When I replied to a Facebook post and offered to cat sit for a stranger back in February, I never thought it would lead to a beautiful new friendship and even less to travel to France for a wedding this summer. But I guess life finds a way to give you exactly what you’re looking for. In my case, a new friend.

I recently turned one year living in Finland, and although it was a bit tough in the beginning, as 2024 began I felt ready to put myself out there, start making new friends, and build a new community!

But oh boy, so little it’s talked about making friends as an adult and even worse in a new country.

It’s exactly like dating: you put yourself out there, keep meeting new people until you finally click with someone and go on dates hoping this new person will be “the one”.

It’s exhausting, to be honest. And even “heartbreaking” at times when you realize that someone you liked, doesn’t like you back, or at least not enough to keep hanging out. Sometimes I felt sad thinking “I’m a great friend, yet these new people haven’t given me the opportunity to show it :(” However, it’s refreshing when you do meet the right people and start noticing you’re getting busier and busier and also happier with this new social agenda. And it’s also crucial to remember that no good friendship was built overnight

I even opened Bumble Bff (shout-out to Marina! My first friend from that app).

Now I’m happy to announce that I have several new friends! And although it’s crucial to remember that real friendships take time to solidify (shout-out to Valeria, my best long-distance best friend!) it’s always interesting to dive into the layers of these relationships and realize you’re starting to create the bonds you were looking for.

Now let me get to the unexpected cat-sitting-travel-to-France story…

Back in February, I saw a post in a Facebook group that they were looking for someone to take care of two cats for a week. It was on the same street I live on, so I decided to volunteer as I love cats and had the time to do it.

Turns out that the owners were a lovely French-Iranian couple that had just moved to Tampere and they lived only two buildings away!! After a few messages, she invited me over for tea to get to know each other (and the cats) and it ended up being a 5-hour visit! We just couldn’t stop talking, which was very nice because it’s not always that you find someone you can talk to so effortlessly for hours let alone living less than 3 minutes away. What are the odds?

Long story short, we started hanging out more often and slowly built a new friendship. Safe to say we got along pretty well, (even our partners as we had a few dinner dates) so well that they invited us to their wedding which happened to be last week, in France.

As we were probably the newest friends invited, we were honored to be able to be part of it! And it was also exciting as it was my very first time in that country. And although it was a short trip due to my current schedule, it was lovely! I do understand the Paris hype now. It truly is a beautiful city and I can’t wait to go back.

We only had two nights and two mornings in Paris, since the wedding was in Concremiers, right in the middle of the so-called diagonal of nothing/empty diagonal. And let me tell you, it’s not an exaggeration, there is truly nothing for kilometers and kilometers, aside from a few houses (and castles), and small villages from time to time. Nevertheless, it’s beautiful and I’d love to go back and explore it a bit more.

But here’s my recap to not make this longer than I intended it to be, hehe.

First night and morning:

We arrived in Paris on Thursday evening, checked in, and then decided to explore a bit. It can’t get more romantic than walking around Paris with a baguette in hand and a beautiful sunset. And I cannot stress it enough: French baguettes are something else and I could go back just to eat them all day.

On Friday morning, we went on a walking tour (shout-out to Allister, the best guide ever!) to get a bit of history during the short visit. In the afternoon we joined Tom and Sarah, friends of the bride who so kindly let us ride with them on their way to Concremiers.

The wedding

The day started with a civil ceremony, followed by a religious ceremony at the church where many of the bride’s family members have gotten married as well.

The cocktail and dinner party took place in Château de Forges, a beautiful castle from the 13th century. According to their site, the current owner is a direct descendant of the original owner who got the castle from King Charles VII.

We were also fortunate enough to witness an Iranian ceremony by the groom’s sister.

On Sunday there was a family & friends brunch, where we got to eat pain au chocolat, croissants, and cheese (among other delicacies) and relax, before heading back to Paris.

And well, although hectic, I loved being able to connect faces to stories, meet new people, and new places, celebrate love (as cheesy as it sounds), and discover a bit of the city of love, with the person I love the most.

So in case you needed to read it today: stop worrying so much, and just enjoy the ride! And give new friendship a chance, you never know where you might be 6 months from now, haha.

Un abrazo,

La Saralicia.