At this point you are aware that I’m a big fan of lists. So of course when I was preparing to move from New York to Paris four years ago, the first order of business was to put together a comprehensive “to do” list. Everyone organizes their personal affairs differently; keep in mind that I transferred to Paris with my law firm, so I happily avoided many of the hassles you would have to face if you were moving 100% on your own. But I am posting this list for anyone moving to Paris, in the hope that it helps you get started! Two other friends were moving to Europe at the same time, so I made columns for them to keep track of their progress as well. (And one little disclaimer: please don’t think that I always color code my lists by the colors in the J.Crew catalogue. Moving is not fun; you need to add some humor to the process wherever you can!)
Here you go, my MOVING CHECKLIST. I’ve posted it in Word version so you can revise to suit your own needs.
Thanks for givng a good example of an actual “To Do List.” Personally, I love lists–of any kind. This is a good way to get organized. I would imagine that it’s hard to just ‘up and move’ to Paris without the guarantee of a steady income. I have read about people who have moved to France with very little money. But, I have yet to hear about a 100% success story for people who do this. I guess it’s best to have a job before moving; or, at least, win the lottery before you move.
I have a question: Did you visit France before moving there?
Hi Reynelle! I am glad to have found a fellow list-lover!! Certainly it helps to have a job before you arrive, and especially if you are not an EU citizen. But of course there are people who come here with nothing and somehow make it work!
I had been to Paris a few times as a tourist before I moved here. I lived in Madrid for a year and a half and so I was already familiar with a good bit of Europe. But I was particularly lucky to have the chance to come over with my current job on a 2-week temporary project before I came over more permanently. That gave me an idea of the work environment and my co-workers and showed me a bit of what Paris would be like as a real resident and not just a tourist. I would be hesitant to move anywhere for more than just a few months without having visited first. But at the same time, it could be an exciting experience to just up and move somewhere completely new!
Thanks for answering my questions. Some of them are a little silly. I might have an opportunity to take some foreign language courses in France, not necessarily Pari? Do you think this is a good thing? I would imagine that lots of people take these types of courses in France, maybe in Marseille or Anger or Aix?
Hi Reynelle,
Sorry, for some reason this comment just showed up now, though it looks like it’s from a couple of weeks ago. If you can take some French classes while you are here, of course that is a great idea. I would recommend going somewhere small – where you will have fewer opportunities to speak English. If you can find a way of fully immersing yourself, even for a short time, it will be much more effective. I took a 4-week intensive course at the Institut de Francais in Villefranche-sur-Mer and I would highly recommend it. Of course it’s a bit pricey….