Jackson, from Vancouver to Paris

Hi, my name is Jackson. I’m from Vancouver, Canada and I’m 29 years old. I studied economics and French in university.

In early 2023 I moved to Paris for my working holiday. Having majored in French at school, I had always wanted to try living somewhere French-speaking (I grew up in English Canada). And since the majority of my professors had come from France, I decided to move there to learn more about the culture behind this language that I had been learning for almost 20 years.

Paris was my home base, but occasionally I took trips to other cities via Europe’s amazing train network or regional airlines. I was able to visit Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, and a bunch of places in France. I also love doing cultural activities in Paris, such as museums, châteaux, meetups, and festivals. A lot of the attractions are free (at least on the first Sunday of every month), which is amazing.

Two things come to mind. The first is my confidence in my French ability. Before my working holiday, French was just a classroom language for me. Even though I could read and write well, I didn’t feel confident having casual conversations with francophones. Things have changed significantly since my arrival in France and I am very proud of my growth. The second thing would be that the working holiday has given me another home. Whatever happens in the future, wherever I end up, I will be able to say that there is a place in Europe where I feel at home. And that to me is special.

The first French musical comedy that I watched in Paris, called Spamalot, was hilarious. I was proud of myself for understanding basically everything, and it also just made me laugh so much. The singing of the talented performers was also spectacular. It really was a memorable experience. Another great memory is having the opportunity to attend 4 Olympic and 2 Paralympic events, as a local resident during the Games. What a unique experience!

Don’t try to recreate or relive the experience of others that you see on social media. You can certainly draw inspiration from it, but make sure to reflect on what you want out of your adventure. When we try too hard to follow the footsteps of others, we risk being disappointed by where they take us. And don’t forget that people only show you what they choose to show you. Life abroad is a lot more than just pretty photos.

In Autumn 2024, I changed statuses from working holiday maker to student because I was accepted into a masters program in Paris. I’m excited to continue exploring France and Europe, all the while earning my degree over two years and writing for pvtistes.net part-time.

Early on in my stay, I was invited to a friend’s house for a raclette party (a cheese fondue type of dish). There was wine, of course, and when we started cheers-ing our glasses with one another, I noticed that all the guests were meticulously cheers-ing with every other guest individually and making intentional eye contact every time.

When they each stared me in the eyes too as they clinked my glass, I thought they were just pulling my leg, because where I’m from, we just do one casual group cheers towards the middle and no eye contact is needed with anyone. None of my friends laughed though, and so I quickly realized that this was not a prank. I learned that the French are just very serious about clinking glasses individually with everyone (and locking eye contact) before taking a sip.