First name: Amanda (Mandie)
Pronoun(s): She/Her
Nationality: American
Hometown/city: Indianapolis, IN
Current location: Paris, France
Occupation: Teacher
Meet Mandie
Hi! I’m Amanda! I’m a 31-year-old American from Indianapolis living abroad in Paris, France. I fell in love with Paris in the 6th grade when I took my first-ever French class, but I didn’t get the chance to visit it until I was 23 and took a spur of the moment trip to visit my best friend who was spending a post-university year abroad. I immediately fell in love with the city, as one does.
Two months later, I quit my job in the US and moved here myself. I eventually stumbled my way through French bureaucracy and from visa to visa until I finally landed a job as an English teacher in a French public school.
In my free time I run a neglected travel blog that I fill with stories of me being wildly unprepared for adventures abroad
I also enjoy writing with my writing group, theatre, baking, and attempting to learn new hobbies. I also really like cats and my boyfriend, not in that order.
On Education
I went to Indiana University where I had two *extremely* useful majors: Psychology and Theatre. I started to pick up a French minor but got into a bit of a pickle that I’ll blame on stubbornness and double pneumonia and I ended up dropping my French minor.
I chose IU because it was a state school, close to home, and wouldn’t completely break the bank
I decided on these majors because I wanted to really follow my interests – while I’m not really working in either of these fields (yet), I don’t regret choosing them
I really enjoyed my time in school. I occasionally wish I had picked up a certificate in business or marketing or something that would make my resume look even the least bit serious. But what can you do?
I had always wanted to study abroad but when it came down to it, I couldn’t manage to make study abroad make sense for me for whatever reason: I was too busy, it was too expensive, I couldn’t find a program that interested me, etc. I always wish that I had done it, but obviously I didn’t let my lack of study abroad experience stop me from living abroad. I think study abroad is an incredible opportunity for people and honestly I feel like living abroad should be mandatory for all Americans. It’s incredible how different the world looks from outside the USA.
Professional Background
This is my third school year teaching my International Section of students but with visa issues and Covid, it’s really been more like a year and a half. Before that, I was an English Language assistant for two years with the TAPIF program. (Editor’s note: The applications for the 2021-2022 Teaching Assistant Program in France have just opened!)
I love my job because my students are hilarious, I teach children aged 3-11 and they never cease to make me laugh with the funny things they think and say. I also love watching them progress from kids who were too shy to even say ‘hello’ to me in the hallway to children to kids who can carry an entire conversation with me in English – that’s magical. I feel like, wow, I’ve really done something here. It’s either something I’ve done or it could be the Internet and watching cartoons on Netflix in English, but Netflix isn’t here to claim the W, so I’ll take it.
I often feel unsure of my career path because it’s not at all what I studied. I feel like an impostor most of the time and I am constantly anxious that I have no idea what I’m doing or that I’m not a good teacher. My mom is a teacher in the Education programs of several universities, so she helps me a lot and she always tells me to follow my instincts because they are often good, but it’s still a fear I struggle with.
I am always especially wary because my instincts are very different to the teaching philosophies of my French colleagues
It’s easy to let myself spiral into self-doubt when I realize that I’m not doing anything in the same way my fellow teachers are. I don’t know if I’ll teach forever, but I love it for now.
Another challenge is just a lack of cultural knowledge in general – my colleagues are always talking about famous people I’ve never heard of, talking about places I’ve never been to, and using expressions I’ve never heard so I have to ask a lot of questions all the time and it makes me feel a bit dumb or out of the loop – but I’ve always loved learning so it’s cool to pick up something new every day!
On Lifestyle
I love to travel because it’s a way to really get to experience humanity on a different level. Reading about a country or a culture in a textbook is one thing, but actually going there, tasting the food, speaking to the people and hearing their stories, seeing the architecture with your own eyes; it’s my most favorite thing.
I think someone who enjoys living abroad would need to be optimistic, independent, and brave. It takes a lot of guts to show up and attempt to establish yourself in a whole new place. You need a thick skin. You also need to be ready for setbacks and frustrations when you are experiencing life outside of your comfortable bubble – it’s easy to get lonely and depressed when you live 5,000 miles away from the people you love (hi to my family, who are probably reading this, I love and miss you so much).
Like I said before, I think it’s criminal that the USA doesn’t have better travel opportunities for young people. Some countries have well-established international relationships that foster the open-mindedness that you get through travel with opportunities like mutual working holiday visas, years abroad, etc.
Because America doesn’t seem to advertise these opportunities, Americans and our culture miss out
I think that also puts us behind when it comes to the new emerging global economy. In a world where travel and international business are becoming more and more accessible (not to mention our imminent need to work together as an entire planet to solve the climate crisis) we are getting left in the dark. Americans without extensive and diverse travel experiences have a stunted view of what the world looks like and what the world needs and are prone to anti-foreign language and propaganda.
Closing question
What advice would you give to a young person who knows they want to travel but aren’t sure where that fits in with the rest of their lives?
Do it and do it now. Don’t let your life pass you by without going abroad, it will make you a better person. If you’re scared of going abroad, go to the next town over. Start small. Get comfortable being in a new place and experiencing new things and then slowly expand your travel circle. Once you’re comfortable visiting new small towns in your state, go two states over, then go to a different region, visit cities, check out small towns, do a road trip and stop every time you spot something you think is funny or cool.
My travel philosophy is do just enough research so you remain culturally sensitive and open before you arrive somewhere (I check the local cultural guidelines for clothing, language, values, etc)
I also try to learn a few things in the target country’s language (usually, hello, please, thank you, and ‘do you speak English’) and then I get out there are start wandering around. Don’t be afraid to ask people for suggestions, to ask friends if they know anyone who has ever lived there, and my biggest rule is to not turn your nose up to new foods. Try everything on your plate and if you really hate it, you can get a sandwich or something after.
Editor’s note: This interview has been lightly edited for concision and clarity.
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If you connected with Mandie’s story, she invites you to connect with her on:
Instagram: @presqueperfection
Website: Presque Perfection
Facebook: Presque Perfection
Thank you for reading! Fearless Friday Features are posted every Friday evening France time. If you have any follow-up questions or comments about the feature, please feel free to leave them below. Until next time – a bientôt !
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