After living in France for over 1.5 years, it was about time for me to open a bank account. I have been delaying this out of pure laziness. All the money I make goes into my US bank account and then I transfer it to my husband's French account here using xe.com. Transfers from the USA to France is free and I get better rates than with a bank. I used his ATM card to withdraw … [Read more...]
Archives for December 2011
Balancing Work and Motherhood in France
As you may have noticed, I have not been consistently writing since my daughter was born. In fact, I only wrote one in October and nothing in November. Finally, I am getting back on the wagon. I received 77 days of maternity leave from the French government. Since I am an auto-entrepreneur (similar to a sole proprietor in the USA), I am on the honor system that I don't work … [Read more...]
Switching to a French Spouse Visa – Part III
Switching to a French spouse visa from a student visa has been quite an ordeal! It is unbelievable that now, almost 6 months later, I have my spouse visa. (Read Part I and Part II) We talked to countless people at the Bordeaux and Caen prefectures and were continuously being misguided. We were given estimated dates that were weeks off. So here is what has happened since my … [Read more...]
Taking Parenting Advice from My American or Husband’s French Family
I wrote an article before giving birth about the French parental style. After giving birth to my daughter, I realize now that I must clarify something in my last post about French parental styles. The French do not judge other parents, but they certainly do judge their relatives. I do not believe in the cry-it-out method of parenting, which is popular in France. If my … [Read more...]
Flying with a Newborn From France to the USA
After months of anticipation, we finally did it! We flew with our 6 week old from Paris, France to Orlando, Florida USA. We went to the mairie of the city where she was born and applied for her French passport when she was only 2 weeks old. They do not photograph newborns there since it is extremely difficult, so we had to get it done by a local photographer. We were going … [Read more...]