Quick and Easy is What I Want, But It isn’t Always What I Need

Navigating the Process is Part of the Journey

I tend to want a quick solution. But I’m learning that this is sometimes in direct opposition with my values of getting the results I want and experiencing flow in my life.

I’m looking for a good photographer, Kim Brundage, my branding photographer in the United States, is awesome, so I’m a bit spoiled. After sending a proposal to four different photographers in Paris, I came up empty. None were available on the dates I’d be in town. I’ve been invited to have Thanksgiving dinner there and saw this as an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. So when things didn’t materialize quickly, I saw it as a sign that I wasn’t meant to go to Paris, and I gave up looking.

Then I caught myself doing what I tend to do, take the easy path now (give up) and deal with not having exactly what I need when I need it later. I realized that I truly need some decent photos of me with my new book and that if I gave up, I wouldn’t have what I need later, and that would create struggle. So I started searching again with a fresh outlook. And I found one.

It wasn’t fast, and it was more difficult than I anticipated or desired, but taking the extra time and resetting my expectations will allow me to avoid stress later when I need to create promotional materials. My resolve hasn’t always been good, but I’m getting better.

What I’m learning is that easy and fast, even when that happens, isn’t always right. There is one thing more that I must bring into the mix when things seem to fall into place like that, and that is my intuition. Does the situation feel right?

There is something magical about sleeping on a decision before making it. I seem to gain so much clarity when I do that. I recognize that my intuition is an excellent friend, but it can get blocked by the thoughts, emotions, and energy of my day. The good news is that it has a sneaky way of finding its way back to me overnight, and fills me with a knowing that is undeniable when I awake the following morning.

I’m in the process of buying a car in France. Not an easy task for an American. But I know precisely what I need to do now. I’ve got proof of residency in the form of a justificatif domicile. This is something that I’ve needed the whole time I’ve lived here to get certain things, like a standard cell phone plan (and not one I have to refill each month). I hadn’t figured out how to get one until recently; now I feel recognized in France (though there are more hoops through which I know I’ll have to jump). For now, I’m relishing this accomplishment!

The next thing I need to do to get car insurance is to have my license translated by a certified translator, traducteur assermentée. I used one last year to have my birth certificate translated, so I reached out to her. Unfortunately, I haven’t heard back from her. I plan to follow up with her today, as time is of the essence, but her delay is making me think I should seek other options. It reminds me of my tendency to take an easy or known path instead of looking at all my options.

So today, I will search for a certified translator in my village. Someone mentioned that I should go to the town hall to see if they know of someone who could help me. That is where I’m going to start. Of course, I’ll follow up with Charlotte, the translator I already worked with once, but I’m expanding my search, and know I’ll find what I need quickly.

I’ve put off getting a car here for a while now partially out of fear and the hassle I would have and partly out of adding a new expense (gas, insurance, car maintenance). But I think the biggest reason I have delayed purchasing a car is that it symbolizes that I plan to stay in France long term. Last year was a trial year for me. This year is a decision year.

Many people have asked me if I plan to stay in France forever. Last year I struggled to answer that. This year I struggled a little less. I know life changes, and I don’t know what the future will hold, but I love it here. I’m still deciding if I can deal with the inconveniences that living in a foreign country, especially France which is known for its administrative headaches, brings. I’ve been told that in the beginning it’s difficult, but in the end, it will be worth it.

When I’m here in France, I feel so good in my skin. As I figure things out and understand and live the adage “There is more than one way to skin a cat!” the answer about how long I plan to stay here is coming into clearer focus for me. I can’t see the future or how I’ll make a go of it, but I’m reassured that I can and will do it. I’ll follow this path weighing all of my options and allow my intuition to guide me.