After many delays due to paperwork, I finally had my visa in hand and was finally embarking on a very exciting adventure - a two year work assignment in Paris, the most romantic city in the world. The logistics of the move have been brutal but no doubt worth it.
On Thursday, October 10th I packed up my stuff and after living back at my parents house for a month and a half, I was on my way. My Dad had a meeting so my Mom drove me to Newark International Airport for the drop off - me and some really big bags. I tried to remain cool but both of us broke into tears while saying our good byes on the sidewalk. Me and my mom are two peas in a pod, we talk on the phone mutliple times a day (typically about nothing) so it was a bittersweet farewell.
After getting my monster bags checked in (to note: I had to plan on bringing enough to get me by for up to 60 days, pending how long I would be living in temporary housing), I got on the plane and slept the evening flight away. I landed in Paris on Friday and was quite pleased with how smooothly things were going - no questions about my visa at customs, got my bags and a cart in a jiffy and there was no line at the taxi stand. My Dad had been wise to go the bank and get my Euros in advance so I was all set when I touched foot on French ground.
People might tell you when you are moving abroad that the agencies are going to take care of everything and make the move a breeze. Please don't believe them - HR, the agencies - they aren't always keeping an eye out for you so you need to be your own advocate. That takes me to temp housing location #1....Citadines on Rue de Grenelle in the 15th. AKA Le Dump!! The temp housing agency had the worst options, not sure they had ever been to Paris, and we were so tight on time, this was basically it. I had a bad feeling all along but went with it (mistake!).
At check in, the manager advised me that my room would actually not be ready until tomorrow night but lucky for me, they were going to upgrade me for one night (ooh la la) and I should be so excited about that. Hmph. I did not care about an upgrade, all I wanted to do was get settled and stop moving. I was cranky and off I went to my "upgrade." When I walked into the room I did not know quite what to say. If this was the nice room, what was my regular room going to look like? I was coming off of a cold and an overnight flight - so I did what seemed most logical. I broke down crying. Not because I regrettted moving, but because I was about to live in a dorm/motel for up to 60-days and there was no way I would be comfortable there. I wrote some emails to multiple people explaining how unhappy I was. Nice for everyone else, they were about to start their weekends, it was Friday. Happy f-ing Friday:)
There I was - tons of bags, crappy lodging and no cell phone. So I did what was, in my mind, the most logical second thing to do - go drink a lot of red wine, eat some cheese and a baguette. If I had to sleep there, I was defintiely going to bed tipsy. 60-days there could be a problem.
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