A Slightly Honest… Slightly Dramatic Answer

People often ask me:

“What was it like living in France?”

And without missing a beat, I usually reply:

“Like solitary confinement… for 16 years.”

Now, I know that sounds completely absurd.

A bit dramatic.
Possibly questionable.
Definitely not something you’d expect someone to say about living in France.

But honestly?

That’s exactly what it felt like.

Not Quite the Dream People Imagine

When people think of France, they picture:

• Wine on terraces
• Long lunches in the sunshine
• Beautiful countryside
• Effortless lifestyle

And yes… all of that exists.

But what people don’t always see is how a place can look perfect on the outside and still feel completely wrong on the inside.

Making the Best of It (Because That’s What You Do)

I’m the kind of person who doesn’t just give up.

So I tried.

I really tried.

I told myself:

• “Give it time”
• “You’ll settle”
• “It’ll feel like home eventually”

I did everything you’re supposed to do — adapt, adjust, stay positive, keep going.

But sometimes, no matter how hard you try…

Something just doesn’t fit.

The Quiet Kind of Struggle

It wasn’t dramatic.

It wasn’t loud.

It was something much more subtle — and much harder to explain.

A feeling of:

• Not quite belonging
• Not quite connecting
• Not quite feeling like yourself

Like being there… but not really living there.

And over time, that feeling starts to wear you down.

Everyone Else Could See It

The funny thing is, I wasn’t the only one who noticed.

My friends could see I was struggling.
My family could see it wasn’t me.

Sometimes the people around you recognise it before you fully admit it yourself.

The “Solitary Confinement” Bit

Now, to be fair, I wasn’t literally locked away.

I could go out. I had a life. I functioned.

But emotionally?

It felt isolating.

Like being in the wrong place for who you are.

Like going through the motions… without that sense of ease, connection, or belonging.

So yes — maybe “solitary confinement” is a bit dramatic…

…but also, strangely accurate.

And Then Everything Changed

The best part of the story is this:

I didn’t stay there forever.

Life moved.
Things shifted.
And I eventually found my way back to where I was always meant to be.

A place where:

• I feel like myself again
• Life feels lighter
• I’m surrounded by the right people
• And everything just… fits

Final Thought

So when people ask me what it was like living in France, I still smile and say:

“Like solitary confinement for 16 years.”

And then I laugh.

Because now, I can.

Because sometimes, the places that don’t fit you…

Are the very things that lead you back to the ones that do.