Q&A

Some questions and answers about our Paris misadventures...


How long do you think you will live in Paris?
It really depends on John's job. We could be here for 6 months, 6 years, or maybe even longer!

Have you found a place to live?
We went out to look at apartments several days ago. We found a place we like (#7) and have made an offer. After we hear back I'll update this post.

UPDATE (Oct 20): We found a lovely apartment in the 2nd arrondissement that is only a couple of blocks away from my office!

What was the hardest thing about leaving the United States?
Getting our house ready to sell involved several weeks of back breaking labor (during the middle of a Seattle heat and humidity crisis), so that was a real challenge, but it paled next to moving so far away from our daughter (and her new fiance). That was definitely the hardest part.

Have you experienced any culture shock yet?
At the time of this writing we have only been in Paris a little over a week, so not really. We did a LOT of research before moving here so we came in knowing a little bit about some of the differences between Paris and our home in the United States. Having said all that, I was not prepared for the Paris McDonald's yesterday. It was insanely crowded, busy, and confusing. Yikes.

We will experience culture shock at some point, for sure, but after a whole week we're doing okay. ;-) Damn, I just jinxed us didn't I?

UPDATE (Oct 20): We've been here for nearly a month and I absolutely love Paris so far; even more than I hoped I would. Melanie, who has always been a bit of a control freak, has had a harder time adjusting to everything being so different and at times she really misses home. Sounds like a setup for a classic cinematic screen wipe. Six months later and Melanie is madly in love with Paris and John just wants to go home...

Can either of you speak French?
Not very much. We both took French in high school but remember very little of what we were taught. We've been trying to learn online in our spare time, but it has been slow going. My new company offers free French lessons so I'm going to take advantage of that. Fortunately, Pretty Simple is an English-speaking office.

Is Paris as wonderful as it seems in the movies?
Interesting question. Paris is an astonishingly beautiful, vibrant, historic city -- but it's different than the place you see in movies like "Amelie". There are lots of people here, lots of cars, and a great deal of commotion at almost all hours of the day and night. Before moving to Paris we read about a phenomenon called "Paris Syndrome" that affects some Asian visitors -- it's basically a very severe form of culture shock -- and it's easy to see how that could be a "thing" here.

Having said that, the food has been incredible (especially the bread, pastries and butter), the people have been warm and friendly, and there is a wealth of amazing things to see and do. We've only scratched the surface so far!

UPDATE (Oct 20): Working at Pretty Simple is very similar to working at game companies back in the States (lots of accents there, too), so I sometimes forget that I'm actually in Paris... until I walk outside. Then I'm reminded of all the beauty and magic here. There are so many interesting things to see and do packed into such a small amount of space. You'll find a Japanese diner right next to a modern art gallery, which is next to a quaint old fabric store that would look at home in the late 1800's. Just across the street is a boulangerie decorating the neighborhood with the most incredible smells, and next to that is an "armorie" full of guns and knives! I can't wait to explore even more.