Moving to Paris, a dream, right? Yea, I mean it is. BUT there are difficulties and if you are EVER considering moving anywhere that is not America, here is my story. Check back in after I’ve actually moved for another hot take.
While it seems easy and romantic to move to Europe, that’s really just not the case. Macron is hot, don’t get me wrong, but all the dirty work is, well, dirty. I’m not going to lie to you and say that making the leap to move across the Atlantic is difficult, because it’s not. I am lucky in that I have never been scared to move away from home. I cannot wait to be in Paris. But, I have spent great lengths of time away from home and I know which fears to anticipate. My decision to move was spontaneous, but not because my life is a perfect romcom, but because I really had no other option. I am not a business major or Pre-Med; I’m an English major where my only options were grad school, teaching, grad school, a random office job, or grad school. I’m barely able to commit to a relationship, do you think I’m ready to commit to 8 more years of college? That answer is no. So, I did the logical thing and decided to instead run away of my oncoming adulthood and escape to France.
I love Paris, and I really did not think I would. I love the history, I love the people, I love the buildings and the river. I fell in love faster than I fell on ice during my first winter in Boston. I do not see myself having a stable life and I do not see myself settling in one place anytime soon. I want to live. I know, it’s cliché, but it’s the only reason I can give for the jump. I want to focus on writing and discovering the world and people around me. I want to work at a quaint bookstore on the Seine. I want to never say that I can’t do something because I am old and I have actual responsibilities. Who wants responsibilities anyway?
So that is why I decided to move. I thought it would be a breeze, the hardest part would be the decision to leave, right? Wrong. You need a visa. And you cannot get a visa until three months before you move to France. You also need a place to live, and you cannot get that until you have a Visa. Apartments in Paris go off the market as quickly as they go on, and planning only three months ahead will land you living in Lyon and commuting hours to the city every day. Okay, maybe not that extreme but you get the gist.
A job, you need a job. You cannot get that job without a visa that allows you to WORK in France. You also need an ADDRESS. So, you cannot get a visa until three months before you leave. You may not get an apartment until a month before you leave or even after you get there. You then have to set up your address and bank accounts. And that is when you can apply for jobs. They will not even accept your application if you do not yet live in the city.
I know this is very much centered around me and my problems, and this may not be the case for every person’s situation. But it is for me. So, if you want to keep up, great! Keep following for updates on the visa process and apartment hunting adventure, or just me crying out of frustration because this is not as easy as it looks in Eat Pray Love.
URBAN FLEUR 