ELODIE, the expat + blogger
3/5 committed to her flexlife
7/10 feels confident she is living the lifestyle she wants everyday
3 years and running
Does other stuff to pay the bills
Inspired by @margauxroux @happyngood @lecorpslamaisonlesprit
Elodie is from Bordeaux, France originally but now she lives in Berlin. She acknowledges that she is someone who is attached to her French culture, especially its way of life, but she likes the feeling of being a foreigner, a stranger in another culture, + that's why she decided to move abroad. Elodie explains:
“Living abroad for me is a kind of adventure. Leaving my hometown, in the south west of France, 3 years ago, was the beginning of a new life, the life I finally chose. I barely spoke English at that time and moving abroad opened my eyes about how French I am and how different people can be.”
She decided to move to Berlin, because of its international vibes, its open-mindedness, and its history, which make her daily life an adventure and where there is always something to discover. She still has a somewhat normal job but in a totally different atmosphere than in the past.
Her first step in becoming culturally aware and making the change to live abroad was to meet foreigners in her hometown. She met people from all over the world and realized that, for the first time in a long time, she was with people she could relate to. This is how she met her boyfriend, who is English, who also supported in her decision to live abroad.
She has a "normal" routine and even a 9 to 5 job, but she wakes up early every morning to work on a project that is important to her: giving advice to French people who want to visit/live in Berlin through her blog (www.memoirepleine.com). Sharing her experience is another very important value for her and she tries to share her unique perspective as a neo-Berliner.
She is most proud that she was able to say no to a lifestyle that didn't make her happy, even if no one really encouraged her to do that.
Her goal for the future is to work built out her career as a freelancer and to be able to travel more.
She is most grateful for the opportunity to be surrounded by wonderful people who are really open minded and adventurous and also for having new things to discover in Berlin, even after 2 years there.
#MASTERTIPS Allow yourself to dream and then ask yourself what you need to leave to reach this dream and if you are ready to do it. The hardest thing is to make a decision based on real desires and not on fears.