fbpx

Episode 15: a conversation with Shannon Pratuch, an American expat in France who runs the successful Instagram and blog, This French Life

by | Oct 27, 2021 | Podcast | 0 comments

Welcome to Episode #15 of Profiles in Franceformation. I’m your host Allison Grant Lounes and today we are talking to Shannon Pratuch, an American expat in France who splits her time between Paris and Brittany. Shannon runs the successful instagram account and blog, This French Life. You can hear how much joy she has for France just by listening to this episode! 

We’ll learn:

  • About her first trip to Paris and how she fell in love with the city, staying for a bit longer each time she came back to visit.
  • How she planned her move to France over several years.
  • Which type of visa Shannon used to travel to France as well as her move to France.
  • The level of French language comprehension that Shannon had prior to her move, and how having a French bulldog has increased her comprehension of the language!
  • The challenges she experienced when learning to speak more French.
  • Her favorite places to visit in both Paris as well as Brittany.

Be sure to check out and subscribe to Shannon’s Instagram account and blog, This French Life.

Instagram: thisfrench.life

Website: https://thisfrench.life

Allison also mentions a client’s awesome Instagram account with pictures of Dinan. Be sure to check her account here, https://www.instagram.com/agruber17/,  as well as her blog, https://talesfrombrittany.com/. 

Quick Reference Guide:

  • Parcours – word for route, course, path or journey
  • Profession libérale – a type of French visa that indicates someone is self-employed in a regulated liberal industry
  • VLS visa – type of long stay French visa
  • URSSAF – a French organization (Unions de Recouvrement des Cotisations de Sécurité Sociale et d’Allocations Familiales); main task is to collect employee and employer social security contributions.
  • CPAM – Caisse Primaire d’Assurances Maladie, the local department level of the national health insurance administration.
  • Carte vitale – the French equivalent of a medical insurance card/social security card
  • B1 exam –  to request French nationality/citizenship, a French language proficiency of level B1 is required. B1 is considered intermediate level by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. This is similar to the level of proficiency for French students at the age of 16 years old. 
  • Bricolage – home improvement
  • Mélange – mixture or combination
  • Préfecture – administrative offices in France
  • OFII – Office Français de l’Immigration et Intégration
  • Dossier – file of information, for example, when attending your carte de séjour appointment at the Préfecture, it is essential you bring your dossier with all necessary supporting documents
  • Île Saint-Louis – island in the Seine river in Paris, within the 4th arrondissement 
  • Musée d’Orsay – an art museum within an old train station, the Gare d’Orsay, in Paris, located in the 7th arrondissement.
  • Musée Rodin – art and sculpture museum in the 7th arrondissement of Paris
  • Camille Caudel – a French sculpture of the late 1800’s, many of her works can be found at Musée Rodin
  • Petit Palais – a fine arts museum in the 8th arrondissement of Paris
  • Coulée verte de Paris – an old train line now transformed into a public garden space in the 12th arrondissement of Paris
  • Marais – neighborhood in the 4th arrondissement of Paris, well known for its historic buildings, small shops and cafés
  • Arrondissement – city district; Paris has 20 arrondissements in a clockwise spiral shape similar to a snail shell
  • Dinard Film Festival – a British film festival held in Dinard, France
  • Cannes Film Festival – an international film festival held in Cannes, France 
  • Dinan – medieval town with ramparts and half-timbered houses in the Brittany region of the north of France
  • St. Malo – walled city in the Brittany region of the north of France
  • Dinard – coastal town in the Brittany region of the north of France
  • Mont St. Michel – a medieval town and monastery located in a bay in the Normandy region of the north of France

References Used:

If you are considering moving to France like Shannon, Foolproof French Visas can help you navigate the path toward finding the right visa for you. It can be purchased here: http://www.yourfranceformation.com/books or in paperback on Amazon. 

If you would like to pursue your own Franceformation, you can also request a free 30-minute clarity call with Allison to review your visa options and decide how to move toward creating your ideal life in France: http://www.yourfranceformation.com/free-call 

If you liked this episode, be sure to leave a positive review, and subscribe so you’ll get next week’s episode as well!

      Subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Subscribe on Spotify.