Lyon: A New French Life

I feel like I’ve landed in France all over again, excited about discovering Lyon’s many neighborhoods, shops, cafés, and layers of history. Looking back, I think my instinct of putting the pin on the map for Lyon all those years ago was a wise one. While I’ve enjoyed my visits here in the past, actually living in this city has made me fall in love with it in a way those little day trips never could.

As any parent with a neurodivergent teen (ADHD, anxiety) will attest, there are challenges that follow you no matter where in the world you go. But that goes for personal challenges of any kind, doesn’t it? I means that putting oneself out there is absolutely essential. Rather than cocoon myself away, ’ve made the effort to explore, to step into my new surroundings with curiosity, and the rewards have been immediate and encouraging. Life really does give back what you put into it.

Two months in, Lyon is already starting to feel like home. How to acclimate? I joined a cultural group and became friends with a French woman who has an incredible network and a wealth of knowledge about the city. She’s already introduced me to people and places I might never have discovered on my own. The fact that she speaks fluent English helps enormously, since we can weave in and out of both languages with ease.

Moving to a new country is a huge step, especially later in life, and it’s good to note how important location really is. If one has the choice, I can’t recommend enough finding a place with good walkability and access to amenities. It makes “s’installer” — to settle in — so much smoother. Becoming a regular at local cafés and shops has helped me feel a part of the neighborhood, no longer just a visitor passing through. With my background in art and my love of culture, the city environment suits me much better than the countryside did. I’m introverted at heart — I enjoy being social, but I’m not the type to chat endlessly with neighbors — and in Lyon I can find my social circles from the abundance of opportunities available. 

Of course, everyone’s experience is different, but I’ve found Lyon to be an exceptionally warm and friendly city. People smile at me often, and I’ve been met with kindness and openness time and again. It’s also common for people here to speak at least a little English. That can be a blessing and a curse: when I stumble over a French word, people sometimes switch to English right away, which can interrupt the flow of learning, but I still appreciate the kindness and connection. 

Practical things are easier here too. Finding doctors has been surprisingly simple, and some even speak English. I’m not in France to fall back on English, but when it comes to medical conversations, it’s a relief to know I’ll be understood if I get stuck. 

Day to day, I’m far more active here — running errands on foot, chatting briefly with shopkeepers, exchanging smiles on the street. All those small interactions add up, and I can already feel my French improving again. (As much as I adored the donkeys and horses back in Ardèche, they weren’t much help with my language practice.) And of course, there’s the added bonus that learning and using a new language isn’t just practical — it’s one of the best things you can do for keeping the brain young and the memory sharp! 

Ardèche isn’t in my past, either. Every week or two I’m back there with my husband and our kitties, tucking into his homemade meals and soaking up the beauty of the natural surroundings. I can love two places at once, can’t I?

Location is important, but it means little if you don’t also seek out positive change and embrace new experiences. I know that cultural learning and language growth will be a lifelong process — but that’s exactly what I wished for, and it’s exactly what I got. Who wants to say, “Well, I arrived,” and then stop there? We stay young by opening our minds and learning new ways of being. And really, what better place for me to do that than in Lyon?

“Keep Ithaka always in your mind. Arriving there is what you’re destined for. But don’t hurry the journey at all. Better if it lasts for years, so you’re old by the time you reach the island, wealthy with all you’ve gained on the way, not expecting Ithaka to make you rich. Ithaka gave you the marvelous journey. Without her you wouldn’t have set out. She has nothing left to give you now. And if you find her poor, Ithaka won’t have fooled you. Wise as you will have become, so full of experience, you’ll have understood by then what these Ithakas mean.” 

~Constantine P. Kavafis (Cavafy) (1863–1933)