WHY I MOVED TO PARIS

So its officially been 10 days since I’ve arrived in Paris and settled into my new apartment— something I’ve dreamed about saying forever.

I feel like my move should speak for itself but I keep getting the same questions, why Paris? Why now? And how is it?

Why Paris?

Well outside of the obvious of it being a food loving, romantic city, full of history, and home to my favorite luxury brands, I’ve been knees deep in loving the Parisian culture since grade school. Between high school and college, I’ve taken four years of French which made me fall more in love with the language. When I visited twice in 2019, it sealed the deal and I instantly knew it’s where I wanted to call home someday. Paris is the kind of big city that makes you slow down and notice all of its beauty. Unlike the constant go of New York City, people in Paris are walking slow, and dining at cafes for hours drinking wine with their best friends. It’s the place where you have lunch on the river instead of hiding out in a cafe on your laptop. It’s a place where you don’t have to drive and pay high gas prices, and for all of that, I appreciate it. As many of you have heard or seen my annoyingly favorite phrase, ‘WERK WERK TWERK’, that is something I truly live by. It means you work HARD but the “twerk” is something beautiful such a vacation, or perhaps just a great night out. As an entrepreneur, I’ve been on a hustler rollercoaster for quite some time. 9a-4a late nights have gotten the best and most of me, so to move to a place with no job, no real itinerary and to just embrace a slower pace, is exactly what I think I needed. This is my twerk. As much as I loved running around Detroit doing countless photoshoots per week for Red Couch Digital (burning myself out), while marketing my apparel brand, Sunny Detroit, I’m finally allowing myself to slow down and to just live. I have saved enough to pay for my basic needs, a pretty nice apartment, all while living in my dream city so I’ll take that as a win and soak it all in. If Mr. Perfect finds their way into my hopeless romantic life, even better but for now I’m getting used to this solo journey I’ve just begun.

Why now?

To be completely honest, I felt like it was now or never. As a childless, single woman with some extra coins to my name, I didn’t know when I would get another opportunity to selfishly pick up my life and move four thousand miles away to a new culture and start fresh. Also, anything could happen to any of us at any given moment. I could get hit by a bus or the world could literally end any day and I’m not the person who does well with regret — so here we are.

And finally, how is it?

My answer…. Just simply remarkable.

I had to learn how to wipe the dumb American smile off my face and try to fit in like a normal Parisian though everything, even simple buildings are just so beautiful. Thankfully tourist season is almost over, so people aren’t looking at everyone taking a photo as an outsider (well maybe going to the Eiffel Tower and quite literally being the only person to lay on the concrete underneath it made me look like a crazy tourist but how could I not). It helps during my last two trips here in 2019, I knocked off a ton of tourist things from my list. I spent hours in the Louvre, boat ride on the Seine, wandered through Notre Dame (2 days before the infamous fire), saw Moulin Rouge, partied all night at French clubs, walked up the Eiffel Tower, ate as many crepes and croissants my belly would allow, etc. So this go around I’m just trying to fit in as a local. Trying to use as little English as I can, use the public transportation and adapt to the French way of living as my goal is to master the French language. As a non smoker, I could do away with the overload of cigarette smoke on the streets but it doesn’t take away from my captivated obsession with this city and the simple the fact that I can’t believe I live here. It gets a little lonely at times but for someone who loves being the center of attention, maybe a little loneliness is exactly what I need.

So there you have it 😅

I can’t wait to share with you my findings as they unravel. I’ll bring out the big camera soon.