During her year in Paris, Lauren Clark has spent time as a political science student, an intern at a gourmet vegan restaurant, and even a researcher at the prestigious CEVIPOF at Sciences Po. As she gets ready to return to the States this month, this expat reflects upon memories at the Jardin du Luxembourg, the magical experience of finding and creating herself, and the challenges she faced abroad. Summing up her answer to “Why Paris?”, Lauren beautifully states, “When the heart knows, the heart knows. I am in Paris because it’s where I need to be right now. If I was meant to be anywhere else, I would be there. But here I am, in the City of Lights, feeling like the luckiest human being on the planet named Lauren Gayle Clark.”
What is your Paris story?
Three years ago I began a love affair with the French language. It all started in high school, where my passion for learning the language was cultivated. Following a summer excursion to France at the age of 16, I knew that I was meant to be here. I remember the exact moment when I stood along the Seine, my heart beating in perfect unison with the Parisiens around me. I was part of the flow, the rhythm, the magic of Paris. I knew I’d be back.
Fast forward three years later, and I find myself back in France, my soul’s home. I will soon be completing my second year of university and my first year abroad. I arrived in August 2016 and will return to the states in August 2017. My studies brought me here for an entire year, where I’ve been lucky enough to practice French among the French themselves, study political science during the French presidential campaigns, intern at the gourmet vegan restaurant Gentle Gourmet Café, and intern among world-renowned researchers at the CEVIPOF (centre de recherches politiques de Sciences Po).
Why Paris ? This is a question I wish I could answer, but when the heart knows, the heart knows. I am unable to explain my passionate interest for this city and for the French language. I know that it feels wonderful to speak French (it’s like every sentence is a song). Listening to French, walking around the city, meeting Parisians, exchange life stories and crossing paths… I am in Paris because it’s where I need to be right now. If I was meant to be anywhere else, I would be there. But here I am, in the City of Lights, feeling like the luckiest human being on the planet named Lauren Gayle Clark.
Tell us about this spot you chose.
I chose the Luxembourg gardens because it’s a place I would often go to with my host mom, Delphine, in the summer. We’d bring wine, snacks, and our books and lounge on the grass with the other Parisians who took advantage of the sunny day. It’s also a place where I met a very interesting Taoist man, where I used to go for a run every other morning, where I’d go for nature and solitude, where I’ve gone on a few dates. It’s a special place to me because from a certain point in the garden, you can see the Eiffel Tower, but you can also be so hidden inside the gardens that you forget that you’re in Paris for just a moment and find yourself in a serene sanctuary. It’s close to my host mom’s apartment, less than a two minute walk. I have fond memories in this garden. Not only is it a garden, but it is also where the Sénat is located. To me, this is special because I am interested in French politics and have been lucky enough to be a step away from on of the most important administrative institutions in France. I watched the leaves transform from green to gold to gone, from gone to gold to green… I feel like I am a part of this garden.
What is a typical day like for you here in France?
Currently, I live one hour away from Paris because I switched to a different university outside of Paris. I am in Paris every single day however. I’ll explain what a typical day is like for me now, and then I’ll explain what a typical day was like for me a few months ago when I lived in the heart of Paris.
I wake up at 7am every morning, drink my coffee made in a “cafetière italienne”, listen to France Inter direct or a France Culture podcast, prepare myself for the day (pep talk in mirror as follows : “you are strong, you are courageous, you are abundant, you are loving”, and leave my flat at 8am to take the RER A into Paris. Every time I ascend the stairs out of the métro and walk onto Boulevard Saint Germain des Près, I have a giant, goofy smile on my face because I’m so happy to be where I am.
I cross the street and swipe my provisoire Sciences Po card at the entrance of the CEVIPOF and continue my day at a desk. I’m in a building surrounded by magnificently kind and intelligent people, students, researchers, doctorants, staff… And I am grateful to be a part of this community where I am able to offer something. I am currently interning here and I treat the vote intentions for French presidentiel elections from ’65 up to today. The idea is that I’m finding information from opinion polls and working with documents and doing an analyse so we are able to make a visual graphic of the evolution of these votes. It’s very interesting, especially with the studies I am currently doing. My work day ends at 5pm, and I’ll either go to the Sciences Po library on rue St. Guillaume to work on my blog politiplan.wordpress.com for an independant study on the elections, the political parties, and the administrative institutions in France… Or, I grab a drink with my Parisian friends, go to see a live band in a little café, perhaps eat dinner with Delphine who used to be my host mom, or even intentionally lose myself in the city for a few hours before I have to take the train back home. It’s like this every day except for Wednesday (I have classes) and Thursday (I have a class in the afternoon but I still come to work in the morning). It’s an exhausting but extremely fulfilling schedule. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
A few months ago I was living in Paris with a French family and going to Boston University in the 15th arrondissement. I’d wake up around 7 or 8 and either catch the métro or the bus to the university. I had at most two classes a day and finished in the afternoon, which left me much time to explore the city. We had many pedagogical excursions, which were always exciting an interesting. The parfume museum (Fragonard), the chocolate museum, la Comédie Française, la Tour Eiffel, la Seine, le musée Quai Branly, etc… Every single day was different. The frist two months at Boston University were spent doing my studies, and the last two months of the program were spent interning for Gentle Gourmet Café. I am vegan and I will be publishing a recipe book with over 80 recipes and positive affirmations accompanying each recipe; so this expercience was very formative for me. These first few months felt more like a dream and a vacation than it does now.
I know it might sound weird, but I LOVE working in Paris. Especially where I am currently working. Being in Paris every day, taking the métro and public tranports, recognizing the locals and spying on the tourists… It has all been an incredible experience.
I prefer to be in Paris living my everyday life. Why ? Because it feels more real. It’s tangible. The fruits of my labor and my experiences are intertwining with this city, making it almost impossible for me to separate myself from Paris. I am beginning to recognize myself in those around me. To me, everyday life in Paris is much better than coming here as a tourist because I feel that I have a stronger appreciation for the monuments, the stolen glances, the public transportation, the parks, and especially, the silence (when I can find some !!).
What do you like most about living abroad?
What I like most about living abroad and being so far away from my family and my friends, at this relatively young age (19), is that I am gaining a priceless experience to create myself and my future exactly where I want to be. I am becoming more of myself every single day and I’ve been offered endless opportunities since I’ve come to Paris. I don’t think I have ever lived so much… I love living abroad because as I discover each new city, each new park, café, or person, I am actually finding more of myself. It’s a magical experience.
What challenges do you face as an expat?
The two biggest problems since moving here : money and French bureaucracy. I believe if you ask any student, they will tell you that money is a challenge for them. It’s particularily the case in Paris, one of the most expensive cities in the world. I had to eat potatoes and pasta for a good amount of time, but I was lucky enough to be payed for some of the work I did at my first internship, and to find babysitting jobs and translation opportunities. It’s all about using your resources and getting creative.
I believe it’s important to really limit your expenses. You will be tempted to buy many things, clothing, souvenirs, delicious French food… but what saved me money was being able to say no to buying things I really didn’t need (minus the occasional treat). I make a grocery list when I go shopping – this way I stick to what I know I need and I don’t splurge. When you go out for drinks, try and go during Happy Hour! That’s a good way to save money when going out for drinks. (Check out the bar : L’Attirail for affordable drinks). Or better yet, grab some beer or some wine at a Franprix and chill on the Seine with your friends. It’s legal to publicly drink in France. (I’m going to miss France when I go back to the States…) If you’re a student and have a student card, you can get into many museums for free. Always have your student card on you, because you never know when you might be lucky enough to get a student discount. As far as saving more money goes… I suggest to buy a cheap phone plan. I use the service Free and pay about 20 euros a month for a plan that serves me very well. I can make unlimited calls, and calls to the US, which is important to me. The service has a large data plan and I’ve never surpassed it, which is pretty impressive as I use my phone so much! If you’re staying in France for a year and you’re a student, I suggest buying the year long metro pass. I didn’t do that and I pay around 76 euros a month for my Carte Navigo. For an entire year, that rounds up to be about 900 euros. For a year long student pass, that price is reduced to 350 euros. I wish I had found out about this price before… I’m a little too late into the year to buy that pass now with only a few months left in France. Apparently a year long pass for the Vélib is only around 30 euros. If you’re not intimidated by the idea of riding your bike in this crazy metropolitan city, that’s the best option for saving money on transport!
There is really no way around French bureaucracy. I’m sorry. The best advice i have for anyone that has to go through many different procedures in order to get something done through a public service is that you make sure you have ten copies of your documents and that you are over-prepared. My experiences may differ from the ones you’ve had and I certainly wish that you never have to go through the hassle that I had to. When I first came to Paris, I had a visa that was only valid for about 5 months. I’m staying for an entire year. The meeting I had at the Préfecture was scheduled after the expiration date of my visa (I panicked, but there was no problem as I had my covocation letter to prove I was legally residing in France). I had moved about an hour north of Paris by the time my appointment rolled around. I came to the Paris préfecture, but was declined because I no longer lived inside of Paris. So, I went to my local préf, waited in line for almost two hours, only to be told that they had accepted the maximum amount of visa renewals for the day and that I needed to come back the next morning at 5am. I came back the next morning at 5:30, waited in line until the doors opened at 9:30, and left around 3pm only to be told that I had 3 documents missing from my dossier and that I needed to prove that I had x,xxx in my bank account. Remember problem #1 ? Luckily I was able to work around this problem with my university and I figured it all out… but French bureaucracy is not a joke and if you’ve managed to succeed in that domaine, you know you’ve really achieved something.
If there is only one thing I’ve learned in France, it’s patience.
How do you meet people in Paris?
I’m extremely talkative. I will strike up conversations with the people sitting next to me in a café or at a park, even on the train. Just by being open and courageous and genuine, I’ve been able to meet some really incredible people. I am part of a few groups on facebook like American Expats in Paris, or Social Girls in Paris, and groups like that have helped me create friendships and see new faces. Don’t be afraid to say hello to a random person ! Join groups on Facebook or try and get involved with local activities. I am really busy right now, so I have not been able to go out as often as I wanted… but many of my current friends I’ve met because of their friends, and their friends’ friends.
What advice would you give to others wanting to move abroad?
If you want to move abroad, I would say that you should listen to your heart. But also, be prepared to work a little bit to smooth your landing abroad. Go out and meet people, don’t be shy. Learn the language (extremely important to understand the language of the country you’re moving to – not only for meeting people or expressing your needs, but also for safety reasons !). Make sure to have a safety net ; people who are their for moral support, backup money, resources. Planning things ahead is important. Make sure to have important documents and copies of them. Don’t be afraid to try everything and anything (with reason) !
How can people continue following your story?
You can follow the progress of my recipe book and my typical diet in France on instagram : @veganwithlove
You can follow my personal instagram where I post photos of Paris and things I find interesting : @joiedelauren
If you are interested in French politics and speak French, I invite you to check out my blog : politiplan.wordpress.com
