They made the choice to leave Paris for the provinces and had not anticipated these galleys

For these Parisians who left the capital for the provinces, the change was not the easiest. Professional difficulties or the feeling of being a stranger in the eyes of the inhabitants, the departure from Paris did not go smoothly.

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Tired of the French capital, three Parisians left the city to settle in the provinces. Julie, Camilla and Julien have encountered difficulties leading a new lifestyle outside of Paris .

Julie left Paris with her husband and their children in 2016. Delighted to move to Marseille where her husband was transferred, the mother of the family bitterly regretted it: “ On paper, it seemed idyllic. In fact, we completely idealized this change of life and we were quickly disillusioned “, she says for Les Échos Start.

A lifestyle blogger, Julie lived through partnerships with Parisian agencies that dropped her as soon as she arrived in Marseille. The young woman finds herself alone during the day, especially since she is unable to make friends among the people of Marseille. ' I remember once when I asked for directions in the street and was told 'you have a Parisian accent, so for you it will be on the left', when the destination was on the right ».

The city of Marseille does not work for the family, which will move three years later to Antibes where Julie's business has finally taken off.

A professional and friendly challenge

Camilla left Val-de-Marne with husband and children in 2018 for La Roche-sur-Yon, in Vendée. The trigger came about by chance: “ When I realized that in one week I was losing about 12 hours in transport, i.e. a day, it was a shock “, she recalls.

In La Roche-sur-Yon, Camilla and her family moved into a spacious 180 m2 house with a one-hectare garden. But like Julie, this former director of communication in an agency, is struggling to find a use despite about fifty CVs sent. ' I had always worked without difficulty and I had not anticipated this. I felt upset and questioned myself a lot. It was very difficult to live. We had to face the facts: I would not find in my field “Acknowledges Camilla.

However, this slack period allowed Camilla to indulge in drawing. ' I ended up becoming an illustrator, working from home. Activity from which I derive my income today “, she rejoices. If all goes well professionally, Camilla admits having difficulties in forging links with the inhabitants. ' The people of Vendée are adorable, super nice, cordial and warm. But we are stuck at the frank cordiality stage. It's hard to walk through the door », Analyzes Camilla, in comparison with the Parisians.

A cost of living identical to Paris but of a higher quality

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Julien left Paris in 2016 to settle in Lyon with his children and his partner, originally from there. Unlike Julie and Camilla, Julien gets a job in an architectural firm where his salary is halved. ' Some will say that it doesn't matter because the cost of living is lower in the region, but that remains to be proven! “says Julien who had to opt for a car while in Paris, his boss took charge of his public transport card. ' And then, the babysitters are more difficult to find. And the food doesn't cost less “, he recalls.

On the personal side, Julien regrets the cultural meetings in Lyon, which are less important than Paris, and finds it difficult to make friends. ' The Lyonnais have their childhood friends, who live next door. They don't need to widen their circle beyond local people. If we weren't born in the area, we interest them much less “says Julien.

Despite these few daily hassles, Julie, Camilla and Julien still live in the provinces where they have managed to acclimatise. They rejoice in the comfort, time savings and peaceful life that the province has to offer. On the other hand, they advise to prepare well before leaving Paris and not to do it on a whim so that the dream does not turn into a nightmare. ' I don't miss Paris at all », punctuates Julie.