Episode 30: “Say yes to all the opportunities that people give you” Kayla Carpenzano, an American teaching English in a private international school in the Loire Valley

Profiles in Franceformation

Welcome to Episode #30 of Profiles in Franceformation. I’m your host, Allison Grant Lounes, and this week, I’m interviewing high school English teacher Kayla Carpenzano. Kayla originally came to France with the TAPIF English assistant program, and has returned several times, with different visas, to pursue her dream of living and teaching English in France, before securing a permanent position with a private International Baccalaureate school in the Loire valley. Welcome, Kayla.

Throughout our conversation, you’ll also hear…

• How Kayla was able to integrate herself into her new French community through joining a local choir
• The challenging moment when her friends from the TAPIF program moved away from France and she needed to rebuild her network
• Kayla’s experience applying for teaching jobs in France and how she ultimately came to find a job in Loches
• How Kayla was able to change her visa status to adapt with the various education or career changes in her life
• What Kayla really enjoys about her current teaching position and her advice to anyone wishing to apply for a job in France
• The various opportunities to meet new friends and see new places that have come from joining a choir
• What types of administrative challenges Kayla has had to face while in France
• What motivated Kayla to pursue applying for French nationality, in what ways she feels she has really become French, and in what ways she still feels American
• Kayla’s favorite things about living in France
• A few funny anecdotes of language faux pas that occurred by simply pronouncing one word a little differently, and why both Kayla and Allison have waited until they return to the US to get haircuts
• What foods or items Kayla will bring back to France from the US, and vice versa, you’ll also hear about her favorite items at a French bakery or a French restaurant
• Kayla shares her advice to anyone wishing to move to France

If you are considering moving to France like Kayla, Foolproof French Visas can help you navigate the path toward finding the right visa for you. It can be purchased here: https://www.yourfranceformation.com/books or in paperback on Amazon.

If you would like to pursue your own Franceformation, you can also request a free 30-minute clarity call with Allison to review your visa options and decide how to move toward creating your ideal life in France: https://www.yourfranceformation.com/free-call

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