Paris

The move is on its way, we are leaving for Paris in a few weeks. After the tornado of events of the last month (xmas, new year parties, having visitors from nyc and Chris’s parents, then getting married), my mind started wondering about the changes to come, and why i wanted these changes in the first place. As many of you already know, questioning everything is something i do on a regular basis, like a hobby.

I dont know exactly if this post is for you or for myself, to better understand the direction i am taking. So first of all, here is some background info on my path of the last few years.

1995: Moving to Montreal
2000: Moving to Hamburg, Germany
2004: Moving back to Montreal, broken, in all ways. I thought i would stay in Montreal for a year or 2, to get back on my feet, and then move back to Europe.
2006: Still living in Montreal, i met Chris in Paris. Chris moved with me to Montreal in the next few months.
2006-2009: Chris and i travel to many cities, trying to find where we could move next. I feel a strong need to move on, its been now 6 years back in Montreal! In March 2009, we decide it’s time to take a decision and stick to it.
2010: We get married, and prepare our move to Paris!

And here we go, with a list of the reasons why i decided that Paris would be the right place for us:

Fashion, fashion, fashion. Paris has style, and i am eager to live in a city where dressing up just for going out for a coffee is not considered exaggerated. I want to live in a city where people are free to dress in style at all times;

Freedom. I want to be able to jump in a train (and not a car) and reach in less than 4 hours many new cities and cultures;

Direct flight to Montreal. I want to be in a cosmopolitan city, with a direct flight to Montreal so to be just 7hrs away from my family/friends/clients. I’ve been flying a lot, and connecting flights are just killing me;

To leave Montreal after spending the last 6 years here. My relation to Montreal is like the one of an old couple who stayed together too long just because they felt comfortable together, without any love, attraction and excitement left. Couple therapy has been tried to bring the flame back, without success, so we will be keeping our home base here, and one in Paris – this way we shall get the best of both worlds. This is needed for my creative life.

Excitement. At first, our idea was to rent a house in south of France, with a garden, sun, and the sea not far. After dreaming of this for a couple of months, i woke up one morning and realized this idea sounded great, but did not feel exciting. I think we are just too young to dream of growing our own sheeps and greens;

Language. We also thought of moving to Barcelona, for warm weather, culture, and to be at the sea, but speaking the local language is a priority for me, having lived in a german city for 3 years without understanding the locals was a difficult experience. So moving to a french or english speaking city became a priority;

Art career. We are both artists, and i do not feel creatively fueled by north america. I have the strong feeling that my art will better be understood and valued in Europe. There are more businesses and people there, the market is much larger than the one in Quebec;

Newness. I feel the need to move on, see and try new things, expand my horizons, feel change in my life, meet new people. Being surrounded by newness makes me feel alive.

Of course it is challenging, and stressful at some times, as anything that moves you out of your comfort zones. But for us, the fear of growing old, inflexible, and afraid of changes is greater than the one of moving towards our dreams.