My Life as a French Translator, a Pioneer, and an International Art Thief

I spent June speaking only in French at an immersion program, which I like telling people because it makes me sound much better at French than I am. When I say this, most people raise their eyebrows and say, "Ohhhhh." (Read: You're intimidating. I took five years of French in school but now have no desire to try communicating with you because you'll just embarrass me with all your effortlessly conjugated verbs.)

If you looked more into it, I would eventually have to admit the truth. They say the best way to learn a language is to act like a baby. And that's great, because for three weeks, I understood about as much of what went on as an American baby. Well, okay, maybe as much as a French baby.

But I look like I get what's happening, right?

That's my cousin I'm holding in the far left corner. He actually is a baby, and I when I lived with him and his  family while I went at camp, I spoke French to him all time, because I'm good at saying, "Tu est tres mignion!" and I know my colors.

I actually did improve a lot, know how to conjugate verbs now, and performed a French play. I catch on pretty quickly, but there was a lot for me to catch on to. It was a little funny to go to a camp with homework and notes while the 5,000 EFY kids on campus had flirting classes and devotionals with pizza (or whatever they do- I wouldn't know: I've never been to EFY and don't really plan on it soon).

Next up on my list of endless summer parties was Pioneer Trek. This was incredibly thrilling. 

I spent the time along the trail using my new French skills to translate One Direction lyrics. I figure if my friends are bent on converting me to the biggest fandom in the world, I can at least be the weird girl in the back of the concert that's belting the lyrics out in a language nobody knows. Chérie, tu lumiere mon monde comme ne personne!

In Park City this week, I finally came up with some genuinely impressive things to tell people I did this summer. First, I crashed an art gallery opening. They had caviar and everything. Okay, so it was a little art gallery. My go-to past time this summer has been re-reading Ally Carter heist novels, and I was all over anything even close to worth dramatically stealing. I tried really hard not to put my hand up to the invisible comms unit in my ear and tell my team the rappelling cables were ready. Also, I resisted the urge to put sunglasses on indoors, and say something like, "It's time to turn this plane around, boys," which has probably happened more than once in a Ally Carter heist novel. And at least one of the two times, they weren't even in a plane.

I wasn't in the mood to smile. You have to act like you're on the cover of a Justin Bieber album when you're about to pull off an international heist.

Oh! And by request, I was going to post my Amazing Spiderman review. Yeah, I feel special. We have requests now, ladies and gentlemen. Call our toll-free hotline along with my 5,000,000 other followers and maybe if you're lucky I'll review your movie.

Movie review tomorrow.