It was a struggle

There’s no denying

I spent many late nights

Angrily crying

Hours of studying

And powering through

 

Too many times to count

I wanted to quit

But the Seine waited

And

Danced in my dreams

 

Every other day

I sat at my desk

Learning to switch between languages in my head

“Oui Madame” and “Je ne sais pas”

Started to roll off my tongue

 

Night after night

For months on end

I slipped into France

And my love continued to ascend

 

Cobble stone streets, the striking houses

So much history to explore

And beauty to fill my soul

 

I am captivated

Intrigued

Painfully obsessed

 

Four years I studied

 The culture

The language

The cities

The land

But it didn’t take long at all

To fall in love with France

 

I have a thirst for literature

One that cannot be quenched

I want it to consume me

And I want it to spread

 

I want to breathe it in

And exhale it out

To share captivating words

With future students all around

 

What I would give

To live in such a place

To be among people

That not only I could teach

But that could teach me

To live a whole new way

 

One job to change my life

Something to improve my being

Teaching literature and the English language

In France

To get the world reading

 

It will take years of work and perfection

Saving money and making contacts in France

But the hard work will be worth it

When I’m reading with my students

And watching the Seine dance