47,217. That is how many words of my novel I have written in 16 days.

I am really proud of myself. People have always been telling me that I should write a book but I never really thought I could do it. I found out about NaNoWriMo and decided to try, just to see if I could win. Wow. I really surprised myself on this one. It is only 1/2 way through and I am almost done. My story will probably end at about 55k or 60k. Even if this story never goes beyond me and my loved ones eyes, I am still proud.

On a completely unrelated topic:

Things in France have been improving, little by little. There is a Bambara proverb (my fiancé's ethnicity) that I really like:
"dooni dooni, kononin ba nyaka da" which means, “little by little, the bird builds its nest.”
Things take time and can't be rushed. I am trying to remind myself of that.

There is another Bambara proverb that helps remind me of why I came here and why I should stay here:
"When you get older you keep warm with the wood you gathered as a youth."
I am working here in France (gathering wood) to gain the experience that will help me keep warm as I get older. The job is what's really keeping me here. I am learning a lot about teaching and I enjoy the kids. This will be the rewarding part.