Ever have the desire to move away and teach in a different country? Being an assistant in France was a rewarding experience to utilize my newfound skills from college in a new and challenging environment. If you want to learn more about my experiences you can click on this link. There are many post-grad teaching programs to choose from. Make sure you check out the guidelines for each program before applying. The majority of programs will require a minimum level of a college degree along with experience in a foreign language. Below, I have a couple of programs that have been recommended for traveling abroad.

• TAPIF (Teaching Assitant Program in France) -https://www.tapif.org/
• Cultural Ambassadors: North America Cultural Ambassador Spain: https://www.mecd.gob.es/eeuu/convocatorias-programas/convocatorias-eeuu/auxiliares-conversacion-eeuu.html
• Disney English (Teach in China) https://jobs.disneycareers.com/teach-english-in-china
• Teach in Thailand https://www.ciee.org/go-abroad/work/teach-english-abroad/programs/teach-thailand
• Teach in South Korea https://www.ciee.org/go-abroad/work/teach-english-abroad/programs/teach-south-korea
• Jet Program (Japan) https://jetprogramusa.org/

Let me know in the comments below if you have taught abroad and if you have any recommendations!

Until next time,

ThePrincessFusion

Opening up a bank account can be a pretty hard thing to do whether you are doing it in your native language or not. As I mentioned in my previous posts, I had the opportunity to learn a lot (including how to open a bank account) while living in France. I've heard mixed reviews when it comes to opening up a French bank account from former assistants. A lot of assistants will have their referent teacher help them with the process have an appointment set up with their local bank who is aware of your situation. Unfortunately, this was not the case for myself and I had the chance to learn how to open a bank account for the first time in a foreign country (yay!). For those of you who are currently in the same situation as I was, here is a guide on what you'll need to do for opening a bank account.

You will need the following documents:

(1) Your contract (bring multiple copies)
(2) Passport
(3) A signature from a reference
(4) Filled out application form from the bank
(5) Permanent address

I should let you know that depending on which bank (and branch) that you select, you might have to bring additional documents.

As an American, I had a harder time opening up a bank account in Montpellier because they realized based off my contract that I could only legally live in Europe for less than a year's time. Hence having a person that can guarantee that if something happens, they are able to back you up. Don't worry, you won't have to ask an old grandma off the street for money or that random family connection that you have in Grenoble, your principal or school teacher can sign the form for you saying that they will back you up.

When opening a bank account make sure you know what kind you are setting up. You have two options of the type of bank accounts to open up: either a savings or checking account. It's honestly up to you on what kind you prefer to have. Personally, I preferred having a checking account. When opening up a checking account, you will receive a code (similar to SSN) called a 'RIB'. THis number is used when completing an order that requires a subscription- such as a gym or SNCF's 'Happy Card'.

Lastly, it's time to answer the question of which bank to choose. This is a great question to ask your teachers about what the previous assistant did. Typically, there is one bank that they work with (even if the teacher doesn't hold your hand for the entire process). If you don't have any suggestions, I recommend looking at which one not only works best for your area in France but also around Europe. Having been a member of Banque Postale (don't recommend), limited my options when I was outside of France I was forced to use my American debit card. My personal favorite is BNP (Paris Bas) because they are located not only in France but also around the world. BNP even has an office located in New York City (right off of Times Square) and is (supposedly) connected with US Bank.

Here's a short video to help explain the process (dont' worry, it's not THAT bad).



Have you opened a French bank account? How was the process for you? Comment below!

It's crazy to think that a year ago today marked the beginning of a crazy whirlwind of an adventure traveling around the world. As I boarded my plane with my family towards our Mediterranean cruise, I had no idea what to expect in terms of my journey for TAPIF. It was the beginning of August and I was as blind as a bat in terms of where I would be moving in the couple of weeks to follow. My arrete de nomination was no where in sight meaning that I had no idea where I was living or working .

Our cruise journey started off to a rocky start (no pun intended). A part of me thinks that this was a great metaphor for my time to come in Europe. We began our voyage from Minneapolis over to Paris. It was my first time back at CDG since studying abroad and I couldn't have been more excited to put my feet (even if it was only supposed to be a 1 hour layover) in my favorite city. Flash forward to a couple hours later when we were informed that customs was on strike and that the next airplane wouldn't be arriving for another 9 hours.

That day, I had to learn what it was like to truly be patient . I was stranded in a Parisian airport only an hour away from familiar sights and smells incapable of  leaving. I was frustrated. I was so close to being in the town I loved so dearly, yet unable to go visit because of ongoing strikes. Fate had yet again proved that there was another plan in mind for me.

I spent the majority of my time imagining the 'what ifs' and wishing I hadn't spent my 25 euro gift card from the airline so quickly on a LongChamps bag rather than food. Oddly enough the only comforting sound that kept me sane during those 9 hours were the firefighter sirens. They reminded me of the mornings waking up in my Parisian apartment staring curiously outside my balcony.

 I  stuffed myself up with cheap macaroons from Paul and a questionable tuna sandwich from REPLAY before the flight and counted the minutes until our departure. Finally, it was time to board.
As we began our climb into the clouds to Barcelona I heard gasps from the passengers above me pointing at the window. I nudged my head over to see what the commotion was about. There it was. Like a scene from a cheesy American movie, popping out above the clouds glistening for everyone to see. The Eiffel tower was sparkling  in my direction, almost as if she was welcoming me back.

The sight was so beautiful that I cried next to complete strangers who were freaking out about the ongoing turbulence. You see, even though those 9 hours were grueling I think they served as a metaphor for my time in France as a teaching assistant. Though there might be times of waiting for unwariness long hours, the final product is worth it. At the end of the day, no one can take away my experiences from me. There are going to be bumps on the road when traveling. It should be expected. We travel not because we know its going to be hard, but because of those unexpected and painfully beautiful moments that we encounter. I'll always be grateful for the year were I got to see the world and truly understand what it's like to live (even if that does mean waiting in an airport for 9 hours).


Until next time,

Everyone wants to know if its true: Can one really get payed to travel the world? Unlike many other travel bloggers I'm not here to sell you anything or be ambiguous about how I am fortunate to travel around the world. Rather, I want to share my tips and stories with you guys in hopes that maybe you too can have the possibility of traveling around the world (no matter how long it might be) and actually get some pay.

So how did I do it? For seven months I taught English in France with TAPIF (Teaching Assistant Program in France). My work contract was for 12 hours a week at three different schools.  I had the opportunity of choosing my schedule ultimately allowing for four day weekends (meaning more time for me to see the world!).

 I'll be honest and let you know that I was lucky in many ways. I had  money saved up thanks to my previous job(s) and my parents, had an apartment that was dirt cheap, and lived in the middle of a bustling city. I was lucky enough also to live in a country that has so many paid holiday time, meaning that I was essentially getting payed to see the world. I'll admit now that the pay wasn't great (about $800 euros after taxes) but if you budget correctly and have a bit of money saved on the side, it is doable.

If you're interested in hearing more about my story of how I got payed to travel around the world and how you can do the same things make sure you read my blogs post on TAPIF, the application process, and everything in between.


Until next time,

 Our stay in Amsterdam, a total of three days, consisted of a lot of walking and cultural immersion into the Danish lifestyle. For example one night we had the chance to see just how rowdy soccer fans can really get. Suddenly- out of no where- crowds of fans would emerge from tiny streets with cannons and bottles of beer in preparation for the nights soccer match. Even though the team had lost against Manchester, it was hard to tell with all the partying and screaming that was going on throughout the streets of Amsterdam till the early morning.

As we walked out of our hostel the next morning the town seemed as if it had faced a zombie apocalypse.  Bits and pieces of trash were left on the ground in every direction showing that human life had indeed passed by.

I wont go into much detail about the red light district or cannabis in Amsterdam (you can look that up for yourself) because I honestly believe that there is more to Amsterdam than just that. Yes, Amsterdam can be a bit of a party town, but during the day it is a town filled with a rich history, wonder, and culture that is brighter and more enticing than any red light window I've ever seen.

Until next time,

Bruges Belgium is a small town located about an hour train ride from Brussels. There are many things to do in Bruges that for some might seem quite perplexing. Several highlights from Bruges (including the fry museum of course) include the chocolate museum, a light museum, the blood of Jesus Christ (which you can generously see if you pay), and the infamous canals. This is a great destination for a weekend or day trip.

It should be noted (as stated above) that food and drink here can be rather expensive.  Meals for lunch range about 20 euros a person and more for dinner. Beer is cheaper than water and your sauces for fries can sometimes cost more than the fries themselves. My favorite meal? A red fruit beer from Delirium with fries and mayo. Just remember that the reason why your fries taste so good compared to other parts of the world is because they fry the potatoes with horse fat.

Until next time!

One of my pet peeves in Paris is taking (and doing) super-touristy stuff, so excuse my lack of pictures in this section and the fact that pretty much everything I did in Paris during this leg of the journey was as toursity as one could get.

Being the Parisian obsessed person that I am, one trip to Paris to say goodbye wasn't enough (I'm boogie I know). My first goodbye to Paris was a couple days before I left for Barcelona. Since I had lived in Paris previously, I had more to say goodbye to , including its suburbs. Throughout the farewell tour in Paris I couldn't help but think about how much I had changed since my return to Paris in September. When I landed last fall there were still so many details that were left unknown. I hadn't received any word from my teachers, I was unaware of where I was going to live, and of course had general nerves about making friends.


There's a part of me that looks back at myself then and cant help but shake my head at how naive I was to come into France so blindly. Yet somehow, as if it were fate, I magically survived my year abroad and found myself unharmed and back in the city of lights saying goodbye to the country I love so dearly. Sure France has had its moments (I mean look at the election), but at the end of the day this is the country that has helped me develop and grow both in terms of education and profession.

Thanks to the teaching program in France I can now cross off one of my bucket list dreams: Living and working in France. What better way to commemorate my time here in the land of Liberty, Equality, and Justice than spend an afternoon in Versailles, walk the streets of Paris, and drink wine out of baby bottles.

Barcelona, naturally, will always feel like a dream that I never want to wake up from. The vibrant colors around the city, the upbeat music, and the over sized pitchers of Sangria make this bustling city a great destination to visit, no matter how long your trip might be.

Adios Barcelona! Until next time,