“Wow, what a leap of faith! Why did you move to Paris?”
“Why not!” is my typical answer.
“Do you speak French?”
“Not yet!” I say with a grin while I stare back at a confused but curious face.
At the start of 2024, I decided to do a complete 180 in my life: quit my job, end a relationship, and leave my life in Melbourne behind to move to a city on the other side of the world where I don’t speak the language and I don’t know a single soul. I partly have Emily in Paris to blame (or thank) for inspiring the delusional dream that led me to the life I am living today. When I arrived in Paris, I literally knew nobody and had only spent approximately three days in the city two years prior before I made the move. Some may consider this a quarter-life crisis; I consider it one of the best things I have ever done in my life, and I’m only just getting started.
As an Australian ex-pat living in Paris, I’m here to share with you all the delicious discoveries I make during my time living abroad and hope to inspire you to follow a dream you have for yourself. Oftentimes it is easy to ignore those whispers telling you to take a leap of faith, but I encourage you to listen and follow your gut feeling. Those whispers are your guiding compass in life and who knows where you could be a year from now (sharing a bottle of champagne with me in Paris, perhaps?).
So where am I right now and what can you expect to see from The Paris Diaries column?
I am officially two months into my French adventure, working as a freelancer in the beauty marketing space. I currently spend my days working from Parisian cafés and historic libraries, my evenings socialising and meeting new people, and my weekends generally exploring this beautiful city and doing the things that fill my cup up. I’ll be sharing with you my anecdotes on Parisian life, my recommendations, notes on love, and everything in between.
If I had to define this first chapter of this new era, the word solitude comes to mind.The biggest challenge in adjusting to this new normal has been embracing the joys of solitude in a city where I quite literally know no one. I’ve always cherished my alone time, but there’s a difference between choosing solitude when you need some “me time” and actually being alone.
We often misinterpret solitude as loneliness, but this is misguided conditioning from society. While I have now started to build my social network in my new home, I was confronted with a whole new level of independence when I first arrived. Cultivating a love for solitude is a skill not to be overlooked and it’s something I’ve thoroughly enjoyed embracing in this season of life. As with any growth, there was some initial discomfort, but choosing to view it from a different perspective is the key to transmuting any fear. For the first time in my life, I got to wake up and choose exactly how I wanted to spend my day, according to my needs, schedules and wants – not anyone else’s. In those moments of solitude, we can truly hear ourselves. That is a privilege.
Now, while I j’adore my alone time, I am an extrovert at heart. Naturally, within two months, I’ve somehow managed to overwhelm myself with social commitments. I’ve been totally shameless in striking up conversations with random people in co-working spaces and even reaching out to girls on social media who are also in Paris.
“The only journey is the one within.” – Rainer Maria Rilke
The characters, plots, and storylines are slowly beginning to develop, and I’m excited to see what unfolds next. Going on dates has been a wonderful way to learn and discover new aspects of the city, and I’m not just talking about romantic encounters. I’ve made a really conscious effort to set up ‘friend dates’ with strangers, and making new friends in a new city really is akin to dating—it can feel daunting initially, but with each connection, you become more at ease, more yourself and closer to accidentally snorting while laughing with each other. The beauty of being in a new city is you can kind of pick whatever character and personality you’d like to be there. This also allows you to shed any fear holding you back from doing the things you’d never do in the social conditioning of your hometown.
My first two months in Paris have taught me that your daydreams can become your reality. The more scary something feels to do and the more risk involved, the bigger the reward on the other side. If something scares you, that’s a sign you have to go for it. No growth happens within the comfort zone. Bonne chance, ma chérie.
Bisous! Bella
If you would like a weekly dose of Parisian insider knowledge, I also have a newsletter called Bella in Paris. This is a bite-sized slice of Paris delivered straight to your inbox weekly. You can sign up via the link below.
