Speculoos

I have discovered something. Something that may have changed my whole view in life. Something that is too good to be described in words yet I will try.
It's like an explosion of goodness. You just savour it. It makes you happy. You want more. You need more. It's just so flipping delicious.

FLIPPING AWESOME. I mean really?!?! Speculoos spread. SPECULOOS SPREAD! Yes, I"m writing a blog on this because it's so good. I went grocery shopping and saw it. I mean, I've seen it before and thought, "Naw...I don't feel like it." But that was dumb. I've been missing out on life.
It's just so fatteningly good. Taking this stuff home with me.

On another note, I just came home from a BBQ on a beautiful day. It's been raining and hailing for the past week. And it's going to be like that again for the coming week. But today and tomorrow are breaks from crappy weather. The BBQ was delicious with HAMBURGERS. I haven't had a homemade hamburger in months and have been desperately craving one. I had a really good time with a whole bunch of young people from church. I seriously am so blessed.
After, driving home, I got HOPELESSLY lost and drove on empty for about 40min. I prayed to God I would make it to the gas station...and I think I cut it to the last fumes in the tank.

5 weeks left in France, 3 weeks in Italy, and then home! PLUS it's my last week being 18! whoa.

Salut

Salut tous!

So this is a general update. Nothing super exciting, but just letting you know what’s happening in my Frenchish life.

This has nothing to do with my update. I just love this picture of Lison and I.

.

Philippe and Muriel (host parents) have gone away to Berlin for the weekend so Muriel’s grandparents are here. The grandma has been cooking nonstop and I must say, it’s some of the most delicious food ever: the French really know how to cook.

I went to Hannah’s and had a baking day on Friday. I feel like I haven’t baked in so long. So we made brownies, carrot cake, and apple oatmeal muffins. Clearly a fattening and productive day. I brought the carrot cake home and we had it for dessert; it was really funny because everyone thought it was absolutely so wrong and bizzare to put carrot in a cake—yet they LOVED it. The other grandparents came over today and loved it as well. It actually became a dinner conversation: carrots in a cake.

I do not want to sound whiny or whatnot, but it has been extremely hard here lately. I miss having Christian people around me so much it hurts. Being surrounded by people who have a COMPLETELY different world-view is definitely a test on one’s faith. And to have been surrounded by them for over 2 months makes you question things. I find myself wondering about limits and where I stand with things...which I’ve never had before. I don’t want to be a social recluse yet I just find it easier sometimes to be one. The thing is, I know that when I come home things won’t really be that much different: I’ll be going to university and having to deal with that all over again. So God is just prepping me up. And he’s really taught me to trust him more. 

Tomorrow I decided to go to the Beaux-Art museum in Toulouse and invited Hannah, so that should be fun.

Prayers mean the world to me so thank you to whoever is giving them.

For pictures from my trip to Montpellier click here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151383670961277.1073741827.626916276&type=1&l=4edb2642ec

Love.

The Finnish

When I first came here in March, Lison had just returned from a 2 week exchange program in Finland. Now there's a Finnish girl living at our house for the next few days. Yesterday they had all the girls over (the French and Finnish ones). I had no idea what nationality anyone was: I've only met like 4 of Lison's friends.
Anywho. Those Finnish girls are TALL. It was weird because pretty much, for the first time in my life, I felt really average. Here in France I'm still tall, even the guys are pretty short. But after seeing the girls yesterday I said, "Whoa. You Finnish girls are really tall. You're almost around my height. And you're only 14ish and 15ish. You're still gonna grow." They responded that yes, Finnish girls are quite tall. And then we babbled on about French people and their customs (they're not used to kissing on both cheeks either; handshakes all the way).
And you know what else? You'll never guess. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE PEOPLE THOUGHT I WAS YOUNGER THAN I WAS. THIS IS INSANITY. WHAT IS HAPPENING?
No really, it was cool. People always assume I'm older because of what I'm doing and my height. But they thought I was younger. Mind you, my hair was in a French braid which makes me look like I'm 10. Still though, pretty cool. 

Moral of the story: I'm moving to Finland to find a man :P

Facts about Finland that I randomly know (no internet):
-it's in the top 10 for happiest countries in the world
-capitol: Helsinki
-lots of white people live there

love.

Also, here are some photos from my Albi trip I took over a month ago:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151373187776277.1073741826.626916276&type=1&l=98468ba600

Weekend Things

Firstly, happy mothers day! Love you mumsy <3

 Secondly, here are some photos from my Albi trip I took over a month ago:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151373187776277.1073741826.626916276&type=1&l=98468ba600

This weekend was quite insane. Friday night I was completely home alone so I invited Hannah over. We ate spicy fajitas (that gave us serious stomach problems the next morning) and watch a movie. Then we went into the pool at 1130 at night with some drinks we mixed together. We made it to bed at 130ish in the morning.
We woke up at 10 Saturday morning and watched two more movies (we were debating on a 3rd one but decided no). Then Hannah went home.
A couple hours later we met up again and headed off to another au pair's house. We did get quite lost and it took us about an hour to get there. But man we had such a blast there! Just hanging out and chilling with a couple other au pairs. We stayed the night and got back to my place at 10 Sunday (today). Seriously though, I felt like it was 4 in the afternoon. So we decided to watch another movie. Then Hannah went home and I took a long walk.

So yes, I do not remember ever watching movies like this and doing pretty much nothing. I need to enjoy the fact that I am blessed with this time of relaxation now; I have 4 years of university ahead of me and plenty of time to work then.

Also, I have 7 weeks left here till I meet up in Rome with Rachel! So excited. I miss family and friends too much. I am so blessed that I only have to stay here for 4 months. I realized this week that there was absolutely no way I would've made it through the normal 9 months of an au pair stay.

love.

Paris in a Nutshell

Before I write anything else: I'm halfway done in France! Then I'm off to Italy with Rachel!

Eiffel tower at night!

Hall of Mirrors in Versailles = Dream come true/ Bucket list check

Now, I did so much in Paris that I cannot write in detail about everything. I will say my favourite things were the Opera and Versailles though.

Here is what I did in the five days I was there:

THURSDAY
-arrived
-saw Pantheon
-saw Notre Dame
-went to my hostel
-met up with Michelle (my friend from Quebec)
-went to the  Eiffel Tower and had dinner beside it
-met a girl named Golf
FRIDAY
-went to Versailles with Golf and Gina
-showered at Michelle's hotel (the hostel's shower was disgusting)
-went to Arc de Triomphe (so much larger than I had thought!)
-walked down Champs Elysees and saw the Swarovski Crystal stairs (on my bucket list)
-went to McDonald's at 12 in the morning
SATURDAY
-went to La Louvre for 5 hours
-walked down Jardin de Tuileries
-walked to place de la Concorde
-went into the Madeleine
-went to St. Augustine chapel
-went to Sacre Coeur (church) and ate my first Nutella crepe
SUNDAY
-went to the catacombs of Paris
-walked through the cemetery
-went to Saint Chapelle (church)
-sat in a park for a few hours
-met some people at the hostel and went to the pub
MONDAY
-went to the Opera...Palais Garnier
-entered Notre Dame (church)
-walked to Hotel Des Invalides (where Napoleon is buried)
-got to the airport, lost my phone, found my phone, lost my boarding pass, got a new boarding pass
-arrived in Toulouse!

So I will update eventually with photos. But I have to go through them first though because I took about 600. Yes. It disgusts me even thinking about it.
HONESTLY THOUGH. HOW INSANE IS IT THAT I JUST SPENT 5 DAYS IN PARIS ALONE AT THE AGE OF 18. so cool! Yes. I'm alive. I did some random things I never would've done. I met cool people. I ate food. I'm so blessed. Even though it seems like I've seen everything in Paris, I am looking at the guidebook and keep on saying, "Darn! I missed this, and this, and this."

Ah Paris. So beautiful.

From a Friend

For my devotions today, I decided to do something a little different and read my best friend's blog.
CLICK HERE --> Elvanee Veeramaly's Blog: Clothed In Strength & Dignity
This girl has been my best friend for a few years now even though we only see each other about five or so times a year. To counteract that, we Skype every week. Having her in my life is such a blessing because she is the person who understands every part of me: physical, emotional, social, mental, and (most importantly) spiritual. Having a friend who understands the core aspect of your being is probably the greatest gift God can ever give you.
I've been there and heard about the past two years of her life, but it just was truly amazing to read her sharing her personal testimony to the world. And I've seen her grow into such an incredible person in so many different aspects. What was really neat was how her words really describe my spiritual growth as well.
Though I'm not in university, I've had to make a choice of not going for a year. I always had plans of exactly how I would spend my year....and chopping fruits and veggies in a backroom wasn't one of them. I tried to find places to go to France multiple times and they all failed. I broke down and couldn't handle the disappointment of it all. But finally, after meeting up with a friend in February, I said, "You know what? It doesn't matter if I don't go to France anymore. I have a whole life ahead of me. Maybe God just wants me to be here and minister to my coworkers. God's got it covered in my life. There's nothing I can do." I was tired of trying to drive my life-path myself.
A few days after saying that I received my visa to go to France. I let go and let God.

And here I am sitting in my own room in France. About to leave for Paris tomorrow! There's no way on earth that I could've done this myself--but there is a way in heaven.
I've learned so much here, not only about myself, but about the needs of others and how to serve them. I have to treat each person as if they were Jesus. Yes, it's really hard not having any Christian friends to be with, but I'm just supposed to be a witness to those around me. I have to constantly have on the full armour of God because the people that I am with sometimes, they have the ways of the world working in them and shooting towards me. But prayer has kept me going and I've seen God's constant faithfulness.

I'm off on a long walk with Hannah right now. And then, in less than 24 hours, I will be in Paris! Please keep me in your prayers as they mean more to me than gold.

-hetty.