Paris. Elle demande beaucoup mais elle donne encore plus.

Paris. A city I had the great pleasure of getting to know over the past six years.

As my current chapter in this extraordinary city comes to a close, I can only thank Paris for the woman I have become today.

Paris, you taught me:

• Refinement. Fork in the left hand, knife in the right. Legs crossed, spine straight. Pressed clothes. Nice lipstick. A good moisturizer. A clean home with carefully-selected goods that tell the story of me, of the places I’ve been and the people I’ve met. Maybe a sweet treat, maybe not, but certainly not two: moderation is the key. Cobblestone streets. Fresh bread. Bonjour. S’il vous plaît. Oui, monsieur. Non, madame. À demain. À très bientôt. Tu me manques. Bien sûr, je t’adore.

• Fortitude. I came to you, Paris, knowing absolutely nothing other than where I came from. You taught me how to get back up when I fall, how believing that I can means I’m already halfway there. You taught me that “perfect” is not the objective: trying is, because I might not get it today and I might not get it tomorrow but one day I will if only I keep at it. From you, I learned that I am capable of expressing myself in a language I started learning 19 years after my first breath on planet Earth. Thanks to you, Paris, I have an unshakable resilience that will guide me wherever I may go.

• Grace. Grace, what a beautiful word with myriad meaning: elegance, poise, politeness, manners, forgiveness. Paris taught me both to romanticize my life, to go about it mindfully, but also to forgive myself when I get it all wrong. She taught me that there’s not one way of doing something; there’s many. That who I am today doesn’t have to be who I am tomorrow. That life is moving along, time is ticking, rest is necessary, but so is mindful action. Paris reminds us that there are endless resources out there of which to build your life, but the initiative is always, always found in your own hands. Don’t forget to take the opportunities; they’re yours.

• Family. Oh, Paris. Oh, France. How you have given me more than I could have ever asked for. How you have gifted me with people who have healed my heart. It may not be easy to get in, but once you are in, you are in baby. You gave me the exact people I needed when I needed them, people who look at me for exactly who I am and not only say “I love you” but prove it. People that make me better just for the simple fact of knowing them. People I hope to embody, people I hope to be for others, people that make my beating heart feel like its not big enough to hold all of the love. Thank you, people: you know who you are and I carry your goodness with me.

Thanks to you, Paris, I am fearless, because wherever I go, I still have you.