Moving to France to eat croissants and macarons all day might sound “easy” or “spontaneous,” but it actually takes a lot of planning and, how do I put it? …logistical manoeuvres. There are a few ways to get here: as a student, as a student/au pair, as a worker, or as the family member of a European person. The option that made the most sense for Erik and I was to become family members, i.e.: get married.
Up until last week, we had been planning on marrying in Sweden, Erik being a Swede and all. We had the tickets bought, we had plans for me to finally meet his family, and we were about to leave in less than a week. However, when we found out that some documents we sent hadn’t been deemed “official” enough, we had to make a sudden change of plans. It’s not like we have all the time in the world, either – there’s a definite timeline to apply for residency, which is constantly hanging over my head.
Our solution? New York City.
It was certainly a lot of fun, but it was also really stressful. I was born American, but in many ways, New York felt like a foreign country. After attempting to walk from the Empire State Building up to Central Park, I realised that this is NOT a city made for sightseeing walks; it’s overwhelmingly expansive. In Paris, all you have to do is pick a street – any street – and it will be beautiful or charming or interesting in some way. New York requires a lot more city knowledge. New York also feels much grittier – rougher. I would imagine that the typical New Yorker is generally a tougher kind of person.
{IT WAS COOOOOLD!}
![to the Courthouse](http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae2/darladear27/IMG_1174_zpsa5f7513c.jpg~original)
![Bride with Bouquet](http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae2/darladear27/IMG_1170_zps8c732ec4.jpg~original)
![Newlyweds 2](http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae2/darladear27/IMG_1168_zps846bbb67.jpg~original)
![Newlyweds](http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae2/darladear27/IMG_1169_zpsdd0b0ee9.jpg~original)
![Cold Wedding Day](http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae2/darladear27/IMG_1172_zps94349a77.jpg~original)
We had some great pizza at Lombardi’s, saw the city from the Rockafeller building, took some taxis, admired some fire escapes, went to a couple great bars, explored the Metropolitan Museum, strolled through Central Park, and best of all, GOT MARRIED!
![Lombardi's](http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae2/darladear27/IMG_1128_zpseb12d892.jpg~original)
![Pizza, Yum](http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae2/darladear27/IMG_1253_zpse55f4015.jpg~original)
![From the Top](http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae2/darladear27/IMG_1249_zpseb1faaea.jpg~original)
![NYC](http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae2/darladear27/IMG_1117_zpse8ca4c44.jpg~original)
![Brooklyn Heights](http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae2/darladear27/IMG_1245_zps2d37e530.jpg~original)
![From the Brooklyn Bridge](http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae2/darladear27/IMG_1241_zps44f31b0f.jpg~original)
![Bar 9](http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae2/darladear27/IMG_1217_zps8f3f53c1.jpg~original)
![Central Park in Winter](http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae2/darladear27/IMG_1205_zps339a11f9.jpg~original)
![Central Park Ice Rink](http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae2/darladear27/IMG_1204_zps36e18563.jpg~original)
![Central Park Bridge](http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae2/darladear27/NYCedit-22_zpsb90511a6.jpg~original)
![Lower Manhattan with Bridge](http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae2/darladear27/IMG_1243_zps7c29e8de.jpg~original)
![The Met - Paintings](http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae2/darladear27/NYCedit-17_zps9e2a10ac.jpg~original)
![The Met - Statue and Coffered Ceiling](http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae2/darladear27/NYCedit-3_zpsd9bff3f4.jpg~original)
I’m so excited to be home. Although I wouldn’t say that France feels like home by any stretch of the imagination, when I’m with somebody I love, I feel secure. When you’re out in the big world, within endless urbanscapes that swallow you up in machine dust and human grime, in a place where you feel sick, tired, scared, and confused, the best remedy possible is to have someone by your side.
![Hug](http://i952.photobucket.com/albums/ae2/darladear27/IMG_1173_zpsc965446c.jpg~original)
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