WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:07.000 Here, and everywhere else. Here. I'm here with 00:00:07.000 --> 00:00:11.820 you, Paris. A bit sleepy today, and almost bailed 00:00:11.820 --> 00:00:14.339 out of writing the memoir after the 70s dance 00:00:14.339 --> 00:00:17.379 party at La Coupole last night. But no hangover. 00:00:17.699 --> 00:00:22.780 I drank cleanly. Champagne only. I've been in 00:00:22.780 --> 00:00:27.379 you for a week already. This time. I... had to 00:00:27.379 --> 00:00:30.460 fly to Edinburgh for work the other day. A last 00:00:30.460 --> 00:00:33.380 minute assignment as usual. But I flew straight 00:00:33.380 --> 00:00:39.520 back to you the next day. Here, my life in London 00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:45.039 is fading. This time anyway. I even made my cool 00:00:45.039 --> 00:00:47.259 daughter spend a few days of her half -term here 00:00:47.259 --> 00:00:49.859 recently, whilst her brother was exploring Hong 00:00:49.859 --> 00:00:52.140 Kong and China, and my boyfriend was staying with 00:00:52.140 --> 00:00:55.600 my much -loved flatmate in London, which she 00:00:55.600 --> 00:00:58.960 nonchalantly enjoyed. To breathe the Parisian 00:00:58.960 --> 00:01:01.600 air and the arts, to meet my beloved friends, 00:01:01.859 --> 00:01:04.480 to consume proper baguette and touristy French 00:01:04.480 --> 00:01:07.260 food, to experience going up and down the fifth 00:01:07.260 --> 00:01:09.599 floor without an elevator, and even to catch 00:01:09.599 --> 00:01:12.359 Flash Invaders' street arts on her phone so that 00:01:12.359 --> 00:01:15.840 her ibu (read: mummy), is not at the bottom of 00:01:15.840 --> 00:01:19.519 the score list in the game anymore. From Di Attic, 00:01:20.170 --> 00:01:22.950 my vintage corner in Wimbledon, is doing rather 00:01:22.950 --> 00:01:25.849 well in my absence and pays for its own rent 00:01:25.849 --> 00:01:28.189 with those hand-picked vintage clothing and 00:01:28.189 --> 00:01:31.290 accessories, mostly sourced from Paris. But it 00:01:31.290 --> 00:01:35.810 seems I spend less and less time in London. My 00:01:35.810 --> 00:01:39.310 life in London is fading, especially with my 00:01:39.310 --> 00:01:43.329 extensive travels, for work or otherwise, and 00:01:43.329 --> 00:01:48.189 yet, I don't know what I'm doing in Paris. Well, 00:01:48.329 --> 00:01:52.659 not really (you seem surprised), apart from hanging 00:01:52.659 --> 00:01:55.319 out and catching up with friends; spending quality 00:01:55.319 --> 00:01:58.060 time with my boyfriend and, sometimes, with his 00:01:58.060 --> 00:02:01.819 parents; sourcing vintage items From Di Attic, 00:02:02.019 --> 00:02:05.260 going to museums (I have annual double pass to 00:02:05.260 --> 00:02:08.539 Grand Palais and the Louvre now), galleries, cinemas, 00:02:08.620 --> 00:02:11.500 theatres, art events and parties; eating out 00:02:11.500 --> 00:02:13.819 or cooking and sometimes inviting others for 00:02:13.819 --> 00:02:17.080 a meal or an apero; walking to parks, cafes or 00:02:17.080 --> 00:02:20.379 to no destination in particular; and, apparently, 00:02:20.379 --> 00:02:23.659 writing for the blog and recording for the podcast 00:02:23.659 --> 00:02:29.599 too now. Wait -- doesn't that sound like I live 00:02:29.599 --> 00:02:37.120 here? Maybe. But what about work? Oh yes, I travel 00:02:37.120 --> 00:02:40.560 a lot for work anyway. And I have now started 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:43.740 flying to wherever work might be from Paris whenever 00:02:43.740 --> 00:02:47.139 I get a call and I feel like doing it. And the 00:02:47.139 --> 00:02:49.360 children live in two other different places anyway -- 00:02:49.979 --> 00:02:55.460 for school and otherwise, for now. Wait -- have 00:02:55.460 --> 00:03:01.759 I, unbeknownst to myself, made Paris my first 00:03:01.759 --> 00:03:07.020 home? Wait, what? Okay, I'm shocked. And I don't 00:03:07.020 --> 00:03:10.009 think I can write anymore right now. Also, I 00:03:10.009 --> 00:03:12.669 think I'm hungover suddenly -- must have been the 00:03:12.669 --> 00:03:20.009 odd sips of tap water. No? No takers? No one 00:03:20.009 --> 00:03:22.689 cares how many words I write. Or if I write at 00:03:22.689 --> 00:03:27.389 all. Apart from me. And me is very important. So 00:03:27.389 --> 00:03:31.110 let's continue on for a bit longer. So that I 00:03:31.110 --> 00:03:34.689 get a chance to wrap my head around the dangerously 00:03:34.689 --> 00:03:40.310 harmless fact that I, en effet, live in Paris while 00:03:40.310 --> 00:03:43.110 traveling to different places every so often, 00:03:43.310 --> 00:03:48.650 for work or otherwise. So that I find a space 00:03:48.650 --> 00:03:52.870 in my mind that is at peace, knowing that I'm 00:03:52.870 --> 00:03:55.870 not just running around and floating about aimlessly. 00:03:56.610 --> 00:03:59.870 Well, I'm still running around and floating about, 00:04:00.069 --> 00:04:05.430 but at least not aimlessly. This is how I live. 00:04:06.150 --> 00:04:10.840 And Paris is... Where I live. Unless living is 00:04:10.840 --> 00:04:13.039 dictated by where you make money and pay your 00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:16.240 rent and taxes, because I ain't paying VAT for 00:04:16.240 --> 00:04:18.579 my Louis Vuitton and Chanel purchases in France. 00:04:20.180 --> 00:04:25.519 Ah, what a revelation. And what a rollercoaster 00:04:25.519 --> 00:04:28.720 to get to this point of understanding. Wait, 00:04:28.899 --> 00:04:32.959 one more thing. What would happen to living in 00:04:32.959 --> 00:04:35.560 Paris if something happened to the relationship? 00:04:36.399 --> 00:04:39.839 Oh, don't worry. Trial period is over. Joking. 00:04:39.980 --> 00:04:43.680 Trial period is never over. You know what's over, 00:04:43.759 --> 00:04:47.620 though? My worrying about where home really is. 00:04:48.420 --> 00:04:51.519 Because it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter 00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:55.379 when you're living authentically, true to your 00:04:55.379 --> 00:05:03.120 own (chaotic or otherwise) self. Paris. Le 8 juin 00:05:03.120 --> 00:05:05.660 2025. Je t 'embrasse.