Imagine visiting Paris…and deciding to never go back home.
That was the case for a Temple University student who moved her entire life to France, found love and amazing opportunities, including writing about French life and cuisine.
This is the story of a Philadelphian turned Parisian.
Montgomery County native Lindsey Tramuta was always a lover of language, particularly the French language.
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“I fell into this most wonderful and encouraging and enriching French literature and language program at Temple and at some point that translated to being encouraged to come to France,” Tramuta said.
When she stepped foot in France, she knew it was the place she wanted to be quite quickly.
Tramuta’s story isn’t just one of falling in love with a new place but also of falling in love—literally.
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Just three days after arriving in Paris, Tramuta met a Frenchman who she would soon after marry.
She returned to Philadelphia just for a U.S. wedding reception and iconic picture in front of City Hall before returning to her life abroad.
A fascination with the French language quickly became a fondness for France and all that it has to offer.
“Some people can feel defeated by challenge and… moving to Paris, France isn’t easy…no there’s a little bit of a challenge,” she said. “I think there’s something in me that clearly allows me to come up to bat and I don’t know is that the Philly thing? I don’t know.”
A Philly thing that she still wears proudly even while being immersed in all things French.
“There’s a whole regional pride, you know you grow up watching Eagles and Phillies and you know when you are face to face with a New Yorker who’s going to tease you about being from Philly either because like you’re what, the underdog? I don’t think so… I’m prepared to put them in check,” she said about defending Philly to its core.
A bestselling author of “The New Paris” and “The New Parisian,” Tramuta is also a contributor to publications such as the New York Times, Conde Nast, Travel and Leisure and more.
“I took to writing as a way of saying okay I’m going to go out into Paris and I’m going to explore restaurants or museums or parks or whatever sort of basic things and then talk about it on a blog…as a way of saying okay I feel connected to this place,” she said.
Since moving to France Tramuta has lived in the same neighborhood with her husband for the last 17 years.
“It’s not only grown on me, it feels like my actual home,” she said. “I basically built my life here and so for that I don’t think I could ever leave.”
This is the latest installment in the French Connections: Paris and Philly series that airs every week on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and 11 p.m. leading up to the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
