Mon amie and fellow Francophile blogger La Belette Rouge wrote a wonderful and inspiring post on her site about the concrete steps she is taking and will take in order to fulfill her dream of someday living in Paris. All of us who read her site are excited to follow along, living vicariously through her breathless planning as we read about the unavailable-here-in-the-US products that she’ll be stocking up on as she visits the famed Parisian pharmacies.
Her careful planning to become one of the many expats in Paris reminds me of someone else who had similar plans a few years ago.
True story: Girl tracked down a guy she hadn’t seen in years and found his email address. Just as Girl suspected, Guy (who is Swedish) lives in Stockholm. Girl and Guy exchange email messages. Girl (who lives in US) decides to fly to Stockholm for a week, beginning on New Year’s Day, and meet Guy for lunch. Girl was already going to be traveling to Europe with best friend anyway, so what’s another city tacked on?
Girl’s best friend says, “Yes, go for it!” Girl’s best friend supports Girl’s decision and cheers her on. Girl spends weeks planning the trip and, most importantly, on how she’s going to tell Guy that she’s in love with him. Girl makes a list of what she needs to do to stick around Sweden: learn Swedish, buys Swedish books, browses through IKEA catalog, posts frequently on Sweden.com, watches Swedish films. Girl looks into enrolling in a summer Swedish language program so that she can get a student visa. Girl already has everything planned out: visit Guy in Stockholm, they fall in love, she continues her trip with best friend, returns to Stockholm, and spends rest of summer with Guy.
Anyway, Girl makes it to Stockholm. Falls in love with city. Spends entire day at youth hostel getting ready for date on her last night.
Guy never shows up. Ever. Guy does not return phone calls to his cell phone.
Girl is distraught and consoled by best friend, Guy #2. Over the following three months, they continue their travels through Europe, then Africa, then Asia.
By end of trip, Girl and Guy #2 are in love. Girl and Guy #2 come home, get married, and have now been happily married for almost 5 years.
And you know what? I never did hear from that Swedish SOB again. Not that it matters. If anything, I’m grateful that he never showed up because otherwise, I never would have married my best friend. But I’m grateful to him also for one more thing: because of him, I discovered my favorite city in the whole wide world: Stockholm. I’m a Francophile who loves French food, wine, films, language, books, art, and lifestyle, but when it comes to where I actually want to spend my days, my heart belongs to Stockholm.
Of course, Guy #2, i.e., B., isn’t so crazy about the idea. Not because of Guy #1, but because, well, he’d rather live in New Zealand. But I’m still working on him. Maybe someday.
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{ 18 comments }
This is a story that, if it were a movie, no one would believe so it could only happen in real life. Therefore, I humbly suggest you write this up as a screenplay, pitch it, and when it end up on the silver screen, us über-saps will pay to see it.
And you are the first Francophile I’ve ever met who would not choose Paris as the place to be. Stockholm Surprise, indeed!
LBR and Marjorie = awesome
Dear, Dear Marjorie!!
Thank you so much for your extremely kind and touching comments. I am overwhelmed with your enormous spirit of generosity and support! I feel like I have made it–like you have reviewed my book. Merci! Merci! Merci!
The timing of this post is so funny. Yesterday, I slipped on the ice and took a really bad fall. There were a couple of hours where we thought I had broken my tailbone. Thank heavens it is only a very bad bruise. But, as soon as I fell, I was reminded of the last time I fell and that was in Gothenburg, Sweden!! Like you, I went to Sweden for love and when I got there realized that was not the relationship for me. AS relationship was deteriorating, I took a walk and fell. I got up and brushed myself off and walked a few more steps on the wintry ice and fell again. I got up a second time and told myself if I fell again I was going home to L.A. I fell a third time and when I got back to his house I immediately booked a ticket back to L.A.—where I met my husband.
I love your “love story.” I have to admit I was a little scared as I began to see Swedish guy was not showing up–but thank heavens he didn’t!! I think your love story is better than ‘Before Sunrise/sunset” movies. Maybe, you could turn it into a screenplay. It is such a romantic comedy story.
I believe that we are always rewarded for following out heart—it just isn’t necessary the reward we expect. You wanted #1 and thank goodness you didn’t get him and got #2–who is now your #1.
Lovely-lovely-lovely post.
Merci encore,
LBR
Colleen=Super sweet!!
This is a terrific story (although, are you absolutely sure it wasn’t Paris)?
Randal,
Bonjour! Yes, it’s on my list of stories to write up as either a screenplay or novel. I even have the title! It’s actually a much longer story (e.g., how I met the Swedish guy to begin with), but I’ll leave that for another day.
I think I’ve met a couple of other Francophiles who aren’t beating a path to the nearest Air France ticket counter. It’s hard to explain, really, but I guess part of it is simply that I’ve never been to Paris, I’ve only ever really read about it and seen it in films and photographs. I’ve yet to experience its sensual pleasures in full 3-D, so I can’t really claim to know it well enough to declare it as my favorite city.
The French/Parisian lifestyle appeals to me. I love that it makes me feel more myself, if that makes sense. Or at least a better, more self-confident, more beautiful version of myself. Plus, I appreciate my life and everything around me much more than when I focused exclusively on what I didn’t have, didn’t do, didn’t get.
I don’t necessarily think that I have to live in Paris for that, although it will probably help! But since living in Paris won’t be a reality for me for awhile, I’m content to create my own little pocket of France wherever I am.
And if you’ve ever seen Stockholm, you would totally understand the love affair. Ahhhhhhhhhhh. I saw it under six feet of snow and was still completely enchanted!
Uhm, plus, what I neglected to say was that…well, I’ve been to a lot of places around the world, and I can tell you with complete honesty that I have never seen so many gorgeous guys in my entire life. (Of course, there was an equal number of gorgeous girls. I think my only weapon was my dark coloring, which at least makes me stand out in the sea of Viking-blond beauty.)
Salut,
Marjorie
Bonjour, Colleen, and merci! You’re so sweet!
Salut,
Marjorie
Chere LBR,
Wow!!! What is it about Sweden that inspires such amazing love stories (even if the consummation actually ends up in different continents
?
When I left Sweden, I met B. in London to continue our journey. We moved on to Tanzania, where we got to know a couple of guys from Goteburg, Per and Daniel. Per actually asked me to visit him in Goteburg sometime, and I have to say, he was awfully cute, but I wasn’t sure that I was ready to go back to Sweden just yet, so I put it off. Haha. Now I’m glad I did, although I still hope to see Goteburg someday. I hear it’s gorgeous!
You’re so right about being rewarded for following our heart. I’ve done it for years, and have never had “Fate” or whatever fail me. I do think that the universe rewards the brave and the romantic, and although sometimes the outcome may not be what we want for ourselves, hindsight almost always gives us the clarity we need to realize what really gives us happiness.
I would love to meet you sometime! I think we could have some amazing conversations.
Salut,
Marjorie
Bonjour, Chris! Thanks for stopping by!
Hey, who knows? I wouldn’t be surprised if a producer who picks up my screenplay (knock on wood) decides to move the setting to Paris. Stockholm just doesn’t come immediately to mind when you think “romantic city,” which is fine with me, actually. It’ll be my (and LBR’s!) little secret.
Salut,
Marjorie
LBR,
p.s. I do hope you’re feeling better? I’ve had similar slips in the past, and oh Gawd, they hurt!!!
Salut,
Marjorie
Merci, Marjorie!
Everything hurts and there is no place comortable to sit!!! I am one sore and bruised belette.
Everyone assures me that with time I will feel better. Not feeling it, yet.
Thanks for asking.
LBR
I love your story! I have a keen interest in love stories like this because I, too, married my best friend….after years of being just friends.
Your setting was much better though. I’ve never been to Sweden but you’ve piqued my curiousity!
LBR-that is terrible! I have hurt my tail bone horribly in the past, and that is the worst!
Hope you get to feeling better soon!
CC,
Thanks! I would definitely recommend to others not to fall on the ice and hit their tail bone. I had no idea how important the tail bone was for all movement.
It seems to be an epidemic here. A friend’s husband fell on the ice last night and had to go to hospital. It makes me miss sunny so-Cal.
Merci,
LBR
LBR, so glad to know you’re doing okay, albeit very sore! Winter can be such a pain, especially if you’re in the icier parts of the country.
Do take care and let us know how you’re doing!
Salut,
Marjorie
Dear CC,
Have you ever seen When Harry Met Sally…? Just the film to see if you’re in a really romantic mood.
Stockholm is indeed an amazing city, and it’s one that’s not often on the radar of many tourists. I’m grateful for that, because it means that it can be my little secret.
But if you ever have a chance, I highly recommend a visit. It’s the most beautiful city I’ve ever seen in my life.
Salut,
Marjorie
OMG — I love your story and I love Stockholm too. My (French) husband and I have a secret ambition to retire to Stockholm. Maybe we should start a blog about it!
Bonjour, Betty C.! Oh, wouldn’t that be wonderful??? I hope you and your husband will be able to fulfill your dream. I will say that, with this blog and my writing blog, I don’t really know if my schedule can accommodate yet another one, but on the other hand, it’s an intriguing idea. Will have to think about it!
Thank you so much for stopping by!
Salut,
Marjorie
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