Meet Taylor, a Canadian expat in Paris
Name: Taylor
Pronoun(s): She/Her
Nationality: Canadian
Hometown: Vancouver, Canada
Current location: Paris
Occupation: Theatre Teacher by day/ President of Cygnet Theatre & Director by night 🙂
From the moment I belted out my first rendition of Les Champs-Élysées in my 3rd Grade French immersion class, I began to believe that the lights just might shine brighter in Paris. Many years later, and after testing out nearly 30 countries, I can confirm this to be true
My name is Taylor and I am a Paris-based artist.
I teach theatre by day and run a theatre company by night, and live in the center of the city with two white rats, Sébastien and Dahlia.
On Education
Did you attend college? If so, where, and how did you choose that school/those schools?
I took a gap year after high school, spent nine months working in a preparatory school in England and then three months backpacking around Europe. I still believe this was the best choice I’ve ever made. After my year abroad I decided to attend the University of British Columbia (in my hometown) because I’d learned two poignant lessons while traipsing across the globe:
- If you can avoid starting out your adult life with debt, do that.
- Your level of education will impact your career options.
What advice would you give someone who isn’t interested in attending a traditional college or university, but knows they want to travel?
The value of attending a traditional college or university was something I didn’t fully understand when I left high school – ready to make my own way in the world.
If you have the privilege of being able to attend college or university, make space for that experience in your life
Travel has shaped me into the woman I am today. It has made me braver and more resilient than I ever could have imagined. However, having a university degree has opened many doors to me – doors which ultimately allowed me to settle down and build a life in France.
If you’re a dreamchaser, be sure to check out Molly’s feature – she quit her day job in Texas to move to France and become a pastry chef!
Professional Background
Would you say travel or living abroad has impacted your career path? How?
Like most artists I know, I work multiple jobs. I’ve been teaching theatre for three years, and I’m grateful to have a day job that brings me so much joy and laughter. Living in Paris has also guided me towards directing. I graduated with a BFA in Acting, so from the outside it might not seem like a particularly large step, but it was a step I had never even considered taking.
How might your career path have differed if you’d stayed in your home country?
The first piece I directed was Harbour Grace, a one-act play I’d written for the FourPlay Theatre Festival in Paris.
They were short on directors, I was available – the rest is history. It was like a light went on for me during that process
Suddenly I could see all the pieces and knew exactly where they fit. Since then I’ve directed several shows in Paris, one of which had over 500 audience members during its 5-night run in the Arènes de Montmartre. I don’t know if I would’ve had the opportunity to find my feet in the same way if I’d stayed in Vancouver.
Do your future career goals involve living abroad or traveling for work?
I’m currently looking into getting my MFA in Directing here in Paris. Life moves in such mysterious ways.
On Lifestyle
Why do you enjoy traveling?
I love the feeling I get when I’m someplace where no one knows me. The possibilities seem endless.
Do you think young people in your home country would benefit from traveling more? Living abroad more? Why?
Absolutely.
Travel has a way of showing you just how strong you are, and I believe that every young person would benefit from discovering they are more capable than they ever imagined. Once you’ve found your way back to your hostel in Prague at 3AM with nothing but a soggy map, you know that you can handle anything life throws at you
Would you recommend backpacking and budget travel? Why?
I recommend trying everything once. You meet the wildest people in hostel rooms with 10+ bunk beds. Don’t forget to lock your bags though!
Closing Question
What advice would you give to a young person who knows they want to travel but aren’t sure where that fits in with the rest of their lives?
Life is a lot longer than I imagined it would be when I graduated high school. I truly believed I was going to have it all figured out by the time I was 25. I’m 26 now, and (spoiler) I only have the vaguest clue what I’m doing.
So much of what I now consider my “life” is a collection of moments that made me aware of having a soul – because all of sudden I could feel it there, humming, inside of my body.
I think of Avicii blasting through a German amusement park, being chased by cows in the English countryside, making love during a Thai thunderstorm, and tumbling off a bus onto the Champs-Élysées at five o’clock in the morning
I never could have imagined that these moments would ‘fit into my life’, because I never could have imagined these moments at all. So if even the tiniest voice inside of you is saying “see the world”, get out there. I can’t promise that travelling is easy (it has made me more resilient for a reason), but if you are afraid of missing a milestone, a job opportunity, or a relationship while you’re off trekking through Costa Rica, I can promise that thing wasn’t meant for you anyway. Find the moments that set your soul on fire. The rest will follow.
Editor’s note: This interview has been lightly edited for clarity
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Thank you for reading Fearless Friday No. 19 – Taylor; President, Director of Cygnet Theatre in Paris
If you connected with Taylor’s story as a fellow expat in Paris, Canadian traveler, or just human being, she invites you to connect with her on her personal Instagram account and that of Cygnet Theatre in Paris.
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“So much of what I now consider my “life” is a collection of moments that made me aware of having a soul – because all of a sudden I could feel it there, humming, inside of my body.”
This is my new favorite definition of life.
She has quite a way with words, doesn’t she 🙂