moved
When I moved to Paris from the US in the winter of 2024, I rather foolishly believed the transition would be easier.After all, despite needing a visa to live here as a non-EU citizen and the main spoken language being French, Paris itself is not that different from my hometown…
A day in the life of a 20-something-year-old in New York City doesn’t always look the way it does in the movies — living alone in a perfectly decorated apartment, meeting friends for dinner after a long day, and never stressing about money.For me, it looks like helping my 6-year-old…
We’ve been living with my parents in a multigenerational home in Australia since March, when they came home from traveling, and it’s been a rollercoaster with plenty of ups and downs. But it’s one I wouldn’t trade. My sassy 3-year-old is the youngest member of our household; the oldest is…
Five months after packing two giant suitcases and boarding a one-way flight from Wisconsin to Los Angeles, my boyfriend told me he was leaving the city I had relocated to for him.In just a moment, I realized I was alone in one of America’s biggest cities, wondering if I had…
I spent years building a steady public-relations career in New York City, but ended up burned out and craving more.Driven by my longtime desire to transition into the journalism industry and live abroad, I applied to master’s programs in Europe. I chose one in Lisbon — a city I’d never…
This September marks 10 years since my father died, and I left not only Florida, but the United States. Leaving the country was difficult, but now I’m working through a new type of grief: losing my connection with the US.My relationships with my friends, family, and hometown have changed —…
A few years ago, I achieved the American dream. You know the one: I purchased a home. My dream home.For years, like so many, I pinned hundreds of images on Pinterest of what I wanted in a house, from a spacious kitchen to a big soaker tub. The house I…
Years before moving to France, I went to Paris for the first time with my wife, who had always dreamed of visiting the City of Light. Back then, I bought into some of the stereotypes about the French, but I was pleasantly surprised by my encounters with locals.About eight months…
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sandra Bonola, 56, who moved from Connecticut to Charleston, South Carolina, in 2021, then to Beaufort, South Carolina, in 2023, before deciding the South wasn’t right for her. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.I am a native New…
Growing up, I always told my parents I was never getting married or having kids. It was a blow to them, because I’m an only child and they were really looking forward to being grandparents.Fast forward many decades, and I met my now-husband, who changed my mind. I saw him…
