Lost in Translation: How a Bag of Onions Taught Me a Real Expat Lesson

thriveonthrough
May 5
3 min read

Updated: 18 hours ago

When I moved to France, I expected some culture shock. I'd prepared myself for the bureaucracy, the fashion pressure, and the existential mystery that is French small talk. But I never imagined my undoing would come in the form of a bag of onions.

It was week two in my new life. I'd finally figured out how to use my métro card, I had a French bank account (after surviving four appointments and bringing my entire paper trail since birth), and I was ready to try and cook an actual meal -- you know, to feel like a functioning adult.

So I went to the local supermarket with the confidence of someone who'd recently mastered ordering a baguette tradition without embarrassing themselves. And then I found myself in front of a wall of onions. Yellow ones. Red ones. Ones labeled 'oignons doux', which sounded too poetic to dice. Another bag said 'à cuire', which I assumed meant “for cooking,” but I had started to lose trust in my knowledge of French vocabulary.

I picked one at random and rolled with it.

Cut to me at home, tears streaming down my face (not from the onions), realizing I'd bought a variety so mild and sweet it completely disappeared in my stir-fry. Which, by the way, I was cooking with a pan that may or may not have been meant for something else. Again -- unclear.

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The Real Lesson of the French Onion:

Of course, it wasn't about the onions. It was about how foreign everything felt -- even the simplest things.

How draining it is to constantly decode cultural norms. How even grocery shopping takes twice as long because you're mentally translating ingredients, then trying to figure out whether crème fraîche is a substitute for sour cream (spoiler alert: it is... kind of). How every polite interaction feels like a test you didn't study for.

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The Expat Reality:

Regardless of what country you relocated to, every expat has had that moment. Maybe yours was at the préfecture, at the boulangerie when you asked for “un pain au chocolat” in the wrong region (looking at you, chocolatine), or when someone replied 'bah oui, évidemment' and you still weren't sure if that meant “of course” or “you idiot.”

France, like most foreign countries, will charm you, frustrate you, and change you -- often in the same afternoon.

But here's the truth: it's all part of becoming someone new. A version of yourself that's more flexible, more self-aware, and definitely better at wine pairings.

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What I've Learned As An Expat:

- You don't need to have it all together to belong there.

- Missing home doesn't mean you made the wrong move.

- Feeling like a fish out of water is part of learning how to swim again.

- And yes -- one day you will laugh about crying in the produce aisle.

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Final Thought:

Living abroad isn't just about learning a new language -- it's about learning a new version of yourself. It's challenging and magical and deeply human. So if you're out here struggling with administrative paperwork, feeling unsure, or wondering why no one warned you about August shutdowns… just know:

You're not alone. You're not failing. You're becoming.

And we've all cried over onions here. 🧅🇫🇷

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