When Ann completed her masters in international business and law in 2013, she applied for a program at La Sorbonne in Paris. She thought she’d be there for six months and then return to the US. Twelve years later, she is still there.
Why?
How?
And what has she learned about living in France? And about herself?
I hope you enjoy Ann’s story about leaving home and finding home. In Paris.
Wanna skip ahead?
The easiest thing for her to adjust to when she moved to France. And what she found to be most difficult. (at around the 44 minute mark)
Learning French. How she went from zero to fluent. Spoiler: She says it was really hard. (around 46:30)
What her family and friends thought about her moving to Paris for 6 months and then never coming back. And how her staying in France has affected those relationships. (around 23 minutes)
How easy (or hard) it is for a foreigner to get a job in France. And the route you might want to explore if you’re in this situation. (around 39 minutes)
The different administrative processes you have to go through when you move to France, including getting a bank account, your health care card, and finding a place to live. (around the 44 minute mark)
A whole lot of questions you can ask yourself if you’re trying to figure out where to move. (around the 37:30 mark)
FYI, Ann does this for a living and has a whole list of things for you to consider when you have no idea what cities or part of the country you should even start looking at with respect to living in France.
These questions are also super useful if you’re not interested in France at all. They’ll help you narrow down who you are, what kind of life you want to be living, and what kind of things you should be looking for in a geographical location for your favorite version of your life to be taking place in.
What you can do before you move to prepare to be living abroad (around 52:30)
Got a question for Ann? Did something in our conversation resonate with you?
Join in the conversation in the comments.
Ask questions, share experiences, get ideas, get inspired, get clarity.
Because leaving home is hard. Talking to people who've done it makes it feel less overwhelming. And more fun.
Good news!
If you want to learn more about what Ann does to help people moving to France (and Spain), check out her website at EasyStart.me. Or connect with her on LinkedIn.
FYI, if you are seriously considering a move to France, Ann is an expert at helping people navigate the complex, behind the scenes details, like:
Selecting the right visa (not just the fastest one)
Navigating immigration timelines and work permits
Building airtight housing dossiers (rental applications) that landlords will accept
Helping you access healthcare, open a bank account, and register with French authorities
And giving you all kinds of support you need to get on your feet in a new country
If you need help, you can email her directly at: ann.delavictoria@easystart.me
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