Moving to France, Any tips? Options

[freda_bloogs]

In Paris, you'd not have any problem getting a job. There are always posts for English teachers, trained or otherwise, and music teachers, especially those who teach in English, in the usual places.

I am fascinated by your experience of life in France! You have obviously had a great time. I too love it here but would be a little wary of setting out now without help. Because I am about as far from Paris as you can get and buriedin rural France my experiences have been very different. Also I am certainly older than you so my idea of the beauties of France are not centred round the bright lights of Paris - as they were once(!) but rather on the beautiful countryside around me!

Can I just, out of curiosity, ask what you mean by "in the usual places" in the quote above?

There's an American Church in Paris which was (is) also a source of info for jobs, etc. and (if I remember rightly) an American magazine ...

Sorry, I should have been more clear. I was indeed talking about the American Church and FUSAC. FUSAC is a free magazine that comes out on a Thursday. It stands for French-USA-Connection if I remember correctly. To get an idea of what's in the magazine, check out www.fusac.fr. It's got everything from part time jobs, english-only jobs, logement, meeting groups, social activities... etc. etc. It's well worth a perusal.

I'm aware that my experiences are not applicable to everyone. I was 18, had no debt (but had plenty when I left), no responsibilities, nothing to keep me in the UK. Now I do have some of those things and I'm still going back.

I have to say that it's not so much the bustling city that is taking my back there, but very much the little cultural things that many posters have alluded to. I love the caf? culture that is severely lacking in this country. I love the food, the language and the people. I also love the daily victories you have when conversing in a foreign language. And you always have a conversation starter (ce qui est tr?s bon pour draguer les filles d'ailleurs!) because you're an expat. Mais vous n'?tes pas fran?ais..? I did like the feeling of being different from the pack and it was the hardest thing for me to get used to when I came back to the UK. Perhaps it's an ego thing (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

You mentioned you want a job first: I don't know how the French deal with this, but if I had tried it that way, I would probably still not be living here - it is notoriously difficult to find a job if you are not already living in the country (very specialised fields like research etc aside). If the French are anything like the British in that respect, you might need to be prepared to move first.

I considered saying the same thing myself. I'm lucky in that I do have a job waiting for me when I go back but it's one that I've had before and I know my boss very well. I do think though that you would have greater success if you just upped and went.

Final thought - moving to a new country is really exciting. Definitely go for it. I love it and I've never been homesick once. I have met some fabulous people and I have done loads of things here that I would never have done in the UK.

I agree with this entire post, especially this last sentiment (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[Dugazon]

Final thought - moving to a new country is really exciting. Definitely go for it. I love it and I've never been homesick once. I have met some fabulous people and I have done loads of things here that I would never have done in the UK.

I agree with this entire post, especially this last sentiment (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Absolutely, same here.

I do admit to homesickness though. In my first year, probably down to the fact that I found Christmas in the UK terrible. I just didn't like the atmosphere, I didn't like the "unchristmas-y" weather, and it's the time of year when you usually miss family and old friends most, even if you are not particularly religious. It's just all the family gatherings, and not having certain people around.

If you don't have any ties or family left in your home country, it might be different anyway, but my mother being diagnosed with cancer just a year after I left (and passing away) didn't exactly help either. Living round the corner is different from having to hop on a plane, even if it is a lot easier, and cheaper, these days. Life sadly isn't always black and white, and things you might not ever have imagined when you left can of course always crop up.

These are things very specific to my personal situation though, and I really do believe that moving to a different country helps you grow as a person. I would never want to be one of those 70 year olds who look back and say: "I so wish I had ..."

[elephant]

Just a final thought... as this is a music forum. There's an enormous amount of musical activity in Paris so your skills will be a terrific asset for social networking...

Go for it!!

[Czerny]

Again, thanks for all the very helpful and informative responses. I may have to rethink the whole job thing, but the idea of emigrating without having any guaranteed income does rather terrify me!

I have family in the UK, but they're c.500 miles away so I'm used to not seeing them often and it wouldn't take much longer to get there from Paris than from London by the time I'd got on a plane.

[Organistin]

Again, thanks for all the very helpful and informative responses. I may have to rethink the whole job thing, but it does rather terrify me the idea of emigrating without having any guaranteed income!

I did it... and survived. You need to make sure you have enough savings to cover the time in which you are job seeking, then it shouldn't be a problem.

[Aeolienne]

Final thought - moving to a new country is really exciting. Definitely go for it. I love it and I've never been homesick once. I have met some fabulous people and I have done loads of things here that I would never have done in the UK.

I agree with this entire post, especially this last sentiment (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Absolutely, same here.

I do admit to homesickness though. In my first year, probably down to the fact that I found Christmas in the UK terrible. I just didn't like the atmosphere, I didn't like the "unchristmas-y" weather, and it's the time of year when you usually miss family and old friends most, even if you are not particularly religious. It's just all the family gatherings, and not having certain people around.

If you don't have any ties or family left in your home country, it might be different anyway, but my mother being diagnosed with cancer just a year after I left (and passing away) didn't exactly help either. Living round the corner is different from having to hop on a plane, even if it is a lot easier, and cheaper, these days. Life sadly isn't always black and white, and things you might not ever have imagined when you left can of course always crop up.

These are things very specific to my personal situation though, and I really do believe that moving to a different country helps you grow as a person. I would never want to be one of those 70 year olds who look back and say: "I so wish I had ..."

I so wish I could echo these positive sentiments, but I am forced to conclude that the ex-pat life will never work for me. Shattered by the past year's experience of moving from Exeter to Skipton and then to London (to say nothing of the memories of my failed Erasmus exchange that forever haunt me), I don't think I could ever cope with moving further afield. Sad but true. I'm so ashamed of what I have become.

[corenfa]

...
I so wish I could echo these positive sentiments, but I am forced to conclude that the ex-pat life will never work for me. Shattered by the past year's experience of moving from Exeter to Skipton and then to London (to say nothing of the memories of my failed Erasmus exchange that forever haunt me), I don't think I could ever cope with moving further afield. Sad but true. I'm so ashamed of what I have become.

I guess if it was something you really wanted to do and you feel that you didn't achieve it, that is one thing -- but I wanted to say that I don't think less of people who don't do big dramatic moves. My sister and I both studied in the US (we are from Asia) and after she graduated, she decided it just wasn't for her and went home. I think people ought to do what makes them happy - be that moving to France, or living in the same village all their life. Similarly, it's worth thinking "what if it doesn't work out" before making a big move, and knowing what your options are. Sometimes it's knowing what *would* make you happy that's the hard part! Let me know when you figure it out... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

[barry-clari]

I so wish I could echo these positive sentiments, but I am forced to conclude that the ex-pat life will never work for me. Shattered by the past year's experience of moving from Exeter to Skipton and then to London (to say nothing of the memories of my failed Erasmus exchange that forever haunt me), I don't think I could ever cope with moving further afield. Sad but true. I'm so ashamed of what I have become.

It doesn't work for you : it doesn't work for many, many people. It's nothing to be ashamed of at all, Aeolienne. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[freda_bloogs]

You just *have* to move to France!

I arrived back yesterday and I feel great! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Ahhhh I love this place