Live from Montmartre! - Month One

Au Lapin Agile - the Montmartre district - 18th arrondissement, Paris

Hi! This is Robin Mitchell, writing from Paris! I’m so excited to be back on Cafedelasoul.com for part deux of my online journal. Some of you might remember me from two years ago, when I spent the summer here; well, now I’m back in Paris for at least nine months (hopefully much longer!) working on my dissertation (on representations of black women in 19th-century Parisian society) and will be sending you delicious ramblings from the most beautiful city on earth! I’m accelerating several entries to get us up to the present – the end of my third month. Then you’ll get it as it comes.

My plan is to let you see what it’s like to pick up and move across the country to a place you’ve always dreamed of living. It ain’t easy…in essence, I’m starting all over again, which is both exhilarating and terrifying. Everything takes more effort; it’s hard to find stuff that you knew was at Target (man, I miss Target!). I have learned a move such as this requires an entirely new outlook on life (it’s different than moving from one city in the US to another). Just like last time, I promise to tell you the good, the bad and the ugly. But my tools for survival are as follows and should be yours as well if you make such a move: 1) you’re gonna make mistakes; it’s unavoidable. So try to have a sense of humor about it. 2) Do something that scares you every day. 3) Find a way to make Paris yours…

For now, I’ll catch you up on my first month here (you’ll see several entries): I arrived at the end of September. I rented an apartment in my favorite part of the city: Montmartre. If you haven’t seen the film, Amelie, get thee hence to a video store. This is my neighborhood, and if you ask me, it’s the best place in Paris. It still operates like the little village it once was, nice if you’re alone in the city: people up here will recognize your face very quickly. I love that and really need to be recognized right now!

First thing that hit me when I arrived is: I’m really alone. All my support groups and loved ones are back in the United States. My landlords are lovely; they make my apartment feel warm and welcoming. And I’m really alone. Montmartre is an area I know, so I walked around and tried to see what I could remember. Feel completely overwhelmed, like I’m not sure how to behave or what to do. Try to start speaking French again (I am NOT fluent) and everyone is very kind, which makes me feel a bit better. And I’m really alone here.