expat pro-tip: just say "yes"

It's been just shy of five months that I've had my 750 zipcode, and, apart from some home sickness that settled in as the holidays approached (and that was quickly resolved by my trip home and then to New York over Christmas), I am absolutely, positively as happy as I could possibly be. I would say that about 70% of this happiness - of this consistent feeling of being fulfilled and invigorated and excited by life, even on the "off" days - is simply a byproduct of life in a major European city. The pace of life is fast but relaxed, the city busy, but calm. Taking time for yourself or to enjoy the company of others over a long lunch or an early apéro is encouraged - even enforced, you might say. There is time for everything. And the wine. And the food. And the actual - not just theoretical (looking at you, NYC...) - ability to get mostly anywhere you might possibly want to go by foot, in not too long a time. In short, life is just better - at least, as far as I'm concerned. But that other 30% of why I feel so content and at home in my new city is because I've quite strictly adhered to a rule that I set for myself on Day 1: say "YES" to EVERYTHING, unless there is a reason of the "my health will be severely impacted by doing this" sort. Meeting someone from one of the many expat groups you're a part of for coffee in the middle of the day when you're swamped with work? YES. Accepting a last-minute invitation to the birthday party of a friend of an acquaintance of an acquaintance that starts at 22h on the opposite side of the city when it's 21h and you've just changed into your PJs? YES. Bar-hopping with a group of people you met not even 10 minutes ago (and among whom there is not a single English speaker) and accepting that $5 fee to cancel the Uber home you'd already booked? YES. Impromptu day trips out of Paris with people about whom you know nothing other than their first name and where they're from? YES. When you're new to a city - especially one in a different country where you are far removed from your friends and social network back home - "NO" isn't the currency of life as an expat. Each "no" is a door closed on an opportunity to make a connection - and whether it be small or the start of a great friendship, the connections you make will prove to be invaluable, in ways that may not be evident at the outset. This - maintaining a consistent mindset of "YES" so that you can fight the urge to say "NO" when it hits - is, hands down, what has made my experience in Paris so great so far, and is my #1 tip for anyone new to the expat life. Happy roaming!