I’ve lived in paris for 5/6 years, I was fluent when I arrived (years of international school) and my mom had already been living here for several years. Still, it was a big culture shock and adjustment and absolutely levelled up my French to the point where now French people usually assume I am from here.

The problem is even with all that, I just don’t feel at home. Some cultural differences feel insurmountable, the blasé and critical attitude is difficult for me, I’ve always been very high energy and jokey and have a hard time finding people in everyday life who match that energy. Whenever I go back to the states I feel so fulfilled and like myself and it really makes me question why I’m here. I have a very cool job in the non-profit sector, so not super well-paid, and a very stable loving relationship, my apartment, my mom… there’s still something where I feel like I’ll never fully be accepted here. I feel like my American-ness immediately puts me down in peoples’ eyes, I feel like I will never write perfectly or totally grasp codes and it will always take me a slight extra effort to understand things that are easy for people here. I don’t get cultural references and I don’t know the clichés of every tiny town and region.

I’m from New York so I liked living here because I felt that Paris was such a better cost of living/quality of life ratio, and I love the work-life balance and accessibility of culture. However, what use are my 5 weeks of vacation if I spend half of them going back home? And probably, I always will, because my missing home will never go away, my friends and family there will keep getting married or getting sick or just being there ?

And France’s descent into xenophobic fascism is not helping. I know all the issues in the US, but it’s different, I am from there and always will be, whereas I am actively choosing to live in France and contribute to its economy.

Just feeling like the jig is up and I did what I had to do, and now I can leave. This is just venting, don’t know if anyone here can relate, if this is a bump in the road or a red alert.

  • Tardislass@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    Can you take a leave of absence and spend a few months in the US? Just to see if you can find a job and get settled.

    People in Europe really downplay the whole xenophobia thing but honestly, I still think the US handles immigrants and assimilation miles better than Europe. I’ve actually been shocked at the casual racism in NL and Germany towards anyone black or darker skin. While we have our idiots in the US, it’s far less tolerated.

    Honestly, if you want to move back, I would. France is a very very hard place to live for expats. And who says you can’t move back to Europe again in the future. Perhaps sometime in the US in what you needed.

    Unfortunately, nowadays Europe is not the liberal bastion of old. Housing issues, immigration and cost of living have all increased to bring about scapegoating and far-right leaders talking of easy solutions.