If you’re subscribed to this blog, you already know that I follow and talk about many expats who live in Paris or other parts of France. I love hearing their stories (successes, failures, triumphs, and challenges) of being abroad. With that said, today I am going to quickly share my top 5 favorite expats in France, and why you should know who they are.
5. Starting with #5, we have Kate of the YouTube channel “Unintentionally Frenchified”. Kate’s lived in France for about 10 years, and just recently at the end of November received her French citizenship. She is married to a French man and together with their daughter they live in a studio apartment in Paris. Her videos are very informative and insightful, but warning she is a very dramatic person. But, if you are looking for funny, helpful videos about anything expat/French related, her YouTube channel is definitely one to watch.
4. Next we have Rosie, who has a YouTube channel called “Not Even French”. Rosie’s videos are very similar to Kate’s, but they are a bit more serious. She also posts more frequently. Rosie is a New Zealander, currently living in New Zealand, but she is married to a French man and has lived and worked in Paris for quite some time in the past. Similarly to Kate above, I would definitely recommend her videos as an informative way to learn more about culture.
3. At #3, I have to put Shayna, who has a YouTube channel called “The Purple Palace”. I just realized that most of these expats are YouTube influencers, but I think that is how they grow the large followings that they all have. Shayna has been in France over six years, and she was living with her French boyfriend, from whom she just recently separated. Shayna is very eccentric, she wears bright eyeshadows and dresses in ways that are not the “norm”. As an artist, she lives a freelance lifestyle. I love watching Shayna because she posts a lot of videos in French, where you can practice the language and learn other things, too. She encapsulates the idea of being yourself, and is so unapologetically true to her dreams and goals.
2. Anna Kloots. Anna is a more recent expat, only moving to France in 2019. She lives in an AirBnB that she rents monthly while looking for a more permanent place to reside. If you don’t know who she is, you may know her sister Amanda Kloots, who will be joining The Talk hosts soon, or her brother-in-law Nick Cordero, a Broadway star who passed away in early 2020 from COVID-19. Anna does not have a YouTube channel, instead she shares most of her updates on her Instagram. She posts daily French vocabulary and is an influencer who definitely knows how to engage with her audience. She also posts about fashion, and is an aspiring author. She is a very relatable influencer who always has great stories and experiences.
(https://www.instagram.com/annakloots/)
1. I bet this isn’t a surprise: Damon Dominique. I think I’ve mentioned Damon far too many times on this blog, but he truly is (in my opinion) the top American expat. He fell in love in Paris as a college student while studying abroad, and consequently fell in love with the country. Since then, he has stayed in Paris, while also traveling all over the world. He appears so adventurous and always talks about enjoying the moment. He used to be a part of a collaborative channel (Damon & Jo), and together they created a company called “Shut Up and Go”. Now, Damon has his own channel where he really shares everything about his life in Paris and beyond. His videos are often longer documentary-styled. He manages to take viewers around the world with him as he travels and learns from others. Not only do you learn, but you will most certainly laugh when watching his videos. I could really go on and on about why he has the best content, but to keep this short I will just post some of my favorite videos of his below.
While there are definitely other expats, including the “real” Emily in Paris theglitteringunkhown, thegingerwanderlust, Nathaniel Drew, etc., those are my top 5. If you have any interest in learning more about these people or France, definitely check out their content as linked above!
Julia's Journey in Paris 