Goodness gracious, it's been a while! Ladies and gentleman, it seems it has been approximately 6 weeks since last I wrote, having skipped all of January to boot. Well, Happy New Year! Just like many Americans and other cultures around the globe, I spent the turn of the year indulging in holiday mayhem and romping across the ocean. I also spent a good long period of time mourning the election of Donald Trump and subsequently trying like hell not to unleash the fiery flames of Mordor from the depths of my soul as, every single day, we are treated to new and unnecessary dictates by childish, inept and thoroughly self-serving new leaders. But I digress... (not for long)...
Over the past 6 weeks, I have been to the US, the UK, and back to France. I spent a month in the States, bestowing most of my time on NYC and Connecticut, but also wandering over to Poughkeepsie, New Jersey and Philadelphia. I had a ton of dinners and drinks, saw dozens of friends and family and generally made merry as often and as much as I possibly could. It was actually a surprise to find myself staying home longer than the originally scheduled two weeks, which was in and of itself a milestone since I've never gone home for that long before.
But when I stepped off the plane at JFK airport, I finally received the news that my long-awaited visa- the one I had so stressed over for months, not being able to travel, not having enough work, not being able to get a new job or new apartment, and being carelessly ignored by my employers- had not come through. Why? Well, because the application had never been received... Mute... No words to express other than to say c'est la vie and sally forth! Live and learn. Quit your job, start fresh, take a couple more weeks at home, stop in London on your way back, and return to Paris as a tourist.
I now have 3 months to figure out what to do about a visa, a job, an apartment... a life? Nah. One step at a time. First I meet with lawyers to decide on a new course of action. In the meantime, I seek private students and jobs willing to hire me. More importantly, I actively focus on my writing career and get as many balls in the air as a magical princess of fantasy-speak can possibly manage. Visa will come, money will come, and then of course new apartment, fantastic travels, and the heart of living abroad will all settle back into place.
I do plan on backtracking and elaborating on some of the highlights of the past 6 weeks of my life. Because no matter what the drama or turmoil, I am a pretty lucky gal who basically got to have an unplanned vacation with those I hold dearest for longer than anticipated. "Love is love is love is love..."
And so I come full circle. Back to Paris and back to the beginning of a new adventure after being kicked down to the ground for a little while. I am American, this is a new feeling we all share. We were shocked and disappointed, scared and overwhelmed. Now we stand tall and fight for what we believe in. My little magical bubble won't ever compare to the chaos that is currently ensuing back home. But while I sit back in my Unicorn saddle, I know that the kind and true and moral and good will all band together to conquer evil.
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