Adirondack Museum

Right now I'm in the last three weeks of an amazing internship at the Adirondack Museum in Blue Mountain Lake. Yes, admittedly, there is often little to do while actually at work, but I more than make up for time wasted while on the clock with evening and weekend activities. Despite the rain, I've managed to bike to the nearest town (22 miles round trip!) go on several hikes, and take the museum's antique guideboat out onto the lake on numerous occasions. I even auditioned for a local production of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and landed the role of Peaseblossom, a part I've played now in three Adirondack towns. The production has about seven more shows to go. (view of BML from the top of Castle Rock)



I guess I decided to start this journal now, less than two months before my trip across the Atlantic, to document my thoughts and actions as I prepare. At this point I know the name and location of the two schools at which I will be teaching: the collège Leopold Dussaigne, and the lycée Jean Hyppolite, both in Jonzac, a town located 1 hour north of Bordeaux in the Académie de Poitiers. Jonzac is small, very small, but seems like a great place, rich in both natural beauty and historical significance. Located there is a chateau as well as a medieval district, complete with cobblestone streets. What sweetens the deal is the free apartment allocated to me by the lycée. An assistant's salary is small, but this accommodation, as well as cheap meals in the dining hall will help me to afford any trips I want to take. And I do intend to travel; I have three two week vacations.


Being an EU citizen, I do not need to apply for a visa, which makes this process a lot easier for me. Instead, I'm researching airlines that service nearby airports to Jonzac, budgeting money, and deciding if I should buy a laptop for the trip. When this internship ends and I head home, I'll start figuring out the material end of this trip- what clothes, foods and teaching supplies I'll need to take.