In This Economy, Laissez-Faire!

My flight to Paris is not leaving until September 20^th.  I wanted to go sooner (obviously) but airline prices, living arrangements, and the proverbial work visa threw a teensy wrench in those plans.  On the bright side, I get to spend a little bit of time laying on my parents’ leather couch watching TV.  I am supposed to be thinking up “lesson plans” for my first few days of English class, but let me get to that after the Star Wars marathon, k?

I graduated from the University of Virginia in May with a complicated sounding (and consequently impractical) liberal arts major and a minor in French.  Like most college students, I was perplexed by the “real word,” a place where one presumably must do something one does not particularly enjoy in exchange for money.   What is even more perplexing (and disturbing!) is that it turns out there are already enough people out there doing just that!  Although, my parents tell stories of the mythical signing bonuses of the eighties, we all know that liberal arts grads today are pretty much out of luck. 

With my family in New Orleans over Christmas, after a few glasses of eggnog, I declared to everyone that I was moving to France when I graduated, like I had always wanted. Cheers! Take that economy! On Christmas day I wrote out my application to the TAPIF program and clicked send. 

Right after graduation I drove back down to New Orleans to start an internship with The NOCCA Institute.  I had such a rewarding and stimulating summer in my semi-“real world” job that I almost started to question my decision to go to France.  Maybe I should stay.  Maybe I should get serious and get a job and stay in one place.  My college buds now have jobs at places like Google and the World Bank.  Should I try for the same thing?

But then I see the look in the eyes of middle-aged professionals when I tell them about my plans to be French for eight months.  “Do it now!” They say, almost desperately.  “Do it now before you have a career and a family and responsibilities.  Do it while you are young and open and adventurous. If you don't do it now, you will never do it!” 

So I’m doing it, goddamnit, I’m doing it!  In fact, I have never been so sure about anything.