I've lived in Japan for several years, so I understand all this. Back then, I wondered if I'd ever fit in. I compared everything with France where everything was easier. But when I got back to my hometown, I was changed and I didn't fit in there anymore. There's a quote from The Curious Cas of Benjamin Button that I love. It says : "It's a funny thing about comin' home. Looks the same, smells the same, feels the same. You'll realize what's changed is you."
Does it ever go away? It’s been 9 moths since I came back “home” after living in France for only(?) 2 years, and I don’t fit anylonger.... it’s impossible to reconnect...
I was born and raised in Kazakhstan, then lived for two years in USA to get my MBA degree, then came back and married a Russian man. And now I find myself not fitting into either Kazakh, Russian, or Western worlds. My way of thinking has changed so dramatically after being exposed to western culture for two years, and after that being married to a man of a different nationality, that now we are mainly in touch with the family members or international married couples like we are.
Thanks for making this video! I’m French and living in the US for some years and I think you nailed these sentiments. Especially the always missing something part. I do two things to turn that into positive feelings: 1. I flip it, i.e., i imagine what I’d be missing if I were in the other country and enjoy it more. 2. I try to plan a trip back if possible, so that things I miss become things I can long for. Keep up your videos!
I really love the last point you made... I can completely relate to that - where you feel so grateful for having the opportunity to migrate to a new country that you really don't feel like you can tell anyone back home about the challenges. I think part of it is not wanting to sound ungrateful, and part of it is that you don't want people to get the wrong idea about how you feel about your new life. Talking to other migrants, we ALL think people are friendlier back home... Maybe that's just part of being new and integrating somewhere else :)
Everything in this video is so true! Particularly how much you change when you live as an expat for years, in ways that are so hard to even describe, and how people back home can't really understand. Love your videos Rosie!
Hi, Rosie! Love your channel! I lived in Thailand for four years and then moved back home to the US. I live in a very multicultural city in southern California and I teach English to students of other cultures and languages, but I still feel like I'm always out of place. I changed while living in Thailand, and so home no longer feels "normal." I'm always second guessing what would be the culturally appropriate thing to do in any given situation. I love my life and I'm so thankful for all the experiences I have, but I guess I've just let feeling"out of place" become normal. All your thoughts reminded me that I guess that's normal! Thanks for the great videos! :-)
You hit the nail on the head with everything!! It's good to know I'm not the only one with these exact sentiments. For me also when I go home, I no longer have a room of my own, and I know that sounds like first world problems but when you have to sleep on the sofa (which I'm grateful for as I love seeing my family) I feel judged if I book into a hotel for a couple of nights. I feel like people are saying that I think their home isn't good enough for me anymore as I've moved away and now I'm behaving like a princess, when in reality I book into a travelodge as I'd like some space, somewhere to be able to spread my shit out and not feel guilty about them not having their living room, or having to wake up early and let them get ready for work. Like you said you can't win!
I live in Berlin, moved here from Slovenia, so from one European country to another. I don’t really experience the same drawbacks, but there are others. Although life in Berlin is pretty relaxed. The people are mostly friendly, mostly young, a lot of foreigners. It sometimes feels like living in a party city. Even when you live in a quiet area. I would love to move to London one day. And before my husband and I decided to move to Berlin, we actually wanted to move to Paris, but visiting the city twice before, thought it was too “cold” - it’s definetly beautifully, but the people make the city, so we decided on Berlin.
French living in China for 13 years agree with many points Always missing something: in China, missing french food obviously, sens of home ,in France miss the incredible energy and dynamic i have in China Cutting friends: for me it comes naturally. After the first year was already pretty obvious who was going to stick around. Some people i barely talk to but as soon as i go back home feel like i left yesterday but many you felt you were close actually fade away quite quickly Not fitting anymore: this is something i'm kind of worry about as i'm learning more and more about reverse cultural shock. Been abroad to long so will have to live with anyway but definitively every time i go back home for holidays i totally feel like a stranger in my home country, definitely weird and hard to explain feeling. You start to question a bit where you belongs. Anyway, love to watch your videos and have an outside point of view on French society and culture. At some point i can relate with my own experience here as well. Last but not least, looking forward to visit New Zealand. All people i know that visit told me it was awesome.
Étant une française habitant en Angleterre depuis plusieurs années maintenant, je ressens exactement la même chose : cela me fait trop bizarre à chaque fois que je retourne en France !!
Expat are employed outside the country then sent TO the country with all your expenses (flights, rent, kids' school fees) paid by the company employing you, usually for a 3 year term, after which you're usually sent somewhere else.
As a French nomad living abroad all year long, I love watching your videos because it makes me experience being a foreigner in France through your eyes; which is something I could never experience myself. It's also heartwarming to hear things about home, even the bad stuff :) Thanks for sharing your insights and investigating thoroughly for your content. Your analysis are always spot on. Cheers
@@NotEvenFrench Thanks for replying :) I talk a bit about that on verekia.com/routine/#travel-rotation and I made a video about my minimalist nomad lifestyle which you might like: ua-cam.com/video/o8bSmSXfUyI/v-deo.html. Feel free to connect using the social links on verekia.com. I'd be happy to share more.
I am Tunisian, studied and lived in France for 10 years, i have always considered myself as an Expatriate in France because I was never interested into living there forever but when you are brown you are always considered as an immigrant in a “white” country even when you are just a Tourist. Currently I have been living in Singapore for 3 years, now I feel I am a citizen of the world, I don’t feel I belong to any country in particular, the way I speak Tunisian changed, the way I speak french changed and the way i speak English changed and now I find patriotism/nationalism dull and ridiculous.. However in Singapore I kind of miss the cultural stuff in Paris, being able to go to the theatre anytime you like, the concerts, music festivals and the fact that there is many kind of movies in the cinemas not only blockbusters with robots and super heroes (which is basically the only type of movie You can find here in sg) but I also enjoy a lot the fact that everything is simple, convenient here in Singapore, everything works. When sth doesn’t work, it’s dealt with quickly. This is far from being the case in Paris (and even worse in Tunisia). In Paris I used to miss my family and friends, the sea and the smell of the Mediterranean sea is the thing I missed the most in Paris and even here in Singapore even if it’s an island but still not the same, the Mediterranean sea is the best in the world:(
It's like you took what's in my head (as a new expat in Paris) and plopped it into a 10 min video. THANK YOU. It was a relief hearing someone else say what I dare say I have thought about time to time but haven't been able to communicate
An American saying is “the grass is always greener on the other side”. So true. But the good news is there is grass everywhere! Well traveled, compassionate and educated people realize that wherever you go or live -life can be different. It teaches us things. This is what is wonderful in life. Keep up the good work.
Love hearing what you have to say about life as an expat in Paris! I'm a young expat here too and completely relate to pretty much all of your videos... you pinpoint it all so well! So refreshing and relieving to hear. Merci bcp xxxx
J’aime tellement tes vidéos. Je me sens un peu moins seule. Depuis février 2017 j’habite en France, je viens d’Hollande. J’adore ma vie ici, mais il y a toujours un truc qui manque. Le plus dur c’est que ne j’ai plus de vie en Hollande. J’ai mes amies et ma famille mais tu les visites. Ma vie est ici et pas là bas.
I married and moved to Vienna, Austria. Let me tell you....my family & friends back home (all from Europe) think I live in Schönbrunn Palace!!! I agree with all your statements, although as much it's hard at times I also like the feeling bring challenged almost daily to do things that would seem normal back home.
Excellent video, Rosie! I lived as an expat in Brazil and Argentina and have gone through all of these things. In fact, just the other day I was thinking how annoying it can be for other people to constantly hear me compare my country to both these places. I think the experiences become so ingrained in us that the comparisons are automatic rather than deliberate. Keep up the great work!
So true. I’ve been in south France seven years, roughly. It is ‘perfect’ on the French Riviera too. Not. There’s this weird thing where my friends and family think it’s all magical, like you said, but the reality is intense. Lovely and different, but also a huge challenge and exhausting in the oddest ways. You’re articulating it well. The double life!
Great video Rosie :) I can totally relate with it all, especially the letting friends go part and feeling like you're bragging about your life. When I go back to Paris, I would love to collab. France vs. Germany perhaps.. haha 😅
Lots of great points! I moved to a bunch of countries in last 5 years (including NZ) and can't stop comparing them. It drives me crazy sometimes, but like you said it is a human nature and no country has everything. Thanks! All the best to you! I've watched lots of your video recently, so I appreciate the effort.
Thanks for this video! I needed it! As a fellow kiwi, moved to France 9 months ago and now I'm on doctors orders to take a week break due to burnout. I totally underestimated the difficulties of moving! But I know it will get better:)
This video is so spot on! Haha making nachos without proper sour cream has been the worst :P I think one of the biggest things for me was how much effort basic socialising became, just having a simple conversation over dinner or coffee or something takes so much more effort and energy than it ever did back at home.
I remember when I was in Paris for a semester how tiring it was. I hadn't expected that. But it just took so much effort to understand every little thing being said to me (people mumble) and while my French was good, I wasn't fluent by any means. It really surprised me how tiring it was.
I so could have wrote this video!! I am a French living in Brazil for 4 years and it’s hard to have the best of both words sometimes indeed! I feel less alone seeing you sharing these thoughts! Thank you!
you are the most emotionally evolved person i have EVER come across and your wisdom HELPS me. never mind i am 56!!!! thanks beautiful.xxxxxxxxx you really HELP
You just succinctly described my life since moving to France from the UK 6 years ago. Even at 43 you provided me with some clarity and perspective. Comparing is a downward spiral and I’m noticing my 7 year old is starting to ask “why did you move over here then mummy??!” I need to just breathe and enjoy the positives more! All the best! 😊
You nailed it! Being an expat is like a schizophrenic state, people who never lived abroad think you have the perfect life, that you're wealthy... I remember, even my parents used to think I had a huge salary, even though we never had any outer sign of wealth. And having kids, it's even hard for us to organize holiday trips, because for summer vacations, family members expect us to come to their place, and that gives us very little opportunities to go somewhere else.
I am an expat as well (France to Israel) and my yearly vacation budget goes to going back home every year for Christmas. My partner is not french and would like to do something else for once, I understand him but can't bring myself to not visit my familly during the holidays.
Same here, I am French living in Australia (with my partner from England), what a dilemma every time ! And worse than the other way around because we don't have as much leave as in France, what do you do with 4 weeks a year especially when you have to visit two countries/families? 😕 Thanksfully for me, my company is understanding and I can sometimes take leave without pay on top of the regular 4 weeks but not my partner which is a bummer :( Love your channel I discovered not long ago, you keep me sane to be honest as I can relate so much to your content being French and looking at France from a distance now and living abroad in a country a bit similar to NZ, even though I know it is also different but you know what I mean I hope ;)
I love that you want to present both the honest ups and downs. Filters happen all of the time. It’s inevitable. But when we speak openly and honestly - the hype or even bias for or against Paris becomes more balanced. My very first time in Paris and my parents were slagging off the French. I was heartbroken over it. Yet, when I landed and had my first go at the Eiffel Tower - it was pure magic with the sweeping vistas for miles to see. For me the hype was equalised when I gave everything an honest go with an open heart, and with expectations set aside. I made friends and I had new adventures. Are there bad things about Paris? Yes! (For me it’s the heavy smoking and weird and very heavy flirting - if you call it that). Are there bad things about San Francisco? Omg, yes!!! The reality is nothing is perfect. We have to adjust our eyes so we can see the beauty in all things. I love this vid. You really touched on many things that I wish I could talk about with others, without them judging me as a whiny high maintenance person who is just very judgmental in terms of first world problems. Keep up the great work!
Very well analysed, Rosie. I have been working in France, Curaçao, USA, Romania and Russia, and my way of dealing with it, was: Dive into the culture, suppose you will live in your new country forever. I forgot the past, and my old friends. And I refused to be depressed by the negative experiences. Kind of shielding myself. Downside is, I have no real homeland anymore, I am a nomad. But only positive memories remain
I’ve been an expat myself and I must say I agree on the entire content of your video. As an expat, you have to compromise anyway to fit to your new environment and it requires mental flexibility. What you say about the perception of Paris among foreigners reminds me the perception of New-York among the French: « you’re so lucky to live in New-York ». Some days I felt New-York was not such a nice city 😉. Merci pour cette excellente video. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you so much for making this video. It feels sometimes like I can't say to people from home that it's hard having relocated to France for my boyfriend. They're response is always "but your living the dream" or "but it's not actually hard". So thank you again for this video!
One thing I've noticed that that happens when from living abroad, and I can't stand it but I can't change it, is people trying to joke with you constantly about stereotypes. And it's totally something many people would have done before moving abroad but now that they've been in the culture and met amazing people from wherever, those stereotypes become tired and really make it seem like people back home don't know anything about where you've decided to take your life to. Jokes about the French being rude, or all the men being gay (don't know where that one came from, maybe it's all the scarves), or when I'm in Canada jokes about "sorry" and syrup and to me it just seems that the longer you send in one country, the less tolerance you have for these constant stereotype jokes about it when you visit home. Either way you really nailed these things, some I didn't even realize happened to me until I heard you say them!
Très bonne vidéo ! Merci pour les sous-titres en français, mon anglais n'est pas assez bon pour saisir tous les détails de ta vidéos ahah Je te trouve très courageuse d'être allée vivre dans un autre pays ! Aussi j'aimerai revenir sur ton deuxième point. Je suis français et je viens du sud de la France et clairement Paris n'est pas une ville ou je veux aller vivre. Beaucoup de français sont obligés d'aller là-bas pour le travail ou leur étude mais très peu aime cette ville. Et même pour un français, la vie et les gens à Paris sont très différents du reste de la France. Du coup, je peux t'assurer qu'être un peu perdu à Paris est vrai même pour les français XD Bon courage pour la suite ! :D
Oh absolutely I can relate! I was in the Peace Corps in Nepal years ago. How romantic! The Himalayas! But also the loneliness, the time, as you said, it took to do the simplest tasks, and the frustration of communicating at the level of a precocious 3-year-old! But I would do it all again in a heartbeat! Thank you for sharing the truth of being an expat... it is a fortunate position to be in, but there is always a flip side!
I lol’d when you mentioned how long it took to find sour cream in France, because I-moved to Finland & experienced the exact same problem! Took me about four years to figure it out, they have so many creams & dairy here.
Sooo relatable! Having very recently moved to Belgium I feel like I want to give myself a big pat on the back if I managed to do some university admin AND go to the supermarket. Even making dinner is an accomplishment!
I have been here 6 weeks this weekend and I COULD NOT agree more about how long simple things take that would of been so simple back home, thank you for doing this video and making me feel less guilty for seeming ungrateful haha!!
I found an equivalent for sour cream!! "Faiselle" which is usually in the yogurt aisle, and it's sold in little yogurt-like plastic pots. Hope this helps, love this video as always!
Hi Rosie! Thank you for this video! I am from Paris and I have been living in Tokyo for 6 years now and I agree with most of the things you said. I have been thinking of coming back to Paris but I still cannot decide where to do my life. I wish I had 2 lives to live one in France and the other in Japan.
Good to see you too open up and talk about the negative side of living aboard. You said it well. There are both ups and downs sides of everything. It's all about your attitude to overcome the difficulties. 😉
Hits the nail on the head - I am living back in my home country after 8 years in Europe (and possibly moving back) and I find I have changed so much I’m not even sure I consider this a home country apart from family! It’s a difficult middle state to be in.
Je suis française et j’ai vécue au canada durant 1 an, et tout ce qui as dit est totalement vrai. Le manque, se faire de nouveaux repères, tout réapprendre, le temps d’adaptation a tout dans notre nouvelle vie. Continue comme ça j’adore ta chaîne et ton travail quotidien dessus, tout mon soutien depuis nantes 🔰
I remember one time I posted on facebook that it was raining a lot for days and I had no food left. I had to go shopping but I didnt have an umbrela. People were like "HOW DARE YOU COMPLAIN, YOU'RE LIVING IN FRENCH RIVIERA"
French Riviera is not ideal and that's coming from a Parisian 😂 In winter or fall, it can get very chilly and the villages are not as lively in the summer as they thrive off touristic activity which is low at that time of the year. It's trully deppressing and ley's not forget the overpriced restaurants if they're open. Like we say in French, it feels "mort".
Same thing happened to me when I was living in Italy and I was upset about something. Someone literally said to me “You live in paradise, how can you complain?” Paradise? Italy? It’s wonderful but certainly not paradise, and living in Italy certainly doesn’t mean that my feelings aren’t valid.
Thanks for that video Rosie 😃 It was nice to hear someone else who's gone through very similar situations. I'm French (from Paris) and I lived in NZ for 3 years ... SO many of the things you said resonated. I also had to adapt to 4 other new countries/cultures/habits and, while I'm grateful for the opportunities, it does require more time and energy every times you change. Thankfully my husband is also an expat, and I can always vent with him 😁 The only thing I would perhaps debate is the expat/immigrant part. At least the perception (not the definition) of what an expat is. My man is Filipino-American and, at first glance, he is often perceived as an immigrant... It got us thinking that perhaps people from poor countries going abroad (even for a moderate period of time) are perceived as immigrant, while someone from a rich country (too often associated with being white) are perceived as expat... 🤔🤔 Food for though?
Currently struggling with living abroad as an expat. It truly can be depressing. I miss home every single day. It’s a true test to your character and how you handle yourself under pressure and being in an environment that you’re uncomfortable in. I’ve been away from home for almost four months and it feels like forever. I feel so disconnected from my life in Australia. There’s not a single day that goes by where I don’t tell myself, “Fu*k this, I’m booking a flight and going home.” It takes every ounce of my strength to not do this. 😱🤦♂️
It’s so good to know that this feelings and thoughts are something that we all struggle during this period of adjustment, I’ve been living abroad for 2 months and I’ve experienced all that you mentioned haha
@@TheAnaCalvo Hang in there! It 100% gets better. I’ve been living abroad in Japan for the past year and four months, and it’s almost like normal now. I would say the first 6 - 8 months were the hardest. But, it slowly gets easier. Get out and make friends and pick up some hobbies, that helped me a lot. I enjoy my life here now and though I still miss home and have bad days, I’m glad I stuck this out and I know I will definitely miss Japan once I have to go home.
You made a very thoughtful video and I sympathize with you. Living in a different culture from the one you grew up in, I think, is a difficult life choice. I lived in London in my early twenties, and although I loved London, I could see that choosing to live there for my life was maybe going to be great, but also semi- uncomfortable. I never saw myself feeling totally at home there because I felt the cultural differences between the US and UK were a barrier. We speak the same language and then again we don’t. There are many unspoken cultural differences that are always with us when we do not live in our home country. Also, when I had a child, I found living away from my family to be much tougher than I ever dreamed. I moved back home to raise my family and am very happy I did. Expat or immigrant.......it’s a big decision.
Interesting - especially thinking that a decent number of those things I've noticed while living in different places across the US, too. That being said, I do hope to have an expat assignment some day!
I have been an expat for about 40 years. I have lived and worked in something like 16 countries. There are a lot of negatives that are not widely known but there are a lot more positives. You have to go with the flow.
Une de vos meilleures vidéos. Elle sonne particulièrement juste et on comprend bien à vous écouter les spécificités de la vie d'expatrié. Pour beaucoup de Français aussi, vivre à Paris est un rêve. Une seule petite requête : à quand une vidéo dans la langue de Balzac ?
100% agree with all of these points! I definitely don't feel "at home" when I go back to my hometown any more and that makes me feel weird, because although I'm settled in Paris, I'm not sure I consider it my home yet (I suppose it's only just been 2 years so still quite new!) It's a strange feeling though. The good thing is there are lots of other expats around who completely understand! Also wondering if you've done a video at all about making friends.. I remember the one where you said it was difficult, but have you done one about your experiences of how to meet French people (not through boyfriends cause that's a no go for me! haha) Sorry this was an insanely long comment!
This really helps because I want to live in Paris when I'm older and I'll need to know lots about it before I just decide to move, it would be in 5 years and I'm on my first year learning French so I may change my decision as I get older
Rosie, sidetrack, help me out why are aioli & sweet chilli the condiments of choice in NZ? I really missed plain mayo & ketchup there, when I asked for vinegar the waitress was flummoxed (love it on chips!) x
I think it's a really good things for you to do this video! I've ever lived in Paris or in the suburbs and i was born here. So i can say it's completly true, Paris is not perfect. Yes, there is weird people, cold people and the life is stressful. I think it's important to talk about that, because people idealize or hate Paris. But it's just a normal city, like every others : there is good an bad parts😊 Sorry for my english, i have to improve it😅
I can relate: I lived in northern Italy for three & a half years in the early 90's and I had some great times. So easy to go to Milan, Venice, Florence, etc via train, but the daily routine of living in a small village was difficult at times. I didn't want to complain to my friends back home because I thought I would sound ungrateful (who doesn't want to live in Italy for a few years?) to everyone. Thanks for this video, Ms Rosie!
Pour Paris autant c'est une ville super à visiter avec des magnifiques monuments, autant je n'aimerais pas y vivre. (trop de bruit, pas assez de nature, trop de stress, les gens ne se parlent pas ...)
Hi, thank you so much. You expressed so much the life of expat. People idealized it but it comes with a lot of inconvenient (especially with administration). I would stay after a couple of years and different countries, we adapt far quicker to the culture youzre in even with language barrier. But for me. I just miss food, nothing else from France. For friends, just tell yourself that you follow your own path and your friends will too. Even if you would have stay in NZ, your friends may have moved too. Adult friendships is to accept that your friends will leave their own adventures without you but it doesn't stop to love and care for each other (and then you have so much to share when meet them again xD)
Hi Rosie! I'm new to your channel, and have really enjoyed your videos! While I can not relate to living abroad yet, I can see the pros and cons for sure. I agree that Paris is a very hyped city, nevertheless, I still wish to visit (maybe live) there for a period of time.
Great video! I've often thought about living abroad, so hearing about the "cons" of being an expat is really helpful. I would love to hear about your wedding plans - are you getting married in France? What is it like to plan a wedding in another country?
McSperitt Law Firm She spoke about this in another video. She got married in Anancy, the hometown of her husband, and was in fact the first NZder to get married in the town hall there!
Ne t'inquiète pas, si tu as besoin de te plaindre à propos de Paris tu peux sans problème le faire en France tu auras toujours quelqu'un pour t'écouter XD
I spent 4 years as a kid in the US because my dad was a work expat. I've been back in France since 2001, but for the following 12 years, we would go back every summer. So part of me feels American in some ways, which means that often I'll end up comparing France and the US, or I get overprotective of the US. And that usually leads to snide comments "but you're not American, you only spent 4 years there, get over it". It's been 5 years since I was last able to visit and sometimes I really miss "home" (especially when I'm grocery shopping lol).
That breaks my 😢heart. Wow. Whoever said that to you is wrong! I believe In America we are alllllll expats ....unless you are a pure blood Indiana. We allllll came here from other countries.
Oh no, no! I've never had an American telling me that! It's people here in France who judge me like this. I grew up in Arkansas back in the late 90s, and the only "bad" comments we ever got were people not realizing that us being from Paris didn't mean Texas. And now, whenever Americans catch my accent in France and they ask how come I don't sound French when I speak in English, and I tell them where I grew up, they're actually confused as to why we'd go there in the first place. Haha
Great video, I think most of this advice applies when moving to a new part of your own country also. Especially if that new place is a great distance from where you are from (like in the US).
Salut....Today I was in “City” twice and couldn’t figure out if the shampoo was JUST shampoo or a combo of shampoo + conditioner went to the Le post and couldn’t use the auto-machines because I couldn’t figure out with button was for the international postcard stamps LOL.
Raquel Petkovich I worked as a waiter in Paris, and for months after taking their meal order I used to ask "et pour boire?" (And to drink?, like in English, but translated directly). I always got strange reactions and giggles, until I later learned that the word for tip is "pourboire"...was so embarrassed 😳
Always missing something is soooo true ! For me, it's the Sunday morning "marché" trips where, after you bought all the goods from local market, you end up doing a pic-nic and having a glass of wine all Sunday afternoon with the friends you randomly "bumped into" in the market
Rosie. I found your channel by accident . Love the fascinating and intelligent content. Keep it up it as it is helping me to improve my French language. Regards Dawn
Thanks for this video ! I left France for Canada few months ago, and I am living all aspects you said in your video ! Used to be Parisian and hated the way it was in Paris, but now kind of miss it. Everyday I am like « should O go home ». Fun fact, I am still looking for crème fraîche in Canada, sour cream is not quite the same 😂
J'ai toujours refusé de bosser à Paris mdr, c'est bien la dernière ville ou j'aurais envi de vivre ^^ Tu devrais tester le Sud les gens y sont aussi plus chaleureux ça te conviendrait mieux ;)
you're so right. everybody at home gets annoyed that you're not around, and i guess that's how you realize who's really your friend and who doesn't support you. also, people think its a constant adventure and that you live a stereotypical life. i live in south america and people assume i live like a hippie and don't work, and that I'm just on vacation because they've never been to where I live. I actually work full time, maintain a house and pets, and it's just a normal life but with fewer superficial things.
Here is some irony. I was brought up to hate New Zelanders (stupid Rugby culture). As a South African, I had never actually met a New Zealander, but I hated them. I landed in Vancouver as an immigrant and started to go through much of what you are going through now. In Vancouver I met a few New Zealanders and sort of befriended them as I found we had more in common with each other than we had with Canadians. It was these New Zealanders that made me see that living abroad could be a great experience. It was the New Zealanders that made me see the positive in life and today I think the world of them. It seems that New Zealanders have a more worldly culture - the famous "OE" culture. Thanks for the video and the positive view towards honest living abroad. I wish the best for your OE and just maybe your experience will turn to towards super cool.
So so true what you say. And its magic how you sqeeze the essence into 10 min video. Start loving you channel! And I'd kill for NOT living in Paris )))
Hey Rosie, love this video. I can completely relate to this. I am an Irish living in France for years now. There are some things I like and some I don't like here.. and it's totally normal I guess. Sometimes I feel like a big alien to be honest (especially when I speak French and my accent obviously not French) but I'm dealing with that haha! Best of luck. :)
Kiwi living in Toulouse for past 10years, French hubby, French kids love France, love nz...totally can relate to a lot if what you said. Should we move back? Should we stay? Will always be the hardest decision ever.
Great video. I have lived in the US mainland which is different than home (especially when I used to live there). I think the point like you do not fit resonates with me the most. It has been over 30 years and I definitely feel like I do fit back home. I have changed but so has the local culture. Also I have adapted a more neutral accept in my native language so I do not sound like them and they point it out. I think it would be awesome living in Paris. But city living is very different if you are not used to it. So that may be an additional adjustment especially if you come from a car culture like the US Thank you for presenting a balanced view
I've lived in Japan for several years, so I understand all this. Back then, I wondered if I'd ever fit in. I compared everything with France where everything was easier. But when I got back to my hometown, I was changed and I didn't fit in there anymore. There's a quote from The Curious Cas of Benjamin Button that I love. It says : "It's a funny thing about comin' home. Looks the same, smells the same, feels the same. You'll realize what's changed is you."
Does it ever go away? It’s been 9 moths since I came back “home” after living in France for only(?) 2 years, and I don’t fit anylonger.... it’s impossible to reconnect...
I was born and raised in Kazakhstan, then lived for two years in USA to get my MBA degree, then came back and married a Russian man. And now I find myself not fitting into either Kazakh, Russian, or Western worlds. My way of thinking has changed so dramatically after being exposed to western culture for two years, and after that being married to a man of a different nationality, that now we are mainly in touch with the family members or international married couples like we are.
Thanks for making this video! I’m French and living in the US for some years and I think you nailed these sentiments. Especially the always missing something part. I do two things to turn that into positive feelings: 1. I flip it, i.e., i imagine what I’d be missing if I were in the other country and enjoy it more. 2. I try to plan a trip back if possible, so that things I miss become things I can long for.
Keep up your videos!
I really love the last point you made... I can completely relate to that - where you feel so grateful for having the opportunity to migrate to a new country that you really don't feel like you can tell anyone back home about the challenges. I think part of it is not wanting to sound ungrateful, and part of it is that you don't want people to get the wrong idea about how you feel about your new life. Talking to other migrants, we ALL think people are friendlier back home... Maybe that's just part of being new and integrating somewhere else :)
"always missing something" so true! Currently missing the beach haha
@@NotEvenFrench You can't go in another French city on the coast like Brest, Bordeaux or Caen ? (Désolée pour les fautes en anglais...)
Yeah! I'm an expat in China, I keep going back and forth between China and my home country and I always miss the place that I'm not currently in..
Everything in this video is so true! Particularly how much you change when you live as an expat for years, in ways that are so hard to even describe, and how people back home can't really understand. Love your videos Rosie!
Hi, Rosie! Love your channel! I lived in Thailand for four years and then moved back home to the US. I live in a very multicultural city in southern California and I teach English to students of other cultures and languages, but I still feel like I'm always out of place. I changed while living in Thailand, and so home no longer feels "normal." I'm always second guessing what would be the culturally appropriate thing to do in any given situation. I love my life and I'm so thankful for all the experiences I have, but I guess I've just let feeling"out of place" become normal. All your thoughts reminded me that I guess that's normal! Thanks for the great videos! :-)
You hit the nail on the head with everything!! It's good to know I'm not the only one with these exact sentiments. For me also when I go home, I no longer have a room of my own, and I know that sounds like first world problems but when you have to sleep on the sofa (which I'm grateful for as I love seeing my family) I feel judged if I book into a hotel for a couple of nights. I feel like people are saying that I think their home isn't good enough for me anymore as I've moved away and now I'm behaving like a princess, when in reality I book into a travelodge as I'd like some space, somewhere to be able to spread my shit out and not feel guilty about them not having their living room, or having to wake up early and let them get ready for work. Like you said you can't win!
I live in Berlin, moved here from Slovenia, so from one European country to another. I don’t really experience the same drawbacks, but there are others. Although life in Berlin is pretty relaxed. The people are mostly friendly, mostly young, a lot of foreigners. It sometimes feels like living in a party city. Even when you live in a quiet area. I would love to move to London one day. And before my husband and I decided to move to Berlin, we actually wanted to move to Paris, but visiting the city twice before, thought it was too “cold” - it’s definetly beautifully, but the people make the city, so we decided on Berlin.
Living in Germany is special it's a whole new story. Ich wohne 13 Jahre in Deutschland die Langweilige ist manchmal extrem.
Berlin is the trash can of western europe, so enjoy....
French living in China for 13 years agree with many points
Always missing something: in China, missing french food obviously, sens of home ,in France miss the incredible energy and dynamic i have in China
Cutting friends: for me it comes naturally. After the first year was already pretty obvious who was going to stick around. Some people i barely talk to but as soon as i go back home feel like i left yesterday but many you felt you were close actually fade away quite quickly
Not fitting anymore: this is something i'm kind of worry about as i'm learning more and more about reverse cultural shock. Been abroad to long so will have to live with anyway but definitively every time i go back home for holidays i totally feel like a stranger in my home country, definitely weird and hard to explain feeling. You start to question a bit where you belongs.
Anyway, love to watch your videos and have an outside point of view on French society and culture. At some point i can relate with my own experience here as well.
Last but not least, looking forward to visit New Zealand. All people i know that visit told me it was awesome.
« Always missing something : in China, missing »
Democracy, free speech, humans right
Sorry, I had to do it ^^
Étant une française habitant en Angleterre depuis plusieurs années maintenant, je ressens exactement la même chose : cela me fait trop bizarre à chaque fois que je retourne en France !!
Expat are employed outside the country then sent TO the country with all your expenses (flights, rent, kids' school fees) paid by the company employing you, usually for a 3 year term, after which you're usually sent somewhere else.
As a French nomad living abroad all year long, I love watching your videos because it makes me experience being a foreigner in France through your eyes; which is something I could never experience myself. It's also heartwarming to hear things about home, even the bad stuff :) Thanks for sharing your insights and investigating thoroughly for your content. Your analysis are always spot on. Cheers
@@NotEvenFrench Thanks for replying :) I talk a bit about that on verekia.com/routine/#travel-rotation and I made a video about my minimalist nomad lifestyle which you might like: ua-cam.com/video/o8bSmSXfUyI/v-deo.html. Feel free to connect using the social links on verekia.com. I'd be happy to share more.
I am Tunisian, studied and lived in France for 10 years, i have always considered myself as an Expatriate in France because I was never interested into living there forever but when you are brown you are always considered as an immigrant in a “white” country even when you are just a Tourist.
Currently I have been living in Singapore for 3 years, now I feel I am a citizen of the world, I don’t feel I belong to any country in particular, the way I speak Tunisian changed, the way I speak french changed and the way i speak English changed and now I find patriotism/nationalism dull and ridiculous..
However in Singapore I kind of miss the cultural stuff in Paris, being able to go to the theatre anytime you like, the concerts, music festivals and the fact that there is many kind of movies in the cinemas not only blockbusters with robots and super heroes (which is basically the only type of movie You can find here in sg) but I also enjoy a lot the fact that everything is simple, convenient here in Singapore, everything works. When sth doesn’t work, it’s dealt with quickly. This is far from being the case in Paris (and even worse in Tunisia). In Paris I used to miss my family and friends, the sea and the smell of the Mediterranean sea is the thing I missed the most in Paris and even here in Singapore even if it’s an island but still not the same, the Mediterranean sea is the best in the world:(
It's like you took what's in my head (as a new expat in Paris) and plopped it into a 10 min video. THANK YOU. It was a relief hearing someone else say what I dare say I have thought about time to time but haven't been able to communicate
An American saying is “the grass is always greener on the other side”. So true. But the good news is there is grass everywhere! Well traveled, compassionate and educated people realize that wherever you go or live -life can be different. It teaches us things. This is what is wonderful in life. Keep up the good work.
Love hearing what you have to say about life as an expat in Paris! I'm a young expat here too and completely relate to pretty much all of your videos... you pinpoint it all so well! So refreshing and relieving to hear. Merci bcp xxxx
J’aime tellement tes vidéos. Je me sens un peu moins seule. Depuis février 2017 j’habite en France, je viens d’Hollande. J’adore ma vie ici, mais il y a toujours un truc qui manque. Le plus dur c’est que ne j’ai plus de vie en Hollande. J’ai mes amies et ma famille mais tu les visites. Ma vie est ici et pas là bas.
I married and moved to Vienna, Austria. Let me tell you....my family & friends back home (all from Europe) think I live in Schönbrunn Palace!!! I agree with all your statements, although as much it's hard at times I also like the feeling bring challenged almost daily to do things that would seem normal back home.
You're so subtile and benevolent in the way you analyse things and events ; it's always a pleasure to watch your qualified videos ! Thanks a lot !
Excellent video, Rosie! I lived as an expat in Brazil and Argentina and have gone through all of these things. In fact, just the other day I was thinking how annoying it can be for other people to constantly hear me compare my country to both these places. I think the experiences become so ingrained in us that the comparisons are automatic rather than deliberate. Keep up the great work!
So true. I’ve been in south France seven years, roughly. It is ‘perfect’ on the French Riviera too. Not. There’s this weird thing where my friends and family think it’s all magical, like you said, but the reality is intense. Lovely and different, but also a huge challenge and exhausting in the oddest ways. You’re articulating it well. The double life!
Great video Rosie :) I can totally relate with it all, especially the letting friends go part and feeling like you're bragging about your life. When I go back to Paris, I would love to collab. France vs. Germany perhaps.. haha 😅
Lots of great points! I moved to a bunch of countries in last 5 years (including NZ) and can't stop comparing them. It drives me crazy sometimes, but like you said it is a human nature and no country has everything. Thanks! All the best to you! I've watched lots of your video recently, so I appreciate the effort.
Thanks for this video! I needed it! As a fellow kiwi, moved to France 9 months ago and now I'm on doctors orders to take a week break due to burnout. I totally underestimated the difficulties of moving! But I know it will get better:)
This video is so spot on! Haha making nachos without proper sour cream has been the worst :P I think one of the biggest things for me was how much effort basic socialising became, just having a simple conversation over dinner or coffee or something takes so much more effort and energy than it ever did back at home.
I remember when I was in Paris for a semester how tiring it was. I hadn't expected that. But it just took so much effort to understand every little thing being said to me (people mumble) and while my French was good, I wasn't fluent by any means. It really surprised me how tiring it was.
I so could have wrote this video!!
I am a French living in Brazil for 4 years and it’s hard to have the best of both words sometimes indeed! I feel less alone seeing you sharing these thoughts! Thank you!
you are the most emotionally evolved person i have EVER come across and your wisdom HELPS me. never mind i am 56!!!! thanks beautiful.xxxxxxxxx you really HELP
Salut Rosie! I really enjoy how you show so many perspectives of your fascinating life abroad in France, even if they are less glittery.
Oh girl I'm a French living in Japan and I can relate in every way!! Every things you said echoed in me! ^^'
Best of luck to you!
You just succinctly described my life since moving to France from the UK 6 years ago. Even at 43 you provided me with some clarity and perspective.
Comparing is a downward spiral and I’m noticing my 7 year old is starting to ask “why did you move over here then mummy??!” I need to just breathe and enjoy the positives more! All the best! 😊
Thanks for sharing your honest feelings. It makes me feel a bit better about struggling!
You nailed it! Being an expat is like a schizophrenic state, people who never lived abroad think you have the perfect life, that you're wealthy... I remember, even my parents used to think I had a huge salary, even though we never had any outer sign of wealth. And having kids, it's even hard for us to organize holiday trips, because for summer vacations, family members expect us to come to their place, and that gives us very little opportunities to go somewhere else.
So true!
I am an expat as well (France to Israel) and my yearly vacation budget goes to going back home every year for Christmas. My partner is not french and would like to do something else for once, I understand him but can't bring myself to not visit my familly during the holidays.
Same here, I am French living in Australia (with my partner from England), what a dilemma every time ! And worse than the other way around because we don't have as much leave as in France, what do you do with 4 weeks a year especially when you have to visit two countries/families? 😕 Thanksfully for me, my company is understanding and I can sometimes take leave without pay on top of the regular 4 weeks but not my partner which is a bummer :( Love your channel I discovered not long ago, you keep me sane to be honest as I can relate so much to your content being French and looking at France from a distance now and living abroad in a country a bit similar to NZ, even though I know it is also different but you know what I mean I hope ;)
I love that you want to present both the honest ups and downs. Filters happen all of the time. It’s inevitable. But when we speak openly and honestly - the hype or even bias for or against Paris becomes more balanced. My very first time in Paris and my parents were slagging off the French. I was heartbroken over it. Yet, when I landed and had my first go at the Eiffel Tower - it was pure magic with the sweeping vistas for miles to see. For me the hype was equalised when I gave everything an honest go with an open heart, and with expectations set aside. I made friends and I had new adventures. Are there bad things about Paris? Yes! (For me it’s the heavy smoking and weird and very heavy flirting - if you call it that). Are there bad things about San Francisco? Omg, yes!!! The reality is nothing is perfect. We have to adjust our eyes so we can see the beauty in all things. I love this vid. You really touched on many things that I wish I could talk about with others, without them judging me as a whiny high maintenance person who is just very judgmental in terms of first world problems. Keep up the great work!
Very well analysed, Rosie. I have been working in France, Curaçao, USA, Romania and Russia, and my way of dealing with it, was:
Dive into the culture, suppose you will live in your new country forever. I forgot the past, and my old friends. And I refused to be depressed by the negative experiences. Kind of shielding myself. Downside is, I have no real homeland anymore, I am a nomad. But only positive memories remain
Fabulous Rosie. Love your authenticity. ❤️
I’ve been an expat myself and I must say I agree on the entire content of your video. As an expat, you have to compromise anyway to fit to your new environment and it requires mental flexibility. What you say about the perception of Paris among foreigners reminds me the perception of New-York among the French: « you’re so lucky to live in New-York ». Some days I felt New-York was not such a nice city 😉. Merci pour cette excellente video. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you so much for making this video. It feels sometimes like I can't say to people from home that it's hard having relocated to France for my boyfriend. They're response is always "but your living the dream" or "but it's not actually hard". So thank you again for this video!
One thing I've noticed that that happens when from living abroad, and I can't stand it but I can't change it, is people trying to joke with you constantly about stereotypes. And it's totally something many people would have done before moving abroad but now that they've been in the culture and met amazing people from wherever, those stereotypes become tired and really make it seem like people back home don't know anything about where you've decided to take your life to. Jokes about the French being rude, or all the men being gay (don't know where that one came from, maybe it's all the scarves), or when I'm in Canada jokes about "sorry" and syrup and to me it just seems that the longer you send in one country, the less tolerance you have for these constant stereotype jokes about it when you visit home. Either way you really nailed these things, some I didn't even realize happened to me until I heard you say them!
Have you ever thought about doing a podcast? I'll definitely listen to it if you make one.😊
Yes!! Doing laundry and going to the post office takes all day instead of two hours! I laughed out loud from identification.
Being an expat (and French), I would like to thank you.
Thank you.
The challenging part for me about living abroad is reverse culture shock...re-adjusting to my old life when I return home!
Très bonne vidéo ! Merci pour les sous-titres en français, mon anglais n'est pas assez bon pour saisir tous les détails de ta vidéos ahah
Je te trouve très courageuse d'être allée vivre dans un autre pays !
Aussi j'aimerai revenir sur ton deuxième point. Je suis français et je viens du sud de la France et clairement Paris n'est pas une ville ou je veux aller vivre. Beaucoup de français sont obligés d'aller là-bas pour le travail ou leur étude mais très peu aime cette ville. Et même pour un français, la vie et les gens à Paris sont très différents du reste de la France. Du coup, je peux t'assurer qu'être un peu perdu à Paris est vrai même pour les français XD
Bon courage pour la suite ! :D
Si tu commences à râler à propos de Paris, c'est que tu es bien devenue une française ahah !
Non, Victor Haloy, si elle fait ça alors qu’elle est à Paris >:(
ça en fait une vraie parisienne ^^
Thank you, Rosie! I needed this video. I live in Bordeaux and I feel all these things!
Thank you for this! I'm from England and have lived in Italy and Germany, and can definitely relate
Oh absolutely I can relate! I was in the Peace Corps in Nepal years ago. How romantic! The Himalayas! But also the loneliness, the time, as you said, it took to do the simplest tasks, and the frustration of communicating at the level of a precocious 3-year-old! But I would do it all again in a heartbeat! Thank you for sharing the truth of being an expat... it is a fortunate position to be in, but there is always a flip side!
I lol’d when you mentioned how long it took to find sour cream in France, because I-moved to Finland & experienced the exact same problem! Took me about four years to figure it out, they have so many creams & dairy here.
Sooo relatable! Having very recently moved to Belgium I feel like I want to give myself a big pat on the back if I managed to do some university admin AND go to the supermarket. Even making dinner is an accomplishment!
I have been here 6 weeks this weekend and I COULD NOT agree more about how long simple things take that would of been so simple back home, thank you for doing this video and making me feel less guilty for seeming ungrateful haha!!
I found an equivalent for sour cream!! "Faiselle" which is usually in the yogurt aisle, and it's sold in little yogurt-like plastic pots. Hope this helps, love this video as always!
As a kiwi who has been in paris for 4 years, I can fully relate to everything in this video, everything's bang on the nail.
Hi Rosie! Thank you for this video! I am from Paris and I have been living in Tokyo for 6 years now and I agree with most of the things you said. I have been thinking of coming back to Paris but I still cannot decide where to do my life. I wish I had 2 lives to live one in France and the other in Japan.
Good to see you too open up and talk about the negative side of living aboard. You said it well. There are both ups and downs sides of everything. It's all about your attitude to overcome the difficulties. 😉
Hits the nail on the head - I am living back in my home country after 8 years in Europe (and possibly moving back) and I find I have changed so much I’m not even sure I consider this a home country apart from family! It’s a difficult middle state to be in.
Je suis française et j’ai vécue au canada durant 1 an, et tout ce qui as dit est totalement vrai.
Le manque, se faire de nouveaux repères, tout réapprendre, le temps d’adaptation a tout dans notre nouvelle vie.
Continue comme ça j’adore ta chaîne et ton travail quotidien dessus, tout mon soutien depuis nantes 🔰
I remember one time I posted on facebook that it was raining a lot for days and I had no food left. I had to go shopping but I didnt have an umbrela. People were like "HOW DARE YOU COMPLAIN, YOU'RE LIVING IN FRENCH RIVIERA"
French Riviera is not ideal and that's coming from a Parisian 😂 In winter or fall, it can get very chilly and the villages are not as lively in the summer as they thrive off touristic activity which is low at that time of the year. It's trully deppressing and ley's not forget the overpriced restaurants if they're open. Like we say in French, it feels "mort".
@@elisagyn3646 exactly HAHAHAH mais la vie la bas me manque beaucoup :'(
Nothing is more beautiful than a young woman walking in the rain without an umbrella.
Same thing happened to me when I was living in Italy and I was upset about something. Someone literally said to me “You live in paradise, how can you complain?” Paradise? Italy? It’s wonderful but certainly not paradise, and living in Italy certainly doesn’t mean that my feelings aren’t valid.
Thanks for that video Rosie 😃 It was nice to hear someone else who's gone through very similar situations.
I'm French (from Paris) and I lived in NZ for 3 years ... SO many of the things you said resonated.
I also had to adapt to 4 other new countries/cultures/habits and, while I'm grateful for the opportunities, it does require more time and energy every times you change. Thankfully my husband is also an expat, and I can always vent with him 😁
The only thing I would perhaps debate is the expat/immigrant part. At least the perception (not the definition) of what an expat is. My man is Filipino-American and, at first glance, he is often perceived as an immigrant... It got us thinking that perhaps people from poor countries going abroad (even for a moderate period of time) are perceived as immigrant, while someone from a rich country (too often associated with being white) are perceived as expat...
🤔🤔 Food for though?
Currently struggling with living abroad as an expat.
It truly can be depressing. I miss home every single day. It’s a true test to your character and how you handle yourself under pressure and being in an environment that you’re uncomfortable in.
I’ve been away from home for almost four months and it feels like forever. I feel so disconnected from my life in Australia.
There’s not a single day that goes by where I don’t tell myself, “Fu*k this, I’m booking a flight and going home.”
It takes every ounce of my strength to not do this.
😱🤦♂️
It’s so good to know that this feelings and thoughts are something that we all struggle during this period of adjustment, I’ve been living abroad for 2 months and I’ve experienced all that you mentioned haha
@@TheAnaCalvo Hang in there! It 100% gets better. I’ve been living abroad in Japan for the past year and four months, and it’s almost like normal now. I would say the first 6 - 8 months were the hardest. But, it slowly gets easier. Get out and make friends and pick up some hobbies, that helped me a lot. I enjoy my life here now and though I still miss home and have bad days, I’m glad I stuck this out and I know I will definitely miss Japan once I have to go home.
The question at some point is "where you will be happier"?
You made a very thoughtful video and I sympathize with you. Living in a different culture from the one you grew up in, I think, is a difficult life choice. I lived in London in my early twenties, and although I loved London, I could see that choosing to live there for my life was maybe going to be great, but also semi- uncomfortable. I never saw myself feeling totally at home there because I felt the cultural differences between the US and UK were a barrier. We speak the same language and then again we don’t. There are many unspoken cultural differences that are always with us when we do not live in our home country. Also, when I had a child, I found living away from my family to be much tougher than I ever dreamed. I moved back home to raise my family and am very happy I did. Expat or immigrant.......it’s a big decision.
It feels just like this! Great to listen to you! Thank you so much
Excellent video as always! 😘
Interesting - especially thinking that a decent number of those things I've noticed while living in different places across the US, too. That being said, I do hope to have an expat assignment some day!
I have been an expat for about 40 years. I have lived and worked in something like 16 countries. There are a lot of negatives that are not widely known but there are a lot more positives. You have to go with the flow.
Une de vos meilleures vidéos. Elle sonne particulièrement juste et on comprend bien à vous écouter les spécificités de la vie d'expatrié. Pour beaucoup de Français aussi, vivre à Paris est un rêve. Une seule petite requête : à quand une vidéo dans la langue de Balzac ?
100% agree with all of these points! I definitely don't feel "at home" when I go back to my hometown any more and that makes me feel weird, because although I'm settled in Paris, I'm not sure I consider it my home yet (I suppose it's only just been 2 years so still quite new!) It's a strange feeling though. The good thing is there are lots of other expats around who completely understand! Also wondering if you've done a video at all about making friends.. I remember the one where you said it was difficult, but have you done one about your experiences of how to meet French people (not through boyfriends cause that's a no go for me! haha) Sorry this was an insanely long comment!
This really helps because I want to live in Paris when I'm older and I'll need to know lots about it before I just decide to move, it would be in 5 years and I'm on my first year learning French so I may change my decision as I get older
Rosie, sidetrack, help me out why are aioli & sweet chilli the condiments of choice in NZ? I really missed plain mayo & ketchup there, when I asked for vinegar the waitress was flummoxed (love it on chips!) x
I think it's a really good things for you to do this video! I've ever lived in Paris or in the suburbs and i was born here. So i can say it's completly true, Paris is not perfect. Yes, there is weird people, cold people and the life is stressful. I think it's important to talk about that, because people idealize or hate Paris. But it's just a normal city, like every others : there is good an bad parts😊
Sorry for my english, i have to improve it😅
I can relate: I lived in northern Italy for three & a half years in the early 90's and I had some great times. So easy to go to Milan, Venice, Florence, etc via train, but the daily routine of living in a small village was difficult at times. I didn't want to complain to my friends back home because I thought I would sound ungrateful (who doesn't want to live in Italy for a few years?) to everyone. Thanks for this video, Ms Rosie!
Pour Paris autant c'est une ville super à visiter avec des magnifiques monuments, autant je n'aimerais pas y vivre. (trop de bruit, pas assez de nature, trop de stress, les gens ne se parlent pas ...)
Hi :) I just discovered your channel and I like the video you made about french doing english mistakes, carry on :)
Hi, thank you so much. You expressed so much the life of expat. People idealized it but it comes with a lot of inconvenient (especially with administration). I would stay after a couple of years and different countries, we adapt far quicker to the culture youzre in even with language barrier. But for me. I just miss food, nothing else from France. For friends, just tell yourself that you follow your own path and your friends will too. Even if you would have stay in NZ, your friends may have moved too. Adult friendships is to accept that your friends will leave their own adventures without you but it doesn't stop to love and care for each other (and then you have so much to share when meet them again xD)
Hi Rosie! I'm new to your channel, and have really enjoyed your videos! While I can not relate to living abroad yet, I can see the pros and cons for sure. I agree that Paris is a very hyped city, nevertheless, I still wish to visit (maybe live) there for a period of time.
Great video! I've often thought about living abroad, so hearing about the "cons" of being an expat is really helpful. I would love to hear about your wedding plans - are you getting married in France? What is it like to plan a wedding in another country?
McSperitt Law Firm She spoke about this in another video. She got married in Anancy, the hometown of her husband, and was in fact the first NZder to get married in the town hall there!
Ne t'inquiète pas, si tu as besoin de te plaindre à propos de Paris tu peux sans problème le faire en France tu auras toujours quelqu'un pour t'écouter XD
I spent 4 years as a kid in the US because my dad was a work expat. I've been back in France since 2001, but for the following 12 years, we would go back every summer. So part of me feels American in some ways, which means that often I'll end up comparing France and the US, or I get overprotective of the US. And that usually leads to snide comments "but you're not American, you only spent 4 years there, get over it". It's been 5 years since I was last able to visit and sometimes I really miss "home" (especially when I'm grocery shopping lol).
That breaks my 😢heart. Wow. Whoever said that to you is wrong! I believe In America we are alllllll expats ....unless you are a pure blood Indiana. We allllll came here from other countries.
Oh no, no! I've never had an American telling me that! It's people here in France who judge me like this. I grew up in Arkansas back in the late 90s, and the only "bad" comments we ever got were people not realizing that us being from Paris didn't mean Texas. And now, whenever Americans catch my accent in France and they ask how come I don't sound French when I speak in English, and I tell them where I grew up, they're actually confused as to why we'd go there in the first place. Haha
Your english speaking is so perfect I understood everything of what you said it's clear and well pronounced 😉
English is her native language lol, why would it not be perfect?
Great video, I think most of this advice applies when moving to a new part of your own country also. Especially if that new place is a great distance from where you are from (like in the US).
Salut....Today I was in “City” twice and couldn’t figure out if the shampoo was JUST shampoo or a combo of shampoo + conditioner went to the Le post and couldn’t use the auto-machines because I couldn’t figure out with button was for the international postcard stamps LOL.
Raquel Petkovich I worked as a waiter in Paris, and for months after taking their meal order I used to ask "et pour boire?" (And to drink?, like in English, but translated directly). I always got strange reactions and giggles, until I later learned that the word for tip is "pourboire"...was so embarrassed 😳
Always missing something is soooo true ! For me, it's the Sunday morning "marché" trips where, after you bought all the goods from local market, you end up doing a pic-nic and having a glass of wine all Sunday afternoon with the friends you randomly "bumped into" in the market
Rosie. I found your channel by accident . Love the fascinating and intelligent content. Keep it up it as it is helping me to improve my French language. Regards Dawn
I’ll be moving from Chicago to Melbourne, Australia in about two years, there’s always something to miss!
Did you do it?
Thanks for this video ! I left France for Canada few months ago, and I am living all aspects you said in your video ! Used to be Parisian and hated the way it was in Paris, but now kind of miss it. Everyday I am like « should O go home ». Fun fact, I am still looking for crème fraîche in Canada, sour cream is not quite the same 😂
Salut I've lived in Hungary for Erasmus and what you have said is soo true. Always missing french cheese^^
Comparing happens so much haha i always compare stuff and talk about how it’s in France vs the USA. Some people get annoyed
Merci Rosie! J'adore tes vidéos!
J'ai toujours refusé de bosser à Paris mdr, c'est bien la dernière ville ou j'aurais envi de vivre ^^
Tu devrais tester le Sud les gens y sont aussi plus chaleureux ça te conviendrait mieux ;)
Syn Ka'an Son travail et mari sont à Paris :/, en fait, je devrais dire été car ils sont retourné en NZ
you're so right. everybody at home gets annoyed that you're not around, and i guess that's how you realize who's really your friend and who doesn't support you. also, people think its a constant adventure and that you live a stereotypical life. i live in south america and people assume i live like a hippie and don't work, and that I'm just on vacation because they've never been to where I live. I actually work full time, maintain a house and pets, and it's just a normal life but with fewer superficial things.
So relatable, you're wonderful :)
Here is some irony. I was brought up to hate New Zelanders (stupid Rugby culture). As a South African, I had never actually met a New Zealander, but I hated them. I landed in Vancouver as an immigrant and started to go through much of what you are going through now. In Vancouver I met a few New Zealanders and sort of befriended them as I found we had more in common with each other than we had with Canadians. It was these New Zealanders that made me see that living abroad could be a great experience. It was the New Zealanders that made me see the positive in life and today I think the world of them. It seems that New Zealanders have a more worldly culture - the famous "OE" culture. Thanks for the video and the positive view towards honest living abroad. I wish the best for your OE and just maybe your experience will turn to towards super cool.
I really like this video for its honesty 👍
I can so much relate to your experience ! I’m French and live in Germany.
So so true what you say. And its magic how you sqeeze the essence into 10 min video. Start loving you channel! And I'd kill for NOT living in Paris )))
oh god that's just TOO REAL
Hey Rosie, love this video. I can completely relate to this. I am an Irish living in France for years now. There are some things I like and some I don't like here.. and it's totally normal I guess. Sometimes I feel like a big alien to be honest (especially when I speak French and my accent obviously not French) but I'm dealing with that haha! Best of luck. :)
Yes definitely and then you have to explain your whole life story haha!
Kiwi living in Toulouse for past 10years, French hubby, French kids love France, love nz...totally can relate to a lot if what you said. Should we move back? Should we stay? Will always be the hardest decision ever.
Great video. I have lived in the US mainland which is different than home (especially when I used to live there). I think the point like you do not fit resonates with me the most. It has been over 30 years and I definitely feel like I do fit back home. I have changed but so has the local culture. Also I have adapted a more neutral accept in my native language so I do not sound like them and they point it out.
I think it would be awesome living in Paris. But city living is very different if you are not used to it. So that may be an additional adjustment especially if you come from a car culture like the US
Thank you for presenting a balanced view
Oh yeah, the comparison game. Never thought about it, but I really struggle with that 🙄