Due to the coronavirus pandemic, France has been under a nationwide lockdown since October 30, 2020 and it is expected to last in some capacity until at least December 1st. This second confinement has been different in many ways from the first lockdown, and to be honest, a heck of a lot more confusing.
This Netflix series follows Emily, an ambitious young American woman from Chicago with a questionable sense of fashion, as she moves to Paris thanks to an unexpected job opportunity. It’s her first time in Europe, and I couldn’t help but feel excited for her wide-eyed initial encounter with the City of Light. Later on, as an American living in Paris myself, I couldn’t help but feel irritated by her overall ignorance and naïveté.
You don’t have to go to a museum to explore art in Paris—just head out on the streets, which is where a lot of artists first start out.
I launched Américaine in France shortly before leaving for Paris. Knowing that I wouldn’t be able to work for a period of time, I figured blogging would be a great hobby to keep me out of trouble when I wasn’t actively battling French administration, but it’s turned into so much more.
Visa, titre de séjour, carte de séjour… What’s the difference? I often hear these terms being used interchangeably, but they’re actually different! Here’s a little guide to visas and residence permits for France.
I arrived in France on a long-stay visitor visa, got married to a Frenchman, and applied for the carte de séjour “vie privée et familiale” (VPF) in Paris. This residence permit provides stability, allowing me to stay in France and work.
Like most Parisians, I rushed out of my small apartment as soon as I could, ready for freedom and direct sunlight. This summer, I’ve been spending a lot of time outdoors, hoping to never be subjected to lockdown again. It’s a strange new world out there, with an extreme lack of tourists, and I’ve attempted to capture a bit of this period in photos.
Those who have been following my story for a while know how tricky French bureaucracy is. Getting access to the national healthcare system is a BIG win in my book. I have a permanent numéro de sécurité sociale as well as the highly sought after green carte vitale. I’ve included all the steps for how I did it in this post.
Packing for a day trip should be easy, but forgetting one little essential can make for an uncomfortable and stressful day. Here’s my checklist of what to pack on a day trip.
This is the story of how a French teacher from the United States of America and a New Caledonian, who was working and living primarily in Tunisia at the time, met and fell in love in Paris over the course of two weeks. It wasn’t love at first sight or a fairy tale romance. But it’s our story.