From Brezel to Baguette – A New Adventure

A foreigners tale of moving to France

As I stepped off the plane in Paris for the very first time, visions of chic cafes, elegant boulevards, and the expectation of French people to hold effortless conversations in flawless French danced in my head.

Armed with nothing but my poor school-taught French, I was ready to throw myself into the romantic charm of the French capital. I had watched every episode of « Emily in Paris » religiously, convinced that I was fully aware and prepared for the adventure that awaited me.

In my imagination I was conquering the city with a baguette in hand and confidence in my steps, effortlessly blending in with the locals. Little did I know, reality had other plans for me.

Lost in Paris

As I navigated my way through the bustling airport, my excitement quickly turned to panic as I realised I had no idea where I was going. Sweaty and flustered, I stumbled through the terminal, desperately searching for signs in both French and English (thank goodness for bilingualism).

Finally, I arrived at the meeting point where my Frenchman was patiently waiting for me. Instead of the cool, collected image I had envisioned, I was a disheveled mess, my clothes rumpled and my hair in disarray.

… My partner greeted me, no efforts of trying to hide the amusement on his face.

As we found our way outside of the airport, my partner quickly realised that my knowledge of Parisian etiquette was sorely lacking. With a bemused smile, he gently pointed out that in Paris, we stand on the right side of the escalator to allow others to pass on the left. As I sheepishly shifted to the correct side, I couldn’t help but feel like a clueless tourist in my own romantic comedy.

But the real test came as soon as we entered the metro station – as I fumbled with the ticket machine, trying in vain to insert my ticket the wrong way, my favourite French once again couldn’t behold his amusement. With a practiced hand, he effortlessly breezed through the barrier, leaving me behind in a cloud of embarrassment – to my defence, these do not exist in Germany at all.

Yet, despite my initial struggles, I couldn’t help but feel lucky to have him by my side. With his patient guidance, he showed me the correct way of inserting the ticket to gracefully pass the barrier. As he carried my suitcase and led the way through the busy streets of Paris, I gazed in awe at the city around me, grateful for his expertise as he explained the surroundings to me and eager to explore this new adventure together.

With each step, he pointed out landmarks and shared anecdotes about the city’s rich history, painting a vivid picture of Parisian life. And as we finally arrived at our hotel in the heart of the city, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation for the adventures that lay ahead. With my partner by my side, I knew that even the most daunting challenges would be met with laughter and love, making this journey one I would never forget.

And thus began my adventure in France, where I quickly learned that real life in Paris is far from the glossy perfection of a TV show. But hey, at least we have hilarious anecdotes of a German potato trying to navigate her way through French daily life to keep us laughing for years to come.