So what’s life like for a foodie in Paris? Just check out Bella’s adorably named blog, bellasbelly.org, or her Instagram, which is full of delicious French finds and homemade recipes. She’s an advocate for fresh organic produce and loves how food brings people together to celebrate different origins.
Get a taste of more of Bella’s life as we explore one of Paris’ most beautiful parks, Jardin du Luxembourg.
What’s your Paris story?
My love of France stems from my mother. Our cousins are French and my mom lived in France after college teaching English. I grew up sharing her love for the language, culture, and food. Although the most distinct memory I have of Paris as a child is my mom getting pick-pocketed at the Notre Dame, Paris still had a strong appeal to me. I was drawn to the sophistication and grace of the culture. To me, France represented elegance and refinement, traits that as a little girl I tried to emulate. While this is a highly idealized picture of France—it is not all wine, cheese, and romance— I still hold on to those fantasies as an adult.
Coming from a family of ardent travelers, I was exposed to many different cultures when I was young. At ten years old I did not appreciate our month-long escapades; I actually cried when I had to miss a month of school to go to Thailand. However, these trips shaped my view of the world and gave me an innate love of exploring. Once I was mature enough to value traveling, I wanted to live in a foreign country. During university I had the opportunity to study abroad in Paris for four months. Regrettably, I lived in an English-speaking bubble and my French did not improve, much to my mother’s dismay. I took classes with Americans, lived with Americans, and traveled with Americans. My priority was hitting all the touristy places in Europe with my American friends—not meeting French people or getting assimilated into the culture. I also realized that four months is nothing. I needed to go back for a longer period of time. I was not ready to make the leap after graduation and decided work in San Francisco at a financial health care consulting firm. After a year, living abroad was still on the back of my mind. So here I am, living in the heart of Paris in the Latin Quarter, the same area Hemingway lived in! I have an adorable little studio around the corner from the Notre Dame, Jardin du Luxembourg, Place de la Contrescarpe, and the Midnight in Paris stairs.
I came to Paris as an au pair. I found an ideal position where I only watch the children for 2-3 hours in the evening and I live separately from the family. The first month, I spent my days in cafés doing freelance work, re-writing my personal statement for grad school, and generally being a flâner (the French word for someone who wanders with no direction). I needed something more established and stable. I like to stay busy and stimulated, so I frantically applied to jobs. I was offered an internship at my dream company, La Guinguette d’Angèle, a healthy gluten-free consulting and restaurant business. Angèle shares my enthusiasm for creating beautiful nutritious dishes and spreading health knowledge. The kitchen is full of chickpea lavender meringues, sweet potato brownies, and kale chips— a.k.a my heaven. I could not imagine a better working environment; it’s fifteen French women all in their mid-20’s and all interested in healthy living. We listen to music and snack on delicious treats all day. It’s provided me the structure and community I needed, while also giving me work experience in the emerging Parisian health food world. After four months, I am finally getting settled and making a life in Paris.
Tell us about this spot you chose.
The Jardin du Luxembourg has become my favorite place in Paris. In 1612 Queen Marie de Medici purchased the land and organized the construction of the garden, inspired by the Boboli Gardens in Florence. Now, I run here a few times a week and walk through the park on my way to my internship. Casual. I enjoy watching kids play with toy-sailboats in the pond and people playing pétanque or jeu de boules (a game played with small steel and wooden balls). Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book so I often daydream that I am back in 19th century England strolling through Mr. Darcy’s garden. There is also a free photography exhibition on the outside gate of the garden. It is common to see tourists and even locals stopping to examine the pictures. Even after four months, I am still in awe that a park of this grandeur and beauty exists just a few blocks from my apartment.
What is a typical day like for you here in France?
If I’m feeling ambitious I’ll start my day with a run through the Jardin du Luxembourg or Jardin des Plantes then buy a croissant at my favorite bio boulangerie. Typically though, I sleep as long as possible, and then quickly get ready. I walk about 30 minutes or take Vélib (the public bike share system) to La Guinguette d’Angèle. I arrive by 9:00 am to photograph the dish for the menu that is posted online daily. I never know what to expect when I walk in the door—some days I stay in the office, while others I accompany Angèle to a photo shoot, a TV show filming, or a special event. On my first day, I helped Angèle with an ELLE photo shoot. I do everything from social media, correspondence, photo shoots, recipe development, and idea innovation. Some days I’m in the kitchen preparing vegan cashew ice cream and apple cinnamon cake to test recipes for Angèle’s new cookbook. Angèle also recently opened up her new restaurant so there is always plenty to do. Around one o’clock the day stops for an hour to enjoy lunch together. We gather around the table and eat family-style, sampling leftovers from the day. I follow as much as I can as they begin to share stories and joke in rapid French. With the help of body language and hand gestures, I fumble my way through the conversation. Still, I treasure lunchtime because it improves my French and the food is delicious.
I leave at 4:00 pm to pick-up the youngest child, a 9-year old boy, from school. At the entrance of the school, I join the dozens of nannies holding the afternoon goûter (pain au chocolat or nutella panini), waiting for their children to come out. We usually spend an hour at the Jardin du Luxembourg park before walking to their apartment, about 20 minutes away. At home, I practice English or play chess with both children until at least one parent arrives home, around 6:30 or 7 pm. In the evenings, I might meet friends for a glass of Bordeaux or go home to experiment with new recipes.
What do you like most about living abroad?
I appreciate that living in a new country is a constant learning process. Learning how to navigate a country’s public transportation, health care, and education system is the easy part. Learning to truly speak the language and become integrated into the culture is a whole other story—I still have yet to make a joke using verlan. Everyday there are opportunities to learn. I quickly learned you do not wear workout clothes in public or take a to-go box from a restaurant. You wear lots of scarves and always finish your food because the portions are small. I never feel like my time is wasted because even sitting on the subway or watching a children’s cartoon is an opportunity to learn a new phrase or word.
And of course, I cannot deny that I love being immersed in a new cuisine, especially in France. I see food as an avenue to learn about a culture. I appreciate the value placed on food in France. At La Guinguette d’Angele we take a daily hour plus long lunch break and it is normal to sit at a café for hours sipping on wine. The French take the time to stop and cherish their food. The traditional French dinner consists of apertifs, entrée, plat principal, fromage, dessert, and the digestif. Meals are a sacred time. I was made for this bon vivant and gourmand lifestyle!
What challenges do you face as an expat?
The language and culture barriers can be isolating and frustrating. Even simple tasks like picking up a package at the post office or opening a French bank account can be daunting. You cannot defend or argue for yourself, which is infuriating when you know you are right. For me, my second month was the hardest as the excitement of living in a new city wore off and it was replaced with uncertainty. It was filled with bureaucratic hiccups: getting turned down at the CPAM (social security for health insurance); and going through the grueling OFII process (for immigration). This, combined with small daily hurdles—once I paid 6 euros for vanilla lait thinking it was a vanilla latte and another time I got locked inside the metro station—meant that I was constantly on guard and exhausted.
It is also been a humbling experience because I’ve discovered that language is often how we judge someone’s intelligence. It was difficult coming from a respectable university and corporate job in the US, to having co-workers, strangers on the street, and even the child I take care of (who is nine) think of me as incompetent because of my accent and broken French. It is also challenging to show your personality in another language. I cannot chime in with a story or comment, let alone be personable or witty. French people are more accepting than I expected, but you need to be open-minded and put in the effort to integrate yourself.
How do you meet people in Paris?
There are countless resources— you just need to take advantage of them. I was lucky enough to have friends and family living in Paris to introduce me to people, but you still need to put yourself out there. My natural inclination is to get involved and to not miss out (#fomo), so I joined meet-ups, blogging Facebook groups, expat communities, French classes, and Franglish. Go get coffee with a friend of a friend. You never know where an encounter will lead you. For instance, I looked for ways to get involved in the food community. I met a photographer in Paris on a blogging Facebook group and participated in her food documentary. She wanted to connect with people over a home-cooked meal, since Parisians are known to have a rough exterior, making it hard to really get to know someone. I had her over for peanut lentil coconut curry and in exchange she took photos of me cooking. She then connected me to Learn Eat Paris that offers combined French language and cooking classes. The founder of Learn Eat Paris, introduced me to VizEat, a startup that links local chefs with the community. I attended a VizEat host party where I met the team and now I am working as a host ambassador. Thus, it is important to have the confidence to network and interact with strangers. Find groups who share your interests and reach out.
What advice would you give to others wanting to move abroad?
Do not over-pack, like I did. I brought two huge suitcases then quickly realized Californian clothes would not cut it in Paris. Bring the bare minimum and buy everything else once you arrive. You will want to blend in and not look like a foreigner! Trust me.
And, do not be afraid to make the leap. It is ok to leave your corporate job or put off grad school for a year. Or better yet, get a job or go to grad school abroad! These experiences are as important as getting promoted at your company or getting into a prestigious school. Also do not worry about the uncertainty you feel when you first arrive. It will pass. When people ask what I’m doing in Paris, I often go on a long tangent to explain myself and to justify why I am here. However, I’ve realized that this is a crucial and defining experience in my life. I may never have this opportunity again, so I am embracing the French motto of slowing down to enjoy myself. Maybe I will go to grad school in the fall or maybe I will stay in France for another year, but right now I am appreciating my croissant and chocolat chaud below my apartment. C’est la vie!
How can people continue following your story?
I have a healthy food blog, called Bella’s Belly, that combines my passion for eating, exploring, and cooking.
bellasbelly.org
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