A dream fulfilled – moving from the US to Nice - video Dailymotion

DW (English)

American Anna Muckerman tells us what drew her to the Côte d’Azur – and what she loves the most about French lifestyle.

Transcript

00:00My name is Anna Muckerman. I'm from Maryland, USA, but I've been living in Nice, France for five years.

00:05France is a top destination for Americans with over 100,000 of them living there.

00:11While Paris attracts the most, Nice is becoming an affordable alternative.

00:17But what made Anna want to leave home in the first place?

00:20I think what really pushed me to take the step when I was an adult was when I went to university in the U.S.

00:26and I saw how work culture was so important. And I just realized, like, that's not, that doesn't really align with my values

00:33and that's not really who I wanted to become.

00:35After journalism school, she worked as an au pair in Austria, then as a teaching assistant in northeast France,

00:42where she met her now husband from Nice. Moving for Love eventually helped her paperwork.

00:48Today, they run a video production company together.

00:51I had that teaching assistant visa for a year, then the visa was extended because of COVID.

00:56And then I ended up getting married and that allowed me to have a long-term visa.

01:01For Anna, it's Nice's slower daily rhythm that stands out most,

01:05seen at open-air markets where locals take their time choosing fresh seasonal produce.

01:10While Anna was drawn to this lifestyle, it did also take getting used to.

01:15Sometimes, you know, it's frustrating if you want to go to a store and you get there

01:19and all of a sudden there's this paper sign on the door that's like, we're closed for vacation.

01:23But you also appreciate the fact that people can take a vacation.

01:29The French value work-life balance with their 35-hour workweek and at least five weeks paid vacation.

01:36Meanwhile, in the U.S., employees average just 10 days of paid holiday.

01:41Still, there are things Anna misses from home.

01:44I think that life in the U.S. is very much based around convenience.

01:49Like, everywhere you go, there's a giant parking lot for your car, there's air conditioning,

01:53you know, pharmacies or stores are open late.

01:56And so I do miss some of those conveniences for sure.

01:59The French way of life is also reflected in living costs.

02:03The minimum wage here is €1,400 per month after tax,

02:07which according to experts is enough to cover costs like basic housing,

02:11health care, groceries and transport in Nice.

02:14Even with the lower salary, people are still able to enjoy more,

02:18like go to restaurants, go on vacation, do day trips and just things that like,

02:23I think somebody with a reduced salary in the U.S. wouldn't be able to enjoy as much as somebody in France.

02:30When it comes to community, Anna has made both international and French friends

02:34through stand-up comedy and expat groups.

02:37She says being able to speak French has been key to truly feeling at home.

02:41She studied the language at university and now even performs stand-up in French.

02:46Moi, je suis arrivée en France avec la base de français que tu apprends à l'école.

02:50C'est-à-dire des phrases qui semblent bien mais que les français n'utilisent jamais.

02:55Comme, pardon, désolé, excusez-moi.

03:00Doing stand-up in French, it's definitely a challenge.

03:06I had a joke the other day that I was going to tell on stage and then I told it to my husband.

03:09He was like, you totally have the wrong words, like it doesn't make any sense.

03:12And I was like, oh my gosh, I didn't realize.

03:14So I definitely have to pay more attention to what I'm doing.

03:17But at the same time, it's a really good exercise and it's like allowed me to improve my French

03:22and also to make more friends with French speakers.

03:25But even as Anna integrates linguistically, her friends still notice small tells that give away her American side.

03:32You're very open, very like you want to get to know people, you're interested.

03:41I think French people don't have that per se.

03:45I would say it's like her humor.

03:48I think in the U.S., humor has been around, well, comedy is much more ancient and like rooted in culture.

03:57And so I saw her like start doing comedy and stand-up and already have this like crazy level.

04:04Being American in France means adapting not only to the language and more laid-back lifestyle,

04:16but also to subtle unspoken social norms.

04:24French people are known for greeting each other with la bise,

04:27which is the kisses that you give on the side of the cheek.

04:30Like personally, as an American, I don't really like having to get that close into people's space and give them kisses.

04:37But at the same time, you know, French people, sometimes they feel uncomfortable giving you a hug.

04:41For them, that feels like an invasion of their personal space.

04:43So I just adapt and do the best I can.

04:46But for Anna, these differences are part of what makes her life here worthwhile.

04:51Life in the south of France and in Nice is not always a fairy tale,

04:57but I'm much happier here and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

05:00Thank you very much.

A dream fulfilled – moving from the US to Nice

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