Like all good soap operas my life revolves round a bar (well, ok then, a few bars.)
I came out to Lyon as my ex got a job out here, he was my boyfriend at the time and I am not a nutcase in the stalker category. As you have probably sussed, things did not work out between us and I was left in the position of choosing whether to stay in France or return to the UK. At the time it was easier to stay, I had brought out all my belongings and rented out my flat, so the thought of moving back and finding somewhere to live and a get a new job, while in dispair over a broken relationship was a logisitical nightmare. (And why is it in soap operas they always leave to start a new life with one suitcase that they can easily carry?)
I am so glad that I stayed. I love it here. It is a fantastic city, which I adore for many different reasons, I love some of the aspects of the French lifestyle (street markets, fresh foods, oysters and champagne, and wearing sunglasses all the time) and am learning to cope with the others (the paperwork, the deductions from my paypacket, and dog poop everywhere.) I am even learning French and would hazard a guess that I could now upgrade my spectacular fail at O level (EE) to somewhere around the pass mark.
I feel as if I have been welcomed by the people here, both local and expat and love meeting new people of all different nationalities. I am very lucky. So the reasons why I am here may not make the most dramatic or original soap storyline, however my life is full wonderful characters that could easily pop up on a TV near you. So now I've finished writing this, I'm off to the local for a swift glass of pernod...