its all becoming real
May 19th, 2009Guess what I’ve got in my hot little hands right now… my very own French ‘long séjour’ visa! Which allows me to stay and work in France for a year from September. I sent my application away less than a week ago and here it is - so I am one happy chappy.
This time in four weeks, I will be packing up my life to spend at least 15 months away from home (like I did in 2007 before moving to the UK for a year working holiday). It will be my third Christmas away from home. That is a bit strange. But I will get to discover more of France and the French boy’s country (now that he is here in mine!) by living there and of course we will spend the summer in LA on the way.
I think this calls for a celebratory vino! C’est trop cool!
Categories: europe travels · france
Andrea said
May 19, 2009 at 7:11 pm
Are you going to be living in Paris? If so, we’ll have to meet up for un verre
parlezvouskiwi said
May 19, 2009 at 10:20 pm
Hey Andrea,
Looks like I miiiight be going to Toulouse but if I end up in Paris, I will surely let you know and would love to meet up over a vin!
Isabella said
May 19, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Congrats!
By the way, I’ve awarded you a Great Expat Blog
Come check my blog at this blog entry to get your award:
http://atouchofdutch.blogspot.com/2009/05/awe-sum-and-more.html
Have a great week!
Katie said
May 20, 2009 at 5:12 am
Ohh you’re so lucky! I hope that I’ll get mine soon. I’m also very jealous of your upcoming summer holiday! Life is treating you very well!
Di said
May 20, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Congratulations! Getting paperwork through in Europe always seems like a small miracle to me.
Kim said
May 21, 2009 at 1:41 am
WOW that was really quick! You didn’t have to go to the Embassy? When I got mine I had to visit one of 4 Drs in the country to get a Med Cert. Was living in Dunedin at the time but the Dr there decided he wasn’t going to do them for a while so I had to drive to Chch to get one, then drop all my paperwork off at the Embassy in Wellington to apply in person. Nightmarish! Luckily I had people to stay with in Wellington as I had to return the next day with more paperwork!
Make sure you get up all the courage you have for the days/months spent at the prefecture when you arrive in France!!
Enjoy the summer relaxing in LA.
Crystal said
May 21, 2009 at 7:15 am
hey this is a test comment because everytime I try to comment on your blog, I get an error message…
ok here goes..hope it posts!
Monique said
May 21, 2009 at 8:28 am
Congrats and good luck!! Let me know if you need any help/advice navigating through SoCal this summer
I’m so excited for you!!
parlezvouskiwi said
May 21, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Isabella - Awwww, why thank you for the award! You are just lovely.
Katie - I sure am one lucky lady at the mo. A lady of leisure! Hopefully the boredom doesnt kick in too much
Di - It was scarily easy and non problematic! Bizarre.
Kim - Wow, you’re joking? I didnt even have to go to Wellington for it, I sent the application a week ago and it came back approved. But like you say, I probably wont be quite so lucky when I actually GET to France and have to deal with the joys of bureaucracy and endless paperwork
Crystal - Oh no, thats strange. Are you able to tell me the error message you are getting? I’ll try figure out what’s going on. Thanks heaps.
Monique - Any advice is most welcomed, thanks so much!
Nancy ~ Fete et Fleur said
May 21, 2009 at 5:19 pm
What marvelous adventures you’ve been on. And how exciting that you will be living in France soon! I’ve had fun reading all your posts. Welcome to blogland!
Nancy
Cathy said
May 22, 2009 at 12:40 am
right now we’re separated by a huge ocean, later we’re gonna be separated by just a few states, and even later on we’ll merely be separated by a few cows and blocks of cheese in FRANCE! yay!
corine said
May 22, 2009 at 3:03 am
Hurrayyyyy we’ve got a connection! I can read you now, at least this page.
Congratulations on your long séjour. I’ll be in Paris some time early august and I can barely wait.
mary beth said
May 22, 2009 at 10:54 pm
that’s huge! have a blast…and eat lots of pretty french pastries. yum!