French Progress!

It occurred to me that those of you who have not heard my French (but have heard all about it on this blog) may be wondering: Gee, Misha says she is learning French, but I'm not so sure. Remember when she tried to learn Spanish with Rosetta stone? Sadly, such concerns are legitimate! (I barely made it 3 days with Rosetta Stone Spanish, for all my enthusiasm then.) But, here I have provided video proof to dispel any concerns about Misha's mythological French studies. I promise you, they are not myth.

It's been awhile since I mustered the bravery to talk with native French speakers on Skype, but today I had a wonderful conversation with my friend Clara! We talked about all sorts of things, but mostly we ended up giggling a lot as we tried to navigate the language barriers. My awful pronunciation was the running joke throughout the conversation, but she could understand most of what I said and I could understand most of what she said. If nothing else, I could understand enough words to get the gist of what she was saying. Her little brother came in and helped us out, much to Clara's dismay but I found him quite amusing and even the slightest bit helpful!

To be truthful, my French studies sloughed off last semester which is perhaps why I did not enjoy past conversations with native speakers. I never understood their French because it was too fast and when I asked them to repeat it, they spoke at the same speed! I have not necessarily learned more vocabulary since my last conversation, but since the new year, I have renewed my studies with vigor, this time focusing on the pronunciation. Although I was enthusiastic in the very beginning of my French study, I also picked up many bad habits with my pronunciation so I am trying to go back and correct that. I've been studying with Anki, a spaced-repetition system which is a glorified (and super fancy) flash card system on the computer. I love it! And with the few weeks I've been working on it and all the vocab I learned before, I can tell my comprehension and speaking has really improved! Yay!!

2014 in Review

While last year was a year of freedom, I think this year was one of standing on the edge and laughing at the darkness below. As I predicted, 2014 led to many big, scary adventures that pushed me beyond the boundaries of comfort and to new heights of personal growth. I didn't believe it was possible, but 2014 was definitely bigger--a lot bigger--than 2013! I don't think I've ever felt more uncomfortable in my life!! But it was truly discomfort in the best way!

Wrapping up my college degree was definitely a big one and the roller coaster of emotions that accompanied it ranged from over the moon to "holy crap what do I do now?" I've learned a lot about staying active (physically and mentally) and lifelong learning. Summer brought a lull with it while Jake was in France and then the FIFA world cup which I watched nearly every day. As fall approached, I got a second job teaching writing at Veritas!! Lesson-planning takes up most of my time these days so I'm learning quite a bit about work-life balance(!) Finally, I've been pursuing my interest in international missions by networking, seeking mentors, and befriending refugees here in Tucson.

I am so glad I blogged my goals last January because looking back, I realized that I met almost all of them, even though I didn't have the list in front of me the whole year. I started my IRA and put away about $1,000 in it, graduated from college (!!!), began teaching in a real school, took an art class, joined a soccer team, and traveled quite a bit, including a solo trip to visit Jake in SD and a road trip just me and my bro. Whew! It's been a busy year!

My new goals include:

• Putting another $1,000 in my IRA
• Purchasing a passport
• Saving $$ for an international trip
• Keep practicing French
• Buy/Read more books
• Summer Job??

Predictions for next year? To be honest, I'm not really sure! I'm thinking (hoping?) it will be more mellow than the last couple years; I could use a rest! Actually, I get the sense that 2015 will be a year of preparation for whatever 2016 brings. I will likely renew my contract with Veritas for another school year of teaching experience under my belt before I pursue other teaching avenues abroad (in missions or otherwise). Financially, I'm saving up money for my international excursion(s). I don't see myself starting as many new activities or hobbies this year. I'll probably stick with soccer, practicing French, and reading when I can.