Oh la la! From kayaking to the Côte d'Azur

The Côte d'Azur, oh la la!

What a wonderful, travel-filled weekend I had last week with my host family! 

On Sunday, they were excited to take me kayaking with them, an at least twice a year tradition with several other families-- about 15 people in all. We arrived early in the morning a couple of hours from Salon-de-Provence, and caravanned down winding back roads past vineyards, lavender, and sunflower fields. The river itself is a tributary of the Rhone, and is settled deep in a canyon. 

When these people say they love kayaking, they mean it. We paddled for seven hours (SEVEN!) down the river, with many white water cascades to keep it exciting. It was a great experience and I loved meeting the close friends of my host family, but after our 24 km trek, I'm surprised my arms didn't fall off ;) 

The next day, my host "mom" Caroline, 13-year-old  Suzy, Suzy's friend Amelia, and I left around 9am to head for Pourquerolles, one of the several islands of the Hyeres, in the Côte d'Azur. It was supposed to be about a one and a half hour drive to the port; but about 30 minutes into the drive, our car broke down. However, my host mom is the most mellow person I've met (they say the south of France is laid back for a reason!); and we simply left the car behind and rented a car to get us to the coast. Then we boarded a ferry, and twenty minutes later: voila! We were in Pourquerolles, which won the most beautiful beach of Europe award last year. 

In Pourquerolles, we stayed on a small houseboat among huge yachts; and we had an absolute blast. The island is breathtakingly gorgeous: centuries-old forts sit atop the mountain, the forest has hiking/biking trails lined with olive and eucalyptus trees (no koalas though, unfortunately), and the small village has a number of upscale cafes and shops. 

The thing that most intrigued me was how the coastline changes on an island just 4 km in length. On one side of the island, the coastline is dotted with sandy beaches; yet across the way, the beaches are rockier and surrounded by cliffs. The water was freezing, but there is no way to resist the turquoise water of the Côte d'Azur. We snorkeled and paddleboarded (well Suzy and Amelia did-- I learned quickly that I lack the grace to effectively stand on the board for more than half a second, haha). 

As a literature major, I couldn't help but think of all the writers who have been inspired by this landscape: Hemingway's Garden of Eden and Fitzgerald's Tender is the Night both are set in the Côte d'Azur region. I am certain that I will return to explore more of the Isle de Hyeres: maybe next time as an expatriate myself!

If I move to Marseille, will you guys come visit?

     Yesterday, I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful Mediterranean city of Marseille with my host family; which lies about 75 km south of Mallemort, the Provencal village where I am living for the month! I wasn't sure how I would feel about the city, given the recent seedy history and CNN updates (Although my host mom mentioned that I live in the same country that Chicago is in, which she says " has both mafia AND cold winter" :)) 

     However, I absolutely LOVED it! The city itself reminded me a bit of Barcelona, but with a better atmosphere and overall vibe (I got a bit of a stare from a local who I compared it to; she was like "No, they are both Mediterranean but Marseille has French class"). Talk about an eclectic, diverse city: the second-largest city in France is harmoniously balanced with: French culture (they are extremely proud of both their wine and traditional soap-making), cultural diversity in general, Roman influence (Latin nerd over here!), lively nightlife, forts that date back to nearly-Biblical times, intricate Catholic cathedrals, mountains, the Mediterranean sea/beaches, a notable beachside university, etc etc etc. Seeing as how French universities are free, once I figure out how to maneuver a couple of loopholes (i.e. not being a French citizen), I think I know where I will be receiving my next degree ;)

     My host family took me along to a beachside fête for Caroline's (the host 'mom') work; which was about the most exciting work party I believe I've been to! They served hors-d'oeuvres and a local Provencal wine; which is a white, but has a slight pinkish tint to it-- very tasty! Caroline's friends were very vivacious, welcoming, and friendly, and taught me the rules of Pétanque, which is a game traditional to the South-of-France. I got the first point (beginner's luck, I suppose), and they were jokingly not happy that "Team USA" scored before anyone else, ha ha. At the party, when I explained to someone where I was from, she told me that she has a friend obsessed with Nashville and the country music scene-- and he even has it set as his location on Facebook (even though he is from Marseille). When she asked him about it, he responded that it was "better for launching his country music career." How wonderfully hilarious! 

Although I have loved everywhere I have visited thus far in France, Marseille is a city I can see myself spending far more time in. Despite is sometimes negative rep, it is a city with aesthetics, culture, class, and a balance of cultural awareness and French-ness. 

Cathédrale Sainte-Marie-Majeure de Marseille 

Basilique de Notre Dame de la Garde

Mountains and Sea-- how much better can it get?!

My awesome host family, Caroline and Suzy! 

Old Port in Marseille

View from the Notre Dame Basilique

Sittin' in a park in Paris, France...

"...Reading the news and it sure looks bad, they won't give peace a chance; it was just a dream some of us had..."

Love Joni Mitchell. Love listening to Joni via headphones even more; to drown out the temper tantrum of the little girl beside me on the train. ;) 

I'm sitting by a sweet American couple from Philadelphia, who had the bravery to bring their 3 and almost-2 year old girls to France with them-- I cannot imagine. The youngest is definitely over the train ride, but the 3-year-old is content coloring and chattering. When I asked her if she got to see the Eiffel Tower sparkle, she replied "yes, but the catacombs were my favorite part." Who would've thought, ha ha. 

Currently, I'm en route back to Avignon from Paris, before catching another train from Avignon to Senas; a small town outside of the even smaller village I am staying in. 

I arrived in Paris Thursday evening, and met up with a girl who is also participating in Geovisions Conversation Corps, although she is placed a few hours north of me. We spent Thursday night in Paris, then did Switzerland in a frenzy, spending two nights in Zurich and one day in Geneva. I absolutely loved Zurich especially: although it was crazy expensive (you realize it's insanely pricey when Paris is significantly cheaper), the people were friendly and the town beautiful, with its cobblestone streets and German-influenced architecture. We returned to Paris last night; just in time to catch the end of a weekend-long free music festival that apparently took place all over France! Side note: My travel buddy Emily wants to go to Venice in a couple of weeks-- who knows; tres possible ;) 

I had an awesome weekend of travel, seeing gorgeous old cities, vineyards, the Swiss Alps, going on a pub crawl, and just exploring in general; but have spent about 14 hours total on trains. I have to say I am sick of being on the crowded, non-air conditioned trains (what can I say, I'm an American:) ). So now, to return to the beautiful country-side in the south of France, where it is nearly 20 degrees warmer F than chilly Switzerland! C'est Bon indeed.

Country French, French French, and Louisiana French: Je Ne Comprends Pas all around!

Alongside re-reading The Outsiders (haha) in order to prepare for my 7th graders this upcoming semester; I am reading/thesis-writing on Kate Chopin for grad school, whose stories take place in the Victorian era, Southern Louisiana.

I've had massive writer's block for this thesis paper, and am writing it probably two sentences at a time. Love my girl Kate Chopin, but I hate pilfering through scholarly articles. Bleh. So anyway, while I'm reading some Cajun French all about some Fais do-dos and Tete-a-tetes,  I'm also trying to comprehend the torrent of French French around me. Yes, I admit I'm that jerk American who goes to another country not knowing the language; who relies on "Parlez-vous anglais?" for the majority of the time. However, the spoken French is so quick and blended together (especially in the country, where I am); that it is tres impossible to decipher-- true cultural immersion. I've picked up a few words/phrases here and there, and have to try to tone down my Southern accent as best I can so the family can understand what I'm saying (sometimes). 

The family I'm staying with, the Sabatiers, is absolutely wonderful. They live in a large Mediterranean-style house in very rural village (at least eight centuries old) about a twenty-minute bus ride outside of Salon-de-Provence, and close to an hour from Marseille. On their farm, they have a pool, horses, hens, fresh fruits and vegetables, and another accommodation house (a "gites") which Caroline rents out to boarders from around the world wishing to experience the French countryside. Last week, there was a family from The Netherlands staying there. The village is set along the Luberon Mountain Range; and looks like a place from The Garden of Eden (The Hemingway novel, not the Bible story :)). They are known for growing lavender, olives, apples, and lemons; and the Provence-area is associated with traditional soap-making. Yesterday, I went to a soap factory that has been in operation since the early 1800s. 

On Thursday, I'm headed up north with another girl from my program: we are spending two nights in Paris, one night in Zurich, and one in Geneva. There is a country-wide music festival across all of France that begins next week, so we will be back in Paris in time for that. I have to say, it will be nice to be able to speak English at my usual speed for four days! :) 

Leaving on a jet plane....

Since my car has been in the shop for about 27,000 years, my mom has graciously lent me her Honda while she has been out of town; which has been highly necessary since I've been running around like a chicken with its head cut off getting everything I (think) I need for my travels. I have to majorly give a shout out to my awesome group of friends who have put up with my stressful frenzy over the past couple days-- you guys rock! Anyway, she has Sirius radio; which typically I have no interest in, but I sometimes guiltily listen to the 60s, 70s, and 90s stations (never the 80s. With God as my witness, never the 80s).  So today as I was rocking to 60s on 6 with my windows up so no one would hear, that "Leaving on a jet plane" song came on and I've had it in my head ever since.

Tomorrow, I am finally leaving on a jet plane, with my passport (I've quadruple checked), French atlas, and EU plug adapters in tote  (I realized that other day that is probably something I will need, what with wanting to use things that require electricity and whatnot). While I am excited for traveling a bit while I'm there (here I come Switzerland!), I am most ready to meet my host family, and am intrigued to see what teaching in a more one-on-one setting will be like-- and ESL at that.


 Bonne nuit!

I don't know why my computer thinks I'm in India...

Because I am most definitely not. However, I noticed my computer now automatically directs me to "Google India," and my blog has a ".in" after the dotcom. Whatever. Maybe globe-trotting (well, western-Europe trotting anyway) in the upcoming weeks will somehow reset it.

Anyway, while I'm not India-bound anytime soon that I know of, I am viva-la-France-bound in just four days! :D My nerves are in a bundle as I attempt to pack (ha-- just kidding, I haven't started), finish this term of grad school in a paper-writing frenzy, and plan lessons for a 13-year-old ESL student: something I have never done! I am not worried about traveling alone, hosteling, camping, and what-not (been there done all of that): I am mainly worried that I will offend my host family/locals by committing some sort of major etiquette-faux-pas; something that always stresses me before visiting a new culture. When I studied abroad in the UK, I remember experiencing that cringeworthy "Did I say something wrong/too 'American?'" feeling a few times. As progressive and eclectic as the Brits are (well, the younger generation anyway), their regard to societal norms/prim-and-proper mentality is still very much alive! :P Luckily, my French host family seems awesome, and I think we will get along well. They both know quite a bit of English, and I hope that by staying in such a small, very French town, I am able to really immerse myself in French culture and language. If any of my Facebook friends have ever stayed with a host family, I would enjoy hearing your story/advice! I would love to bring them a small gift from home, but I am a super uncreative gift-giver (as my two older nieces who receive iTunes gift cards for their birthdays could attest to, haha); so any ideas on that matter would be awesome as well! 

As a little pre-Europe excursion, I was able to visit my beautiful friend and former roomie Cara with my other beautiful friend and former roomie Emily in NYC this weekend for the Governor's Ball music festival. Even though Bonnaroo has Gov Ball beat on a few levels; we had a blast as per usual; and it was pretty refreshing to be able to wash the layers of mud off in the evening! After the festival each night, we hit up some of our favorite swanky Brooklyn/LES night spots: and swanky to us means The Trash Bar and Bushwick Country Club because they have complimentary Cheetos, and you can't go wrong with that. 

"Now and Then" pic, as is our standard pose at festivals.

Roomies. Belmont Uni grads. Fictitious bandmates.

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Blurring the Boundaries and Coloring Outside the Lines.

    Ok... So the title of this post (well the "blurring the boundaries" bit anyway) proves that I have spent far too much time scouring JSTOR for my Master's work in English literature: Post-modernism, post-modernism, post-modernism! Haha. English nerd problems-- we tend to attempt an application of literary theory to anything. And everything.

So. I am Haley Marshall, and I am a 25-year-old English teacher from the buckle of the Bible belt that is the beautiful Nashville, Tennessee. I assume you all know that, since my readers probably consist of my girl posse (what up, ya-ya sisters! ;)). In describing myself, one of the first things I state is that I am a recent college graduate from Belmont, here in Music City. However, I stopped myself the other day as I said that; and realized that the "recently" is getting farther and farther away. Therefore, some better Haley-describers are: quirky/eccentric (but in a fun way, I hope anyway). Traveler. Literature lover: of both the classics and the classics-to-become. Anglophile. Francophile. Cat-o-phile (hehe). Restless. Nature lover. City lover. History buff ( I especially love the Edwardian period through the 20s, and then skip the Great Depresh' and hop on into the '60s-- I'm convinced I was placed in this time period as some sort of bad karma punishment). Youthful. Explorer. Inquisitive (sometimes too much so). Adventurer. Spontaneous yet cautious. Learner. Teacher.

        College was by far the best, most freeing, most eye-opening 4 years in my life. I learned so much about MY beliefs, values, and ideals (not necessarily the ones of my family/upbringing). Although I sometimes wish I had gone farther away, then I would not have met a few of my best friends, some of the most genuine, lovely people I know. The number one thing I learned? That while I love my hometown, there is soooooo much more of the world that constantly calls out to me. When I studied abroad in the UK (Manchester, to be exact-- every Anglophile and music-lover's dream, right?!); for the first time ever, I got to appreciate and experience a new culture and eventually, a sense of belonging. I remember how exciting it was the first time a visitor asked for directions-- and I could give them!  I know it's a cliche, but I definitely found myself in college.

Copenhagen, Denmark: December 2012
Right before our toes all froze off.

        I have told my students to be global learners, not only local learners: I desperately want them to be aware of the whole other world that is out there beyond the US borders. Traveling opens your eyes in ways you never thought wholly possible; and you are given an eclectic mix of stories that you will remember for a lifetime. The stories that I remember take place off the Hop-on-hop-off bus (oh how I hate that thing). The best experiences are made when you get absolutely lost, and discover the quaintest cafe or bookstore along the cobblestone streets of Florence, the quirkiest, kindest person you've met thus far, a cozy centuries-old pub in England where you can chat for hours with the locals, or the best jazz bar in all of Copenhagen (where your purse will remain hours after you forgot it and left it chilling on the seat *cough*Cara*cough*). Not to undermine the major attractions, of course: I will never forget the awe you feel while watching the Eiffel Tower light up at midnight, walking through Westminster Abbey, and visiting Stratford-upon-Avon; and touring the Vatican in Rome and the gardens of Versailles outside of Paris. Or the sad surreality of walking through Anne Frank's attic and the Dachau concentration camp.

 Honestly, my love of travel and teaching go hand-in-hand: for both, you have to be extremely adaptable. In teaching, you have to accept the fact that your carefully-constructed lesson for the day on analyzing and discussing Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech is not going to go as planned when you suddenly realize it's picture day, or, God forbid, a snowflake falls out of the sky and everyone must run to the window every two nanoseconds. With traveling, you must be prepared for the obvious: flight delays, cancellations, getting lost, your cab driver trying to take you to Jersey City instead of Brooklyn, etc etc etc. You must also be able to deal with the not-so-obvious: like leaving your passport in the Gare du Nord Station (Sorry Hannah and Emily), or the plane not being able to land in Scandinavia--thus just circling in the air for eternity-- because the runways were too icy (A shout-out to Cara, Emily, and vodka for being able to get us through that one)!

     This summer, I am embarking on a month-long journey to combine two of my passions, teaching and traveling, by going to stay with a host family in Mallemort, France: a tiny Medieval-ish town in the Cote-d'Azur region of France, which is a bit over an hour north of Marseille. I will be staying with a small family, a mother and her 13-year-old daughter, and I am so excited to get to know them! From our email correspondences, I can tell that the girl I am tutoring already has a great grasp on English-- much better than my uber-basic knowledge of French (I'm being generous-- my French sucks). However, this is a bit of an immersion program, so I hope to come back to the US of A being able to speak at least a little conversational French. I only have to teach for fifteen hours a week, which leaves plenty of time for other travels. I got in touch today with a few other girls who will be in France at the same time as I will; and a Switzerland trip is already in talks! :) We are all spread out, but it's nice to know that there are several other adventurers working with my same teaching program, Geovisions. 

I earlier described myself as both cautious and spontaneous-- I have learned that in order to break out of the mold (and what's often expected of you), you have to draw your own path, even if it is not what is conventional, per se. As long as you are acknowledge and prepare for potential picture days and flight cancellations, what is stopping you from coloring outside the lines a bit? As my man Jimmy Carter once said, "Go out on a limb. That's where the fruit is."

Overall, I have to say: travel has been my greatest teacher; and I eagerly await my next adventure. Je suis prêt, Provence!