December 2, 2019
WOW. It's been almost a month since I last posted a blog....😳....whoops. A lot has happened in the last couple of weeks, some of which I can't wait to share today:)
So. Since I last wrote, I've had some ~self-discovery~ moments. I've also made plans for a couple trips, and can't wait to go on them. Finally, I've taken pictures of places visited and will share those with you:)
Three weeks ago, I was very homesick. Like the, when I go home for Christmas I'm staying, kind of homesick. I really wanted to be with my parents and my littlest brother, who is having a bit of a hard time right now. Nothing world-ending but hard to be so far away all the same. It took me a couple weeks to figure it out, and I feel SO MUCH BETTER. Like, when I go home for Christmas, I'm getting on a plane to go back, better. I think being able to talk to my friends and family really helped, especially my weekly video calls with my parents and brother. I sometimes have a fear of missing out on what's going on back home, but also, I'm living MY best life in EUROPE. Sometimes, I forget that's where I'm at. How magical is that? I get to live and work for a family that is quickly becoming a part of my family, and I'm feeling so good about everything.
Speaking of that, I think I've decided what I want to be when I grow up. Part of the reason I applied for and became an au pair was so that I could figure out what I was doing with my life. I can't believe I'm an actual adult and now I have to act like one too, with the whole real job thing and everything. So I decided to get away for a while and go places I've always wanted to go, in order to have more time and distance to make some big decisions. And I think I've done that. I recently decided to be a forensic psychologist. You might also know them as police psychologists. I have always wanted to do something with solving crimes (I read a lot of mysteries), but I also want to help better get better, whether it was as a doctor or a counselor. With a degree in forensic psychology, I can do both. Specifically, I want to help policemen and victims (especially children) talk through and process what they've witnessed. This degree would also allow me to become a court witness to explain to the jury different mental disorders that pertain to the people involved with the case. This degree can be used for a lot more things, but this is what I want to use it for. I will need to get both a Master's and PsyD in forensic psychology, a relatively new degree. What I have decided to do my Master's online while living and working in Billings after my year here is done, then getting my PsyD in person. While getting my Master's, I want to work at the police station, hopefully as an emergency call operator.
But enough about the future, let's talk about what I've done in the last month! Remember last post I talked about taking one of the kids to their athletic activity, which is in a valley in the center, and it's super old? Well, here are some pictures to show you how pretty it is down there:
Later that week, we went to an event called the Kid's Cup, where kids from around the country (?) participated in various athletic activities that they've been working on in their athletic activity classes. Here is a picture I took of the street we drove on to get to the gym:
This last week was the fourth week of my Everything You Need to Know About Luxembourg class, and wow have I learned a lot! The country was founded in 963 when a man named Siegfried happened upon a fort (thought to be an old Roman fort) and said something like, I could see myself here. So he was able to trade some of his land with the monks of Trier in order to own the spot. He started building the castle, and centuries later, it became a huge fortress, with the city of Luxembourg inside. Until 1814, Luxembourg was owned and governed by many different countries. However, that year was the Congress of Vienna, where it was decided that Luxembourg would be a Grand Duchy (the only one in the world) and would be ruled by the king of the newly founded United Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1863, Luxembourg was considered a neutral state, so the fortress had to be taken down. What is left of it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also around this time, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands was ruled by their queen, but because of the laws of Luxembourg, she could not also rule over Luxembourg. So the Grand Duchy was passed to a cousin branch of the same family, who is the current branch of Grand Dukes. The first grand duchess was Marie Adelaide in 1914. Her father had six daughters, so he had to rewrite the law concerning heir succession so that his daughter(s) could take over once he had died. Marie abdicated in 1919 because she appeared to side with the Germans in the first World War, which wasn't popular with Luxembourg, so her sister Charlotte took over. Charlotte was an amazing ruler and was the Grand Duchess until 1964. She allowed women to vote in Luxembourg, helped the country through World War II even though she was exiled to London and Canada during Luxembourg's occupation, and allowed other countries to see the country as important, no matter how small. The Grand Duke at the moment is Henri, Charlotte's grandson. We also learned about the country's steal industry, which is how it became financially stable. In order to stay relevant in today's world, the country moved towards the financial sector, which is now their biggest industry. We also learned about the way the government is run (both the Prime Minister and the Grand Duke help to govern the country, in separate ways), and how voting works. If you want to know more, I can type up my notes and send them to you:) But it was very interesting finding out about a country that I didn't know much, if anything, about. Here is a picture of the building and surrounding area that I take the class in:
On the 24th, I went back to the Luxembourg City Museum to explore at my own pace. There was a lot that I recognized from my class, and I loved being able to be familiar with a country other than my own. Here are some pictures I took from the walk there:
Christmas markets have been popping up everywhere! I walked through one in the squares I frequent, near the library. It was super packed and I left rather quickly. From what I saw of it, it was really cute. Every vendor was in a little wooden house, and they were selling everything, like food and Christmas presents, but even a blacksmith set up shop and was doing custom metalworking. They had a live band playing Christmas music and lots of people were singing along. We had a Christmas market here in Bertrange this weekend, which was super cute too, though much smaller. Every vendor was selling some kind of food, and I was able to snag some pretty tasty fries. They also had a non-snow sledding hill which the kids were crazy about. Tragically, at one of the Christmas markets in the city, an ice sculpture somehow broke apart and fell on to a two year old, killing him. Since then, markets have decided to be more subdued and less lively in deference to the boy and his family.
As you may remember, last week was Thanksgiving! It is my favorite holiday, so of course I had to celebrate here. I made pumpkin pie with a neighboring family, whose child I help teach English to, on Wednesday night, which was so fun; but because it is an American holiday, we didn't have the day off to prepare like you all did, and we decided to celebrate on the Sunday afterwards instead. We played Just Dance, made pumpkin pie, gravy, roast chicken, stuffing, and mashed potatoes, and then I made everyone say what they were thankful for before we could start eating. Just as tradition dictates:) Then we listened to Christmas music and it was such a great day.
This last weekend was actually pretty busy. On Friday, we spent the afternoon at the local Christmas market. On Saturday, we went to pick up the Christmas tree, which the family here rents. It's such a cool idea. All the trees at this place are still alive and planted in a huge pot. You take the tree home, keep it watered, and after the holiday, the place comes to pick up the tree. Some families even rent the same tree every year, making it apart of their family, which is super cute to me. Eric and I tried something like that last year, where we named our tree, but everyone hated that so I guess the tree isn't family😭 Later that day, we went a family friend's house because Santa Claus was visiting. Except that it's not Santa Claus here, it's Saint Nicholas, and he/baby Jesus brings presents on the 6th of December. So Saint Nicholas comes in with his helper, a man that has no name in English, but is dressed all in black, with a huge black beard that covers his whole face. Of course, a child started crying right away. Anyway, the week before, the parents filled out sheets of paper for each of their kids with bad and good things that they did over the year. Saint Nicholas talks to the kids one by one about what they did good, while his all-black buddy chastised them for what they did wrong. Each child gets up one by one and everyone gets to hear both their bad and good traits, so I was super glad I wasn't a kid there. I would have been mortified, being the center of attention like that. After that, traditionally the Santa and his friend go to the kitchen with the men of the families and do shots or have a couple beers. Apparently, our Santa didn't do that this time, but you can imagine if he did and had more than one house to visit that night. Saturday was also Eric's birthday, so I got to video call him on his new phone. He also texts me, which I love but is super weird. On Sunday, one of the kids had a cross country race that he was in. This would have been fine except that it was cold. And also snowing. First time I've seen it snow here and it went all day. And it was huge clumps of snow too. 😡
I almost thought I was done, but I forgot about my trips! So, in a couple weeks, my au pair friend Ryn and I are going to Paris for the weekend. We were able to find an amazing Airbnb, and I can't wait to show you the pictures I'll take. I'm so excited! I am also planning a trip to England in February for the Lana del Rey concernt in Manchester. I'm going with Danielle, and sticking around the area for about a week. I can't wait for that trip either!
Okay. I'm going to add in pictures, then do my French homework. Thank you! Or merci if you're French😏
So. Since I last wrote, I've had some ~self-discovery~ moments. I've also made plans for a couple trips, and can't wait to go on them. Finally, I've taken pictures of places visited and will share those with you:)
Three weeks ago, I was very homesick. Like the, when I go home for Christmas I'm staying, kind of homesick. I really wanted to be with my parents and my littlest brother, who is having a bit of a hard time right now. Nothing world-ending but hard to be so far away all the same. It took me a couple weeks to figure it out, and I feel SO MUCH BETTER. Like, when I go home for Christmas, I'm getting on a plane to go back, better. I think being able to talk to my friends and family really helped, especially my weekly video calls with my parents and brother. I sometimes have a fear of missing out on what's going on back home, but also, I'm living MY best life in EUROPE. Sometimes, I forget that's where I'm at. How magical is that? I get to live and work for a family that is quickly becoming a part of my family, and I'm feeling so good about everything.
Speaking of that, I think I've decided what I want to be when I grow up. Part of the reason I applied for and became an au pair was so that I could figure out what I was doing with my life. I can't believe I'm an actual adult and now I have to act like one too, with the whole real job thing and everything. So I decided to get away for a while and go places I've always wanted to go, in order to have more time and distance to make some big decisions. And I think I've done that. I recently decided to be a forensic psychologist. You might also know them as police psychologists. I have always wanted to do something with solving crimes (I read a lot of mysteries), but I also want to help better get better, whether it was as a doctor or a counselor. With a degree in forensic psychology, I can do both. Specifically, I want to help policemen and victims (especially children) talk through and process what they've witnessed. This degree would also allow me to become a court witness to explain to the jury different mental disorders that pertain to the people involved with the case. This degree can be used for a lot more things, but this is what I want to use it for. I will need to get both a Master's and PsyD in forensic psychology, a relatively new degree. What I have decided to do my Master's online while living and working in Billings after my year here is done, then getting my PsyD in person. While getting my Master's, I want to work at the police station, hopefully as an emergency call operator.
But enough about the future, let's talk about what I've done in the last month! Remember last post I talked about taking one of the kids to their athletic activity, which is in a valley in the center, and it's super old? Well, here are some pictures to show you how pretty it is down there:
Later that week, we went to an event called the Kid's Cup, where kids from around the country (?) participated in various athletic activities that they've been working on in their athletic activity classes. Here is a picture I took of the street we drove on to get to the gym:
This last week was the fourth week of my Everything You Need to Know About Luxembourg class, and wow have I learned a lot! The country was founded in 963 when a man named Siegfried happened upon a fort (thought to be an old Roman fort) and said something like, I could see myself here. So he was able to trade some of his land with the monks of Trier in order to own the spot. He started building the castle, and centuries later, it became a huge fortress, with the city of Luxembourg inside. Until 1814, Luxembourg was owned and governed by many different countries. However, that year was the Congress of Vienna, where it was decided that Luxembourg would be a Grand Duchy (the only one in the world) and would be ruled by the king of the newly founded United Kingdom of the Netherlands. In 1863, Luxembourg was considered a neutral state, so the fortress had to be taken down. What is left of it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also around this time, the United Kingdom of the Netherlands was ruled by their queen, but because of the laws of Luxembourg, she could not also rule over Luxembourg. So the Grand Duchy was passed to a cousin branch of the same family, who is the current branch of Grand Dukes. The first grand duchess was Marie Adelaide in 1914. Her father had six daughters, so he had to rewrite the law concerning heir succession so that his daughter(s) could take over once he had died. Marie abdicated in 1919 because she appeared to side with the Germans in the first World War, which wasn't popular with Luxembourg, so her sister Charlotte took over. Charlotte was an amazing ruler and was the Grand Duchess until 1964. She allowed women to vote in Luxembourg, helped the country through World War II even though she was exiled to London and Canada during Luxembourg's occupation, and allowed other countries to see the country as important, no matter how small. The Grand Duke at the moment is Henri, Charlotte's grandson. We also learned about the country's steal industry, which is how it became financially stable. In order to stay relevant in today's world, the country moved towards the financial sector, which is now their biggest industry. We also learned about the way the government is run (both the Prime Minister and the Grand Duke help to govern the country, in separate ways), and how voting works. If you want to know more, I can type up my notes and send them to you:) But it was very interesting finding out about a country that I didn't know much, if anything, about. Here is a picture of the building and surrounding area that I take the class in:
On the 24th, I went back to the Luxembourg City Museum to explore at my own pace. There was a lot that I recognized from my class, and I loved being able to be familiar with a country other than my own. Here are some pictures I took from the walk there:
Christmas markets have been popping up everywhere! I walked through one in the squares I frequent, near the library. It was super packed and I left rather quickly. From what I saw of it, it was really cute. Every vendor was in a little wooden house, and they were selling everything, like food and Christmas presents, but even a blacksmith set up shop and was doing custom metalworking. They had a live band playing Christmas music and lots of people were singing along. We had a Christmas market here in Bertrange this weekend, which was super cute too, though much smaller. Every vendor was selling some kind of food, and I was able to snag some pretty tasty fries. They also had a non-snow sledding hill which the kids were crazy about. Tragically, at one of the Christmas markets in the city, an ice sculpture somehow broke apart and fell on to a two year old, killing him. Since then, markets have decided to be more subdued and less lively in deference to the boy and his family.
As you may remember, last week was Thanksgiving! It is my favorite holiday, so of course I had to celebrate here. I made pumpkin pie with a neighboring family, whose child I help teach English to, on Wednesday night, which was so fun; but because it is an American holiday, we didn't have the day off to prepare like you all did, and we decided to celebrate on the Sunday afterwards instead. We played Just Dance, made pumpkin pie, gravy, roast chicken, stuffing, and mashed potatoes, and then I made everyone say what they were thankful for before we could start eating. Just as tradition dictates:) Then we listened to Christmas music and it was such a great day.
This last weekend was actually pretty busy. On Friday, we spent the afternoon at the local Christmas market. On Saturday, we went to pick up the Christmas tree, which the family here rents. It's such a cool idea. All the trees at this place are still alive and planted in a huge pot. You take the tree home, keep it watered, and after the holiday, the place comes to pick up the tree. Some families even rent the same tree every year, making it apart of their family, which is super cute to me. Eric and I tried something like that last year, where we named our tree, but everyone hated that so I guess the tree isn't family😭 Later that day, we went a family friend's house because Santa Claus was visiting. Except that it's not Santa Claus here, it's Saint Nicholas, and he/baby Jesus brings presents on the 6th of December. So Saint Nicholas comes in with his helper, a man that has no name in English, but is dressed all in black, with a huge black beard that covers his whole face. Of course, a child started crying right away. Anyway, the week before, the parents filled out sheets of paper for each of their kids with bad and good things that they did over the year. Saint Nicholas talks to the kids one by one about what they did good, while his all-black buddy chastised them for what they did wrong. Each child gets up one by one and everyone gets to hear both their bad and good traits, so I was super glad I wasn't a kid there. I would have been mortified, being the center of attention like that. After that, traditionally the Santa and his friend go to the kitchen with the men of the families and do shots or have a couple beers. Apparently, our Santa didn't do that this time, but you can imagine if he did and had more than one house to visit that night. Saturday was also Eric's birthday, so I got to video call him on his new phone. He also texts me, which I love but is super weird. On Sunday, one of the kids had a cross country race that he was in. This would have been fine except that it was cold. And also snowing. First time I've seen it snow here and it went all day. And it was huge clumps of snow too. 😡
I almost thought I was done, but I forgot about my trips! So, in a couple weeks, my au pair friend Ryn and I are going to Paris for the weekend. We were able to find an amazing Airbnb, and I can't wait to show you the pictures I'll take. I'm so excited! I am also planning a trip to England in February for the Lana del Rey concernt in Manchester. I'm going with Danielle, and sticking around the area for about a week. I can't wait for that trip either!
Okay. I'm going to add in pictures, then do my French homework. Thank you! Or merci if you're French😏
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