An English Girl in Paris: Better late than never! Welcome to my blog!

OK, confession time. I have been meaning to start this blog from the moment I arrived in Paris. Two months ago. Two and a half months to be exact. But something always seemed to get in the way; whether it was work, fonctionnaire strikes or just copious amounts of wine drinking! But now, after months of procrascination I have finally got round to writing.

So to elaborate a bit further; as it says in the 'About Me' section, my name is Hazel or 'aaazzell' as they say over here in Paris.

This is actually second time as an 'English girl in France'. My first was a glorious Erasmus year in Bordeaux in 2007, most of which was spent once again drinking copious amounts of tasty red wine and eating far too many steaks and pastries. Two stone heavier, I returned to England to complete the last year of my degree, become a vegetarian and fall in love.

A year after graduating with a French and Journalism degree, and several soul destroying internships, part time jobs and unsucessful job interviews later, in July I was offered a job as a marketing assistant at Sarenza, a French online shoe company who were looking for an English girl with a flair for fashion to help them appeal to the UK market. I jumped at the chance just to be able to get into close proximity of some of the shoes that they sell, which, I found out upon arriving is over 250 different brands. Nice. Within two weeks later I was here in Paris the City of Love (sans boyfriend who was back in London) and the rest is history - well two months if we're being honest but history none the less!

I luckily managed to find a great appartment in a great part of Paris, which I share with my fabulous flatmate Chloe, an aspiring fashion designer. I really love my job and I'm really settling in to the Parisian way of life, give or take a few annoyances! I've even managed to start freelance writing again, which is something I love to do. Oh and the relationship is still wonderful, in fact it has got even stronger since we've been apart (absence makes the heart grow fonder and all that!)

I guess this blog is more of a diary for myself and anyone else interested in my travels, along the way I hope to be able to provide useful tips, hints and guides whether it be in music, food, entertainment, culture, fashion and of course shoes - they have become my speciality now!


Thanks for reading!