I moved to France 8 years ago. The first few months were filled with challenges and surprises - especially at work.

"In 2017, I quit my job as a paralegal, packed up my life in England, and bought a one-way ticket to Paris. The new chapter was full of surprises, and though most of them were positive, I was in for some unexpected challenges in those early months - from navigating the notoriously tricky French bureaucracies (and supremely unhelpful bureaucrats operating them), to the weird and wonderful world of the Parisian soirée."

"In French, there are certain words for "you" and different versions of verbsdependingon the level of politeness/deference needed. The rules around who you "tu" and who you "vous" feel nebulous at best - and a total minefield for a (foreign) new recruit. Meanwhile, social norms I wasn't expecting included greeting everyone who joins you in an elevator, and then wishing them a good day/evening when they/you leave. (People do this in medical waiting rooms here, too. I still haven't gotten used to it.)"

I quit my job as a paralegal in 2017, moved from England to Paris with a one-way ticket, and began a new role three days after arrival. The new position carried the same title but a very different remit, creating a steep learning curve. Early challenges included navigating tricky French bureaucracies and unfamiliar social customs such as Parisian soirées. Workplace culture produced the strongest shocks: formal address rules (tu/vous), frequent embarrassing language blunders, and unexpected rituals like greeting strangers in elevators. After eight years in France, some office norms still surprise me.

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