Choosing to be an expatriate is hard. If you are doing it right, that is. And in my life right now I’m choosing to live in a different country because I want the challenge of learning a new language, the understanding of the history behind the cultural constructs, and the experience of being a part of a society that has different values than my own.
I am currently living with a French family and tonight while sharing dinner they asked me why I like france so much and why am and trying so hard to make my life here right now… the answer is not simple, in fact there many levels to it and too many experiences that have made me want to be here. But what I could explain to them in my B1 French is that I love being challenged every day. I love feeling truly valued in society here as a creative, where as in the US, I often felt that society deemed fields of study in math, science, and engineering as successful and while liberal arts institutions were constantly underfunded. I love being in a city full of so many types of people and being forced to be with people different from myself (like every day on line 13 when I pack into the metro so tight it’s hard to breath!)
I have always valued creating work in a truly original way because that means it’s coming from part of my core being… and today I had the realization that right now I am doing that with my life. I am the architect of my own life and I am creating it a unique and original way. I’m working my booty off searching for jobs and internships to stay here longer, so please send positive vibes my way if you’ve made it to the bottom of this message!
Je te souhaite tres bonne chance pour trouver un poste en France! Malgre que soit dificile trouver du travail, Paris vaut bien l’effort!
(et desoleee pour la manque des accents….. je ne sais pas comment utiliser mon nouveau clavier!) 😛
Ahhh Patrick, merci beaucoup! C’est très gentile. J’espere que tu vas revenir à Paris un jour bientôt 🙂