So, I have a new section for my website where I’ll be talking about the events of the past week. And the first installment of this series will be titled “Moves.” Why the plural form? Let me explain

So - move number one - I think I’ve finally settled in the Paris suburbs, in Antony. I’ve actually been living here since December and even got to experience those wonderful snowy weeks. But yesterday I finally moved almost all of my remaining belongings from my apartment in Paris

Not quite everything, because there are still a few odds and ends left there, but we’ll be vacating the apartment next week, on the 23rd. So I’ll bring the rest over later. Or maybe I’ll just throw them away. It’s just how it goes - you move, and you have this amazing chance to toss out everything you’ve been hoarding for years but, for some reason, never used

Well, welcome to the new place and get the hell out of here, because you’re not wanted here. I’m talking about the stuff, just so you know.

But there's one big fucking “but” in all this...

The upcoming move - number two - is going to be a total clusterfuck

As it turns out, our startup has been accepted into a program in the wonderful city of Heilbronn, which, much to my regret, isn’t exactly close to Paris. To be more precise, it’s not even in France. It’s in Germany. Starting around April 13, and for at least 12 weeks - and up to six months in total - I’ll be living in two countries. My main base will be temporarily in Germany, but business commitments in Paris will require us to shuttle back and forth between the two cities and countries

Well, I guess I’ll have to brush up on my German. I know, of course, that everyone will be speaking English during the program. But the town itself is small, and you can’t count on people at the bakery to understand you in English

Oh, whatever - I came to France without knowing a word of French either, and now I can speak it pretty well

And since we’ve brought up Germany - let’s continue talking about work. Our startup was selected as a winner of the HIIT program, organized under the patronage of French President Emmanuel Macron and former Health Minister Olivier Véran, who served during the COVID-19 pandemic. The list of participants is quite impressive, but that’s not the point. The point is that one of the weeks in May will be entirely dedicated to introducing the startup’s founders to France’s healthcare ecosystem. Starting with the large network of hospitals in Île-de-France and ending with the Ministry of Health

Speaking of language, my medical French is much better than my general French. But I’m not a doctor. I’m a technical director. Oh well, that’s just the nature of my job - it’s interesting in every sense of the word

HIIT is the main reason I need to find a comfortable spot on a car, train, or bus so I can successfully zip between cities. Well, actually, there are a couple more things - first of all, I still don’t have my plastic residence permit, so I’ll need to stop by and pick that up, and our company has its headquarters in Paris, so I need to keep that in mind as well

One thing that stands out is that, amidst all this variety, I really should make a stop in Luxembourg - though I don’t have any details yet, since I’m not quite sure how long I’ll be staying there - and finally take a vacation. Which is quite a challenge given all the hustle and bustle and other goings-on

Otherwise, it’s been a quiet, peaceful week - the kind you’d be hard-pressed to find. Just kidding. Actually, this week has really worn me out, leaving me no time for running, the gym, or photography. Speaking partly about running, I’ve been in - let’s say - energy-saving mode myself, because first we packed boxes, then we carried boxes, then we lifted boxes. As a result, my Garmin showed me 80 floors climbed on Saturday, even though I live on the second floor - albeit the French second floor

That’s all for now - leave your comments, subscribe to the updates, and all that. Because ever since I started writing this column, I’ve realized one thing: my life is anything but boring