Oh hey, remember me? I’ve been MIA here on the blog for the past couple of months, but If you’ve been following me over on Instagram, you probably know that I moved to Paris! Life in France has kept me even busier than I imagined, and time has flown by, but I’m absolutely loving it here! My days have been filled with French lessons, playing with my cute host kids, and of course exploring France. Today marks 2 months since landing in Paris though, so I thought it was about time to share an update about life in France. 

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Now, you may be wondering why, after just becoming an NTP, Natural Chef, and launching my business, I would leave my life behind in California to become an Au Pair in France.

As far back as middle school I had a dream of becoming an Au Pair, and after my first trip to Europe in 2015, I was bit by the travel bug. I wanted to quit my retail job, travel, and live abroad for 2 years. However, I was right in the middle of figuring out my own health challenges and enrolling in the Nutritional Therapy Practitioner Program.

This desire to live abroad stuck in the back of my mind all through completing the NTA course and Natural Chef program. It was part of the reason I had the desire to create an online business. I wanted the freedom to travel and work from wherever, and whenever my heart desired, while still being able to share my love for nutrition and recipe development.

So immediately after receiving my certificate as a Natural Chef, and one year after becoming an NTP, I decided it was now or never. I sold most of my belongings, and bought a one-way plane ticket to Paris, where I will be living with the nicest French family and looking after their 3 cute kids for the next year.

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Living with a host family is truly unique, and an experience I feel so lucky to have. It allows me to be fully immersed in the French culture, and see how the french locals really live and eat daily. One of the highlights of my week is the trip to the outdoor market on Sunday mornings with my host Mom. The stalls are filled with the freshest, most beautiful locally grown produce! 
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It’s still feels so surreal that this is my life now. I’m an official resident of France! During the day I’m on Au Pair duty, then in the evenings and weekends I’m free to explore Paris, travel, study French cooking, and work on all things Vivra Wellness. I still have to pinch myself sometimes. But life as an expat isn’t always easy. It definitely takes some time to adjust to living in a new country, and I’ve had my moments where I just want to return home to my kitchen and create recipes all day. These thoughts are quickly replaced by thoughts of “when did my life become so cool?!” and “how can I live here forever.” So I’d say it all balances out nicely!
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So what can you expect to see here on Vivra Wellness?

I have big plans for Vivra Wellness over the next year of living in France. I’ll be sharing all about life as a Celiac living in the gluten capital of the world, and how I eat Paleo and mostly AIP. Travel guides and tips, and of course, recipes! Including classic French and European dishes made Paleo and AIP. 

If you want to follow along on my Paris adventure, be sure to follow Vivra Wellness over on Instagram!

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