The one change that worked: I volunteered in a Paris bar – and found a whole new life in France

At first, I didn’t know my mouchoir from my torchon, but shifts at Le Bar Commun improved my French, opening up a world of opportunitiesI don’t know why I thought I would be like Grace Jones. The singer and model (neither of which I am) reportedly became fluent in French within three months of moving to Paris. For some hubristic reason, I assumed I’d do the same.But in 2018, two years after arriving in Paris, I was coasting. I could get by, but I was essentially living the life of a digital nomad, speaking English with my partner at home, working remotely for a US company and socialising largely with other English-speaking migrants – something I swore I’d never do. Continue reading...

Mar 24, 2025 - 11:47
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The one change that worked: I volunteered in a Paris bar – and found a whole new life in France

At first, I didn’t know my mouchoir from my torchon, but shifts at Le Bar Commun improved my French, opening up a world of opportunities

I don’t know why I thought I would be like Grace Jones. The singer and model (neither of which I am) reportedly became fluent in French within three months of moving to Paris. For some hubristic reason, I assumed I’d do the same.

But in 2018, two years after arriving in Paris, I was coasting. I could get by, but I was essentially living the life of a digital nomad, speaking English with my partner at home, working remotely for a US company and socialising largely with other English-speaking migrants – something I swore I’d never do. Continue reading...