Let's Talk About Food

Still no word on the farms and I am continuing to get nervous. What do I do when I get nervous? Plan more stuff! I mean the more that I plan, the more I feel I am planning for the trip, even if what I need to plan is not being done.


I am looking at my budget now and trying to figure out how much money I will spend each month. I have one that I use now, but it is useless as I have no idea how much anything is there. I hear it is expensive but it is hard to wrap my head around it not being enveloped in it.


I read somewhere that the consulate wants you to have about $2,000 a month for expenses. That sounds like a lot, but really I don’t think it is that bad. With the WWOOFing I will be getting free room and board when I am doing it. I need to just cover travel expenses to and fro and food (which I am sure I will spend lots on as I will be in FRANCE and they have DELICIOUS food and pastries – if you are that person saying, how do you know, you have never been – “shut it up I say” – you know what I am talking about). I also figure that I will be taking and doing the touristy thing while I am in France, you know markets, festivals, tours, etc. Those will involve additional monies so perhaps the $2,000 a month will be perfect averaged out.


I would love to work in a place that makes chocolate while I am there. I am not to work anywhere that I need a work visa, but perhaps they would be okay with me volunteering my time. I don’t know maybe that movie Chocolat brainwashed me, but I so would love it. I try to only have chocolate about once every month or two but I have already determined this may have to go out the window while I am there.


While we are talking about food and all, let us talk about cheese! I am not a huge fan of cheese. I mean I like the mozzarella, pepperjack, brie but that is about it, the rest are too strong for me. Well, while I have been in Georgia a friend and I found this place that makes awesome fried green tomatoes (so southern, I know). Anyway, we love the marmalade and cheese that they give you with it and BAM I noted it was goat’s cheese. It is still mild and kind of cream cheese like so it all works out. Now, what does this mean? This means I may perhaps gain some weight while abroad as I am interested in working on farms that make but what else, but goat cheese.


I also want to work at a farm that makes wine despite not drinking wine. I have never enjoyed wine and have decided that it came about in my childhood and I just do not like the taste or smell. Perhaps when I am surrounded and have people telling me good versus great I will begin to like it but I have no such hopes and worry that if I continue to dislike it so much, I may be considered rude or offend some, so I need to be careful. I have never minded not being a fan of not just wine but drinking in general as it does not taste good to me off the bat and it costs lots of moola – I would rather save the money and get some more food…

Documentation

Feel free to congratulate me, I have finally gathered all of my documents to apply for my long stay visa! I read somewhere that it would only take two weeks to one month to get all of the documents. I guess that is realistic if you knew what documents were needed right away – but I was not so fortunate.


I am getting so excited about my travels and what will be in store for me. Within the next month, I will be taking a road trip from Georgia to New Mexico, to move all of my belongings, I have a trip to Oregon for a family event and then a trip to New Jersey before I am off. I feel good about all of this but am getting worried (by the way, I am a really old lady trapped in a young body…I have been this way all of my life and worry way too much. I am hoping that my France experience will help with this but I do not have high hopes).


I have yet to hear back from any new farms but did contact another two about dates in November and December hoping that I can secure something, even if it is in the far future. I know that most farms do not have internet access and that is why I am waiting patiently and hoping for far future dates.


I also found a hotel to stay at for a couple of days before I begin the WWOOFing journey. It is only a mile away from the airport and pretty cheap. All of the reviews say it is perfect for a night or two just as a layover spot. I figure that will be perfect for me to get used to the culture, language, time change, etc. They also have free pick up and drop off at the airport. I have concocted a great scheme that when I am ready to leave for my first farm, I will have them drop me back off at the airport, since there is a train station there (and it is the closest one for me, plus it will be the cheapest to get to…who can beat free?!)

Preparing for France

My co-workers are so supportive and excited for me that it makes it even more exciting. Throughout teaching and getting my students ready for the state test I am trying to get all of my paperwork ready to apply for a visa. All I can say is…overwhelming! I may have done things a little out of order but that is due to the fact that everywhere I look for guidance has said something different.


I like to get the big stuff done first and I looked up flights! I found a bunch for around $600 but waited to determine a date since it was so far off. A week later of course the prices were all $1600 even with layovers and any way I could think to get the cost down, even buying a round-trip ticket with a hotel room included and just not going on the return flight. I thought the prices would go back down but they did not. My fiancé helped me find one that did not have three layovers and was only $520 from Newark, NJ to Paris, France and I jumped on it!


The next thing I had to worry about was getting a visa since I will be there for 8 months. Finding the website with all of the information was so difficult (I do not know why!). I was following different instructions from different consulates and it was a mess. I finally found the right one for me and tried to contact them since I will not be able to pick up my visa and need it sent to my hometown (In case you live in the South East and need the website: http://www.consulfrance-atlanta.org/spip.php?article605#2-Temporary-long-stay-visa-3-to-6). Nobody has responded to me but I have decided that if I follow what student visa’s require and I bring a Fed Ex envelope addressed and with postage that I will be fine (crossing my fingers!).


As I am getting all of the documents I need to find all of the forms, translate them into French, make copies of my passport, driver’s license, get passport pictures to put on the forms, write letters in French saying I will not work for pay, get notarized letters from my bank, etc. etc. I decide to check out making an appointment again. Now I realize that I should not have waited to get all of my forms first, and my appointment is two weeks after I need it to be! After I have the appointment it takes about 2 – 2 ½ months to get the visa and if my appointment is May 19th and I leave August 2nd. I am hoping that I get my visa in time, but what is done is done though and I must move forward.


I have decided to get the insurance that WWOOF members often go with (http://www.oveuropa.com/gb/index.html) just in case anything happens but not going crazy with the costs. Next up, I need to find a place to stay for a couple of days before I begin my WWOOFing experience. I have emailed about 7 people and only heard back from two. Once place is already booked for August and the other I was interested in for February (turning goat’s milk into cheese…my new favorite cheese). They said it is too early and I must wait to contact them again. I also just found out that Aix grows and harvests lavender in June and July….two of the only three months that I will not be in France. There are so many farms though for me to visit and an opportunity to go back to France in the future (is it bad that I am not even there yet and am excited to go back?).

How to Travel France?

In middle school I had to do a project in French class about a region I picked from a hat. I picked Aix-en-provance and fell in love. For years I have wanted to go there and talked about spending a summer. All through college, my summers were busy with family outings and I was unable to plan it. As a graduation present my friends gave me some cash to put towards my trip.

When I graduated college I thought about taking a year off and doing the Europe thing, but I got my degree in teaching and was so worried that I would forget so many of the tiny important details throughout the year off. Well, I just finished my second year teaching and feel like that I am a very good teaching and have enough experience under my belt to remember it and go back to it.


With the couple of dollars that I put away each week, birthday and graduation gifts, and a small inheritance from my grandmother, I am ready to begin my journey. Do to the funds, I will be able to stay for 8 months instead of 2, which I am ecstatic for.


A good friend of mine did the Europe thing a couple of years ago and has done a ton of traveling since. He tried to help me put things into plan but being a single lady traveling I am not up for just going without a plan or place to stay. I trust what he has to say as he has been there and done that, but I take everything with a grain of salt. (During our last conversation, he told me that when I go I should just take a book bag. He did India with two pairs of underwear and it was perfect...He did not understand me wanting to being more than two pairs and having room for some high healed boots.) He told me about the World Wide Opportunities of Organic Farms that he knew a bunch of people to have done and enjoyed. After some research I have decided this will be perfect for me!