay's :)

again... okay the rest of the Madrid ones are Lyndsay's

...and even all the way to Marrakesh (and beyond!) (Morocco)

(AFRICA, Y'ALL)

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thanks to Michelle for this one!

and this beauty is Michelle's, too :)

Okay, now this is the best part: the last month. Our contracts ended April 30th, but our académie was on vacation starting on the 19th of April, so our last day of work was April 18th. Rather than immediately leaving to go back home or for our end of the year trips (mine was Stockholm/Oslo/Edinburgh/Oxfordshire and Norfolk, England with the girls, all of which I've already blogged), we all decided to stay until the end of April just to be together. Which I kind of love. When I talked to other assistants from other cities, I discovered that most people left fairly quickly to travel after the contract ended. I'm so glad we took our time to profite from each other's company and our little city; we knew that this was the end of something special. This month, April 2013, was one of the best months ever. We did everything we'd always said we wanted to do, and we lived it up. Everything was perfect and fun all of the time. We knew the goodbyes were coming, and we chose to let that push us to live each day as best we could. We saw the world through rose-colored glasses, and coincidentally also with glasses of rosé in hand. 

Narbonne: The last month. On y va!

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Em and I at Gruissan Plage

Em and I both had Fridays off, and we always talked about how we should go to the beach at Gruissan to lay out and read. Well, finally in the last week of work, it got warm enough so that we could go at last!

little beach houses

I may move here. Into this exact little maison à la plage. Bye, y'all.

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and Corentin came later on, too!**

bowling at Espace Liberté (enfin)

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Eric's Birthday

(before heading out from the Maison Orange)*

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daytime dance party****

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thanks to Tamara for this photo,

and this one (tres cakes, because por qué no?!),

and this one! (Also, I love this because this was "A Viva Voz," a Spanish Karaoke game. Please note who is there in the mix. Some Texan girl. Who doesn't speak, let alone sing, Spanish.)

This group photo is courtesy of the birthday boy himself, Eric!

Somewhere along the line, we...

...went wine tasting**

...went to our last RCNM rugby game*

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...went to this party with the kinés**

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 ...celebrated Corentin's birthday...*

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...and took a salsa lesson in the basement of Bota.**

We went to Leucate for the "Mondial du Vent" (world championship of wind), a wind-surfing competition. You may recall that we had ALL OF THE WIND in this region, so that worked out.

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rosé all day errday*

Yup, that is a person flying through the air. I guess that darn wind is good for something.*

And then, thanks to Emily signing us up, we went back a few days later to get a free paddle board lesson. 

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This is when I accidentally became famous on the national news... you know how it is.

later that same night, backyard barbecue at the Maison Orange

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Lottie the vegetarian was not as excited about the meat as I was.*

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The backyard barbecue later turned into a pajama dance party, as these things often do...

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beach day at Port-La-Nouvelle to visit Carmen

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Zack working on his beach bod 2K13 (15 minutes pre-beach, bien sûr)*

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pretending to be athletic... no one is remotely fooled*

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rosé from the cave, the sponsor of our last several weeks*

Please note the Mediterranean with the Pyrenees in the background. What was our life that year?!

last Thursday night: dinner at the Maison Orange then l'Échoppe

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Somehow we got a hold of sparklers?!*

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The man who owned l'Échoppe with his wife; they both tended bar every Thursday and Friday night.*

Dobble alert!*

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last Friday night: dinner at Les Mille Poètes and then to Macar

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This is the only photo of all 5 of us anglophones. And apparently we all decided to wear 50 shades of black and blue, as well as the same jacket.**

♥

We stayed up all night to see Emily off to her early morning train.*

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This is the last photo of the three of us from that year... and what a photo it is, ha. (It was something like 5am.) Spoiler alert: It's not the last photo of the three of us ever.*

♥

last Saturday night: Wallabeer then Bota

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rosé all day errday*

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Honestly, I was so fully of happy happy love that night I couldn't go 10 feet without hugging someone.*

Back to the Wallabeer, where it all started!*

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And they're off!***

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You can tell by my shininess here that we finally made it to, of course, Bota for one last Bota Bop!*

This one kills me. (No idea who that guy is.)*

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...and that's all she Bota bopped.*

the last Sunday: last time at the Maison Orange
pizza, some crazy card game with magical characters, a little dance party (I specfically remember us dancing/singing to Goo Goo Dolls' "Iris"), and too many goodbyes

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I'm posting this even though I look a MESS because what I'm holding is important. We decided on a reunion date, and Dörte wrote us all appointment cards on pieces of our pizza boxes so we wouldn't forget.*

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Zack's goodbye at the train station the next morning; we all look a bit messy at this point. Too many goodbyes in a row.*

♥

And then just like that, I left the Maison Orange for the last time ever.*

♥

Seriously, too many goodbyes.

As you can see, we truly had something special that year in Narbonne. And the thing is? We knew it. We relished our time with our little multi-cultural, multi-lingual family. It was unlike anything I've ever known: We were all we had. With the exception of our few native friends, we were all far from home, making our own way in a culture that wasn't our own. (Okay, maybe it was a little like my grad school experience that way. But this was more extreme, obviously.) Once we had all really gotten to know each other, if we were doing something, we were generally all doing it. We had a commonality in the French language, where we met each other in the middle and helped each other along. We challenged ourselves together when we tried to express particularly difficult concepts, translating from native language to French. We taught each other words and phrases in our own languages, and laughed together when we butchered the pronunciation. These memories will always bring a smile to my face and wash me with gratitude. We strangers came together that year in the south of France to take it all on: we Dobbled, we danced, we hugged and kissed, we cooked, we traveled, we profite-ed, we laughed, we loved, we lived, and we became a little family, even if just for one year. All of these people will always have a piece of my heart, regardless of how often we talk or see each other. We were all we had, and what we had? Was beautiful.

Facebook status April 24, 2013

Pour tous mes chers "narbonnais," je veux que vous sachiez que je vous aime tous pour toujours. Je vous remercie d'une année inoubliable; nous étions si chanceux et je garderai tous ces souvenirs dans mon cœur jusqu'à la fin. Vous avez tous un canapé chez moi si jamais vous passez par ici. Je vous aime de loin et je vous souhaite tout le meilleur du monde.

Gros bisous du Texas en 2016! J'ai hâte de vous revoir!
(Texas t-shirt and no makeup, in the name of consistency, you know.)

♥

Because I don't like ending things on goodbye, here: Have this fun video that Anais took of us at the Wallabeer on that last night together. I love watching this video of everyone and remembering what this life was like.

I love these beautiful people. Like I said at the top: See the love, y'all!

ps: Happy Katy is ridiculous, and also oblivious to the video... Sorry.

*Lottie's photo

**Em's photo

***Anais' photo

****Charley's photo