I’ve always said to anyone traveling or moving abroad as well as to myself, that yes, you will make an absolute fool of yourself, no matter if you are just traveling or moving to a new country. Just face up to it. Accept it. Embrace it, because there is absolutely nothing that you can do about any of that, no matter how many times you’ve traveled or lived abroad. A new situation in a foreign culture, even one you are familiar with, means that the struggle will be all too real, and too real it was, at least for me this time around upon my move to France for the third time.

Yes, this is my third time in France. Yes, it is true that I am pretty used to how the French culture works, but I think re-adapting to the United States meant that I’d forgotten what living in France is like and what a struggle it is moving to a foreign country. The struggle this time around has been the absolute worst, the absolute worst.

However, instead of boring you with a long-drawn out story of all of the struggles, I’ll just give you the highlights, most of which, now that I’m finally settling into my apartment, I’m starting to laugh at and be proud of having dealt with and gotten through.

Continue reading “The struggle is too real: my first couple of weeks in Paris”

“Fear, to a great extent, is born of a story we tell ourselves, and so I chose to tell myself a different story from the one women are told. I decided I was safe. I was strong. I was brave. Nothing could vanquish me.” – Cheryl Strayed, Wild

These words struck a very deep core in me. I recognize I’m a little behind in the whole reading and obsessing over Wild. However, it’s been on my list for quite some time, and I thought starting a new adventure was the appropriate time to start to read it.

Continue reading ““diverged, digressed, wandered, and…wild”: moving to Paris”