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Monday 21 November 2016

Bienvenue!


Five months ago I travelled to Europe for the first time in my life; the plan was to spend four days in Paris, ten days in London, and then home. A two week holiday turned into a three week holiday when I went back to Paris for another few days after meeting a boy... and soon after I got back to Australia, I decided to move to Paris for good. What started as "I wonder if I'm eligible for a UK passport" (I was) turned into "I wonder how easy it is to get an English-speaking job in Paris" (easier than I thought) which turned into "I wonder how long I have left on my lease" (not very long at all) which, six weeks later, turned into me saying goodbye to my mum and grandma at the airport and boarding the plane with a feeling of "I'm pretty sure this will all work out". 

So in August 2016, a week before I turned twenty-seven, I arrived at Charles de Gaulle (after a flight with a pretty hellish ten hour layover on top of the twenty four hour flight) with a new job, a new home, and two suitcases containing everything I thought important enough to bring to Paris (you know, things like a vintage 1940s dress - for all the fancy parties I would be invited to, obviously - but with the significant exclusion of any clothes suitable for temperatures under 20ÂșC, or basic necessities like shower gel and deodorant). 

Almost three months later I'm still finding my way - going from the world's most isolated capital city to Paris is a little bit of a shock to the senses - but so far moving was one of the best decisions I ever made. It hasn't all been been croissants and trips to the Louvre*; I still don't speak French anywhere near fluently, I work very long days, and trying to talk to family and friends regularly when there's a seven hour time difference can be really tough. But I'm very lucky because I have an apartment that feels like home, the world's cutest (and probably naughtiest) cat, and an incredible partner and new friends who have been so, so wonderful at helping me navigate my new home. 


So this blog is for me to remember my Parisian adventures. And of course, I needed a blog name that combined France and Australia, and what better way than with food? So, baguettes because I love them, and Vegemite because quite frankly I can't think of a better icon of good old 'Straya. 




*Okay, there have been a lot of croissants.