Be the Sword of Gryffindor

When Harry Potter is in the Chamber of Secrets, battling the deadly basilisk, a weapon magically appears before him, the Sword of Gryffindor, which he uses to kill the beast, impaling the creature’s head. Now, the sword’s ability to present itself when someone needs it is already a pretty cool party trick, but what really […]

Managing transitions: taking a leaf out of nature’s book

This summer, one of my dearest friends (let’s call her Jennifer) fulfilled her dream of moving from Paris to Annecy, where she can ski to her heart’s content for almost half the year. Ex-pats get used to having friends come and go – it is part of the job description. I have many overseas friends […]

To find your groove in Paris, get networking!

Are you in a rut? Do you feel slightly stuck, or maybe a bit lost? Perhaps you’re actually doing fine, but you have that feeling that you could be doing better. Maybe there projects you want to start, but you’re finding it hard to gain momentum, or you just don’t know where to begin. Whatever […]

Every time we say goodbye

Saying goodbye to friends is never easy, but the end of an era can be the perfect reminder to live in the moment. Living abroad is an immensely rewarding experience: the constant sense of adventure; opportunities for language learning; a greater respect and tolerance for difference. However, as an ex-pat, one inevitably makes a lot […]