A true procrastinator at heart, I’ll admit that I had done little to no planning before securing our wedding date. Given how long it takes for paperwork to be processed in France, I figured I would have a while before our dossier de mariage was approved. And then we got our date, and our wedding was suddenly a little over a month away.
Preparing for marriage in France is a complicated process, even if you’re French. As an American, there were a few extra steps. Knowing that it was my intention to get married ASAP, I had many friends ask me on the regular if I had secured a wedding date yet. Read on to find out why it just isn’t that simple.
As an expat, trying to make a place for myself, it’s easy to get frustrated with daily life, which includes grocery store disappointments. At the end of the day, I love living in Paris, and despite any negativity you might see on this blog, I truly am grateful for this opportunity.
When travelling, I think you should do your best to try new things and embrace the culture that surrounds you. However, now that I’m trying to make France my home, I have a slightly different view when going to the grocery store. I have yet to truly explore specialty stores, like co-ops and ethnic markets, but here are a few things that I have to get used to when shopping at the typical grocery store in Paris.
Have I really already been here a month? The past few weeks have been exciting, busy, and exhausting. As this first month in France ends, I’d like to take this time to share a couple of highs and lows from the adventure so far.
In general, my experience opening a French bank account was positive. We spent over an hour there, and I cannot tell you how many papers I signed, but the process was relatively smooth, despite scaring my advisor with my passport…
Happy hour may have originated in America, but France offers some fierce competition. Who does it better? Let’s compare the essential components.
I am writing this post as an American, planning to marry a Frenchman and settle in France. In the summer of 2019, I applied for and received a visa long séjour valant titre de séjour (VLS-TS), a long-stay visa that acts as a temporary residence permit after validation.
This was by far one of the most frequently asked questions I received whenever I announced my big plan to move to Paris. Valid question.
It doesn’t sound very romantic, and we weren’t too sure about it at first, but we know it’s the only way.