Interview!

Here is the second interview in our moving abroad series.  This week Rebekah is telling us how she has found her year abroad.  Thanks for sharing Rebekah!

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Rebekah, I’m 27 and I am English. I graduated as primary school teacher last summer and have spent the last year living and teaching in Paris.

Which countries did you move from and to and why?

I moved from England to France. In my degree studies, I specialised in MFL teaching and thought spending a year abroad would provide invaluable experiences and resources for my future teaching career.

I also just really wanted to experience life in another country!

What kind of expectations did you have before you moved?

I moved to Paris without knowing a single person, so my expectation was that it was going to be tough at first – particularly as a lot of the English have a huge stereotype of the French as rude and stand-offish (and I was moving to Paris; the capital of this preconception!).

Did your new country live up to these expectations?

Definitely not, I found almost all of the people I met to be very friendly and welcoming.

I think that the misconception is partly due to people not trying to learn/speak the language of the country that they are going to. I’ve overheard so many English/American people whilst I’ve been here who have been cross that some shop assistants/waiters hasn’t been able to speak any English! Almost all of the French people I have met whilst I’ve been here have been very interested in my language learning and they’ve been really willing to help me along (sometimes a bit too willing...it’s a bit embarrassing/disheartening when even the six year olds are correcting your grammar!).

What was the best thing about moving?

The best thing about moving was the challenge - the opportunity to force myself to be out of my ‘comfort zone’ and really push myself to speak and learn as much of the language as possible.

What was the worst thing?

Two months before I moved to Paris, I moved in with my long-term boyfriend, Dave, and so leaving my home and my newly-built life behind was definitely the worst thing.

That having been said, in the end it has definitely become one of the hidden benefits – as a couple we have grown closer than either of us could have ever imagined. So I guess my worst thing has become one of the most positive outcomes!

What has been your favourite experience since you moved?

Oh my goodness! Where to start! In terms of school experiences, I think the constantly hearing echoes of “Rebekah, Rebekah! Hello, how are you?” from my primary school children as I walk through the playground or around the school is definitely a favourite experience.

In terms of being in Paris in general, I think simply the opportunity to get to know such an amazing city. There’s always something going on here, something to do, something to see, somewhere to visit. I’ve been incredibly lucky to spend so much time here.

What steps have you taken to accustom yourself to your new country?

Learning the language! Definitely the major step I made to accustom myself. I arrived with bits of classroom French, quite a lot of travel French and some shaky conversational French – but you can’t really make friends and get to know people until you know enough language to hold up your end of a conversation/give your opinion on something.

What tips would you give someone else thinking of moving abroad / to your country?

My first is one of those predictable pieces of advice that are just so easy to disregard – but just don’t say no to ANYTHING when you first arrive. Even if you don’t think you’ll enjoy it. It’s surprising just how many experiences you would have quickly dismissed, through nervousness or otherwise, that actually end up being life-changing.

My second is definitely to try and stay positive. It’s not going to be easy 100% of the time, it’s not going to fun 100% of the time and (as Jenny has mentioned in her previous post) it can be lonely, even in Paris! But “c’est la vie” as they say and each experience, positive or negative, helps us to develop who we are. It’s easy to look at other people and think “well she/he are just finding it so easy” – but ask yourself honestly, when you’re finding it difficult, do you have a breakdown in public? Or do you put on a smile and wait until you’re home? So who’s to say that the person you are putting on the pedestal isn’t having lonely/disheartened moments in the privacy of their own home?

Is there anything else you would like to share?

I think I’d just like to say that if anyone is ever in two minds about making the leap and moving to another country, for however long or short a time, just do it! We only truly regret the things we didn’t do after all.

I’d also like to thank Jenny – her blog is so open, honest and thought-provoking. I stumbled across it after I’d been here about a month, and was feeling really homesick. It made me realise that there have been other people in the same boat and that the positives really do outweigh any negatives!

Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions!