I’m an American writer living in London, dating a French man who lives in Paris. I’ve bounced between the US, UK, and France for the past three years. I’ve learned that two cliches are true – you’ll always return to Paris, and you find love when you’re not looking.
I first moved to Paris as an au pair after I graduated university a year early. I was 21 and had never left America before, so France was very different. I have lived in NYC, but the 16th district of Paris was almost a city in itself. My year in Paris led me to then live in London for a bit, where I found my MA program and applied. After, I returned to Paris before the US, as I had 3 months before I could apply for my UK visa. This is when I was trying not to date, and ended up meeting my partner.
My partner and I dated in person for 2.5 months before I returned to the US to get my student visa for the UK. We ended up being apart longer than we dated, but we made it, and have been Eurostar loyal customers ever since. I love London and Paris both so much, and in different ways. This autumn I’ll be moving to Paris again.
Thanks, Celina Tolbert