Paris, France, ZIP Code: 92400
When I first landed in Paris as a Network Project Manager for an Indian multinational, I imagined my life would be filled with office hours and quiet evenings. But reality shaped itself differently. My family still lives in Assam, and without them here, I have learned to make work not just my duty, but also my companion and my way of exploring France.
Field work as my gateway to France
I live in a modest apartment in La Défense, the modern business district of Paris where glass towers dominate the skyline. It feels worlds apart from the quiet green fields of Assam, but it has become my base and my launch pad for countless journeys across the city and beyond.
La Défense
My job requires me to move around constantly. Network installations, troubleshooting, and site visits take me into the heart of Paris as well as its suburbs. I’ve had urgent calls in Saint-Denis, where the Gothic basilica holds centuries of French royal history. In Nanterre, my workdays ended with strolls through local parks filled with families and students. Sometimes, assignments take me further out like to Rouen, where the Seine shimmers under the afternoon sun, or to Reims, where vineyards roll endlessly into the horizon.
These trips have given me the chance to see France in a way most visitors never do. Every assignment feels like a purposeful journey. While others might see field visits as a burden, I see them as tickets to discovery.
Why I work on weekends
Most of my colleagues in Paris prefer to guard their weekends. But with my family far away in Assam, weekends would have felt empty without work. So, I chose a different path. I take on the urgent jobs — the ones no one volunteers for. A downed network line late on a Saturday or a surprise installation request on a Sunday morning? I am the one who goes.
For me, it isn’t just about keeping busy. It’s about finding joy in being needed and seeing new places while doing it. The work keeps me connected, not just to my company, but also to the city and its surroundings.
A Paris suburb
Paris with colleagues from India
Of course, not all weekends are about urgent calls and fieldwork. Sometimes colleagues from India fly in for short official trips. Those are the weekends when I trade my field bag for a tourist map.
When they arrive, eager but unsure of how to make the most of their limited time, I step into the role of guide. With me, they don’t have to worry about directions, language barriers, or wasting precious hours figuring out metro lines. Together, we visit the classics: standing in awe beneath the Eiffel Tower as it sparkles at night, strolling down the Champs-Élysées, marveling at the art inside the Louvre, and finding quiet moments at Sacré-Cœur with its panoramic view of the city.
What they enjoy most, I think, is the comfort of seeing Paris with someone who knows it through the eyes of a local. And for me, their company feels like a slice of home.
Eiffel Tower
Between Asaam and Paris
I sometimes miss Assam deeply — the smell of the monsoons, the rhythm of family life, the warmth of my roots. But Paris has taught me to build an independent life. My work takes me to places beyond postcards, my weekends are filled with both service and discovery, and my visiting colleagues bring joy and companionship to balance the solitude.
For many, Paris is a dream destination. For me, it is a city of both work and wonder, where every urgent call, every unexpected trip, and every visiting friend adds another layer to my story.
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