The Path to Paris

Expats in France are often asked two questions: “How did you get there?” which is usually soon followed by “How long do you have?” The curiosity is understandable. France has captured the heart of many dreamers each hoping to secure their place in a foreign country, and no expat fully shares the journey of another.

In light of my move to Paris this week, I thought I would share the story of my path that has led me to my dream. I hope it’ll be an encouragement to those who continue to look for their opportunity.

I recently read an article in Law of Attraction, a new magazine that has so far only published one amazing issue. “Letting Luck In” by Susanne Goldstein, a life coach with a background in film, describes her experience trying to return to life in London after an internship with the National Theatre. While reading the article, it felt as if I was looking at a piece someone else had written about me. “What I later realized I had done was paint myself into my desired future. The entire journey was something that a then unknown-to-me power had guided me to do,” she rights in reflection to finally landing her dream job with an Academy Award winning director. She goes on to explain that with each step you take towards reaching a goal, you create the chance for opportunities to come your way. That’s what happened in my case too. It wasn’t luck that got me to Paris, it was a lot of hard work and perseverance that finally paid off.

So here’s my story:

I graduated in 2009, when the economy was still trying to pull itself together. I had done all that I could to ensure I had the university experience of a lifetime. I even transferred to a different university largely for their superior study abroad programs, and after only one year of French classes, I boarded a plane to make the opportunity I’d dreamt about since high school a sumptuous ten month reality in Montpellier and Paris. I was motivated, ambitious and headstrong. That experience was soon topped off by graduating with three diplomas.

As humans we are unable to thrive if our passions are not nurtured.

But all that focus during my university years left me blindsided by the task of beginning a career. I was stubbornly passionate about life lived abroad and the art world. I’d graduated with degrees in art history, French, international studies and a minor in business – I was unyielding in my desire to forge a career path that somehow incorporated each of these yet I had to establish a clearly defined goal, let alone the steps needed to get there.

Flash forward three months of unemployment and a few months spent in a cubicle. I was waiting to hear from the Teaching Assistant Program I had applied to before graduating. With neither art nor French yet a part of my professional life, I convinced myself that I would be happy sacrificing one passion for the other. I thought if I made it to France, I would have enough fulfillment enjoying their culture and language that I wouldn’t need art anymore. Even though teaching was not a passion of mine, I convinced myself I could still learn some invaluable life skills while having fun with kids trying to learn English. As if a test of my resilience, I was placed in a little village with absolutely zero access to art. I stuck it out until the end of the program, but I quickly learned that as humans we are unable to thrive if our passions are not nurtured.

Never underestimate the power of your decisions. It took a few detours to help define what it was I really wanted.

I spent many hours in Lorgues missing art and creatives. I’d chosen France over a certificate program for art in New York City where I would have been at the center of the art world. Instead I was in a hidden village lost in time. Don’t get me wrong, it was a wonderful experience, but I felt like I was trying to swim to the shore against the undertow. After a lot of soul searching and a record amount of constructive daydreaming (research skills came in handy here), I came to the conclusion that dropping the art world was not an option: I was going to get my masters abroad studying art at a non-English speaking university, France being the obvious choice. Once I put my mind towards what I had wanted in the first place, I felt infinitely better about myself and my future.

Now, if you’ve ever looked into applying to a French university, you know it’s no walk in the park. CampusFrance tries to make it easier, but sometimes you have to wonder if their true mission is to discourage potential applicants, not facilitate. Instead, I decided to go to the universities directly and after speaking with recruiters over the phone and email, I was beginning to feel like I was finally on the right path. Not only where my options clearer, but contacting the recruiters provided insight into the characteristics of the universities I was most interested in, narrowing down which ones I felt would be the right place for me. Then, in one simple phone call (after a week of interviews, entrance exams and an express review of writing professional letters in French) I was accepted to my #1 choice university (and the only one I ended up applying to).

Imagine all of the possible things you can do to reach your goals, and then begin!

By April of this last year, I had gone from feeling like my life was a huge empty book to a best-seller complete with colorful, vivid illustrations. But the pages didn’t fall into place on their own. Some (most) of the book evolved in ways I didn’t expect it, but I had laid down the ground work for the chapters to unfold the way they did (not to disregard a few re-writes as well). As Susanne Goldstein says in her article, “Whenever you see something you desire to learn about, experience, or engage with, you take out your paintbrush, paint a door, and walk through it.” Ultimately, follow your heart. If you really want to live abroad, imagine all possible things you could do to get there, and then begin!

All images from the most charming Tip Toe Through the Sky on tumblr.

Tagged as: My Twenties, Paris