Post "A Life Update (Members Video)" by "rchapman" from patreon

michelle4711

Hope your move went well and you're enjoying life in France, have you managed to learn much French yet? :)

Ryan Chapman

Thank you! That's quite the travel resume on your part. Welcome, and happy to have you here.

Chieko

A just joined member. Welcome to Europe! I left my country, Japan, went to Salem/Oregon, Indonesia, Vienna, Rome, Delhi, and now Brussels/Tokyo. Living in different places and socializing with different people educated me so much. I wish you all the best.

Ronald Mobbs

Intrigued as to why France…. 👍

John Boushka

Max Reisinger (Creator Camp, Circle Park) spent a lot of his boyhood in France, as you can tell from his channel, as he is now in Austin TX). Also Nathaniel Drew has lived in France for a number of years, not sure about now.

Jelena P

Good luck Ryan! Just joined you on here after following for a while on YouTube. This all sound very exciting and please consider coming visiting us in the UK! Please do an update about French as well. Always wanted to learn

Roger.Cox49

Ryan, Best of luck to you. I have had the good fortune to travel and meet people in several countries. In India, Vietnam, Egypt, and Germany, I learned that we all share the same basic needs and dreams for ourselves and our loved ones. In Germany, I served as an LDS missionary for 2 years and grew to love and understand the people at a level that a 1 or 2 week visit cannot provide.

Roger.Cox49

Ryan,

Adam

Best of luck, Ryan. Looking forward to seeing what’s next.

Maggie55

I've only just seen your video announing your departure from the US. I hope the move is progressing well. it takes time to settle in to a new place. It's great to get away to a new environment, clears the head. France is wonderful but can be tough in terms of making friends. All the best to you for the future. I have to ask "Are you there yet"?

Mathew Wright

Good luck! Remember, there are many activities for making new friends- you don't have to talk to someone to play tennis with them! Stay sane and take care!

Gyavira Tuz

Best of Luck Ryan, your videos have helped me a lot

Anton Berg

Best of luck to you! There will be a cultural shock for you moving to France from the US. My fiance moved to Sweden for me 7 years ago, so i know 2nd hand what that's like. Take your time to get into it, you will truly get to understand that there are things you take for granted in people that just isnt so in other countries. And yes these sorts of videos are appreciated, always good to know whats up :)

Kyle Isaac

Somehow, I missed this when it was posted. Ryan, I have enjoyed the thoroughness and objectiveness with which you cover topics. I look forward to more once you've settled in, especially if your new experiences help provide insight.

Avram

I'm really late to this as it came out when I was traveling. But I lived in France back in 2016, it's such a phenomenal country with such an amazing culture. I'm not sure if it's on your radar at all, but I could not recommend one city more highly than Toulouse to move to. Its one of the friendliest cities I've been to, it really captures the epitome of french culture with tons of people taking breaks from work to spend time at cafes, there's ton of markets, and it's just a beautiful and peaceful city. Plus it's in southern France so their accents are far easier to understand. Its a great place for someone who doesn't speak fluent French yet

Paradigm Gauge

I think being geographically in Europe gives you an opportunity to explore and connect internationally much easier than in the United States, as there is a wide array of cultural differences squished into a super-continent that is easier for you to physically access. My oldest son was accepted into the NYU international program, so he spent his first two years studying economics at NYU Shanghai, and that experience for me, as a parent whose information comes entirely from U.S. culture (news, social media, etc), helped to course-correct a couple of assumptions that are reinforced by Western narratives. Anyway, you are the only Patreon account I support, and it's not easy for me right now because I'm unemployed, but I justify it because of your conscious attempt to avoid bias both in your lectures and in your tone. I have channeled people to your videos for that reason. I'm very sorry about the break-up, which was clearly painful, and sometimes that can be a motivator to flee. But you seem to be spinning your emotional needs into something productive and useful, which is very smart. So I wish you the best, and I'll keep watching for your work!

Knobitobi

Good luck with your transition.

Martina

Dear Ryan! As someone who spends time in China, I especially really appreciate your video on Chinese versus Western political philosophy, very good explanations.// Wishing you all the best for finding a good place, to find peace and continue your excellent work. //As someone here said, I also lived for a while in the Netherlands and it’s definitely an interesting country, maybe more open to foreigners than France. Unfortunately, many of our European countries (me Austria) are going right politically. // All the best for making the right choice for you.

Marc LaFleur

Best of luck through this difficult transition. While you research France, try to get out to Brittany. I've been to Rennes for work and can recommend the area as a solid place to live in France. If France, does not work out, consider the Netherlands. If Europe does not work out, consider the province of Quebec. Montreal is very bilingual. Quebec City is more francophone, but quite different from the rest of North America.

Jack Miller

It’s apparent that your mind and energy cannot and should not be confined to, or satisfied by, one culture’s worldview, whether the US or France or any other. So go for it, Ryan, knowing we support you fully wherever and however you land. I hope you will explore beyond the French someday, perhaps Germany, Switzerland or the Netherlands. These are worthy of your deep intellect and passion. But carry our hearts in your heart so we can continue to grow and develop together. All best!

Ryan Chapman

Hey Lee! (or the full Lee-Larsen?) That's incredibly kind of you to offer, and I may someday take you up on that. I've never been to the Netherlands and would love to have someone show me around when the trip inevitably happens.

Christopher Paul Bettridge

Wow, Ryan, I'm really sorry to hear about your woes; and I know from personal experience what is like to share that in front of an audience (mine was reading poetry in college about my ex-fiancee.....a dour mood prevailed). So good on ya to keep grabbing what you want, even in difficult times, and trying to find what change awaits. Takes courage, man. I'm Canadian so they started to make us learn Québécois français around grade 4 until high school, and I'm a quarter Québécois too; my Mom's people were from Montréal. So I speak a little of it, but you wouldn't want my accent in Metropolitan France! It's considered 'bastardized', but I say ' Pater incertus est', eh? Take care of yerself man, look forward to hearing from La Ville Lumière

Felix Niklas Binder

Welcome to Europe and hopefully see you soon!

Tactical Bagels

98% of the popular ones, for sure. Sadly the few sane voices get far less popularity than they deserve.

Bill Lanza

Best of luck. Keep the great content coming. One thing I would consider is EU (and other contries’) internet/speech codes which at times can be quite illiberal. It would be disappointing if you had to self censor to avoid legal issues.

Tanner Hagen

One of the difficult things is finding creators that have that curiosity quality to them and approach a problem with their own bias in mind in search of “truth”. In search of truth not as a platitude, but actually putting in work. You’re one of those on my list, good luck.

Heidi Victoria Saglund

Ah, oui, that's the way to do it!

Christopher Premo

You're going to do well. I will continue to support you. Thank you for your transparency.

Shelden

Bretagne in the summer, Provençe in the winter, n’est-ce pas?

Shelden

That’s certainly a heterodox perspective, Chris. Thanks for sharing it.

Shelden

Bagels, your first two sentences expressed my reaction to the “not naming names” comment except that I’d up the percentage to about 98%.

Darren Ezekiel Devaraj

Hi Ryan! Thank you for your vulnerability. I hope you take care too!

Dennis McCarty

When one door closes, another one opens...I applaud your endeavor to continuously improve and wish you the best of luck

Jerame

of course, you still have my support. I wish you the best in wherever you end up and whatever you chose to do. I would be remiss if I didn't say it's a real loss for you to leave the country. The political climate in the states in grotesque. I find it down right depressing right now. We lack voices like yours in the discourse. That frames your move in a trying prospective.

martin warner

Very best of luck with the move. Good choice, France is a cultured country. That, coming from an Englishman means a great deal. Peace and goodwill.

Lee-Larsen

Hi Ryan, I am a Danish writer living with my wife in the Netherlands - which is just north of France for all you Americans ;) - write me a message if you want to spend a couple of days up here, then I will show you around. Just renovated my "little library" guest room, you are welcome to stay here on your visit.

Tim Elston

Nice move. The cradle of existentialism and post-modernism. There is a lot to dig into there. Are you going to Middlebury's language immersion program? That's what I thought of first when you said you need to learn French quickly. I'm on a slower pace, but I started learning German this year using LingQ's comprehensible input system because I want to move there after retirement and get proficient enough to read some of the German philosophers. After that, France, zu lernen Französich zu lesen Bucher auf Französisch. I will be interested to watch your French inspired content, when you get to it.

Eddie Fronczek

Thanks for sharing and safe travels. Can't wait for the next update. I would love to move to Switzerland someday.

Michael Bracey

Good luck on the next chapter of your life! Would love to know why France?

John

So, I’ve come to enjoy and rely on your content above all others because I trust the work that you do. That’s why I Patreon at twenty five dollars a month. That being said even after ten years of living in France you will find that you are still an American living in France. Nothing against France it’s just that you will always be an American and think like an American because that’s where you were born. I wish you all the best in whatever you do. I hope you continue to make these wonderful and important videos that have become so very important to me.

Jake Marquez and Maren Morgan

Totally agree with you on America narrowing perspective and making sanity difficult. That’s why we’re looking to move to Europe as soon as we can as well.

Nicolas Salliou

Frenchman here, you're very welcome in my home country! Bretagne was mentionned up there, that's my home region, I can obectivly say it's a very beautiful place 😉 France is so diverse that it's a good idea to look around before eventually commiting to a certain place. I can also start to comment in French if that can help ^^ Bon courage et bon voyage!

Eli Waltz

If you're not 100% sold on France yet, I recommend a detour on your journeys to Switzerland. IMO, an unusual and very interesting system of government. An old school confederation and double distilled representative democracy where the Presidency rotates between individuals on a council of seven with a fixed 1-year term. Look into it! Also beautiful food, mountains and people. Sorry to hear about the breakup. Sending you good vibes

Brian

I am currently trying to learn German. It was between that and French. The north or west European area seems like a good place to branch out to. I have Dutch ancestry, so maybe even Netherlands. It is quite possible we would like to branch out for the same reasons.

Dan

Important update on your world, Ryan, sincerely delivered, and it is evident that you are at a big crossroads in your life. I am sure that you are choosing France for the best of reasons, but be aware that as a European that speaks some French and has travelled there often for holidays and business that it is likely to be a bigger cultural jump than you might imagine, the French are a great people, but more formal and distant than you will be used to. The language is vital for engagement, very few speak English well, outside of hospitality, but even then, cultural engagement will be difficult, so choose carefully which part of France you wish to live, Paris is likely to be difficult to settle into, in my opinion the locals tend perhap to be s a bit like New Yorkers, and warmth isn't their strong suit as they are so busy. The South is slower, but whatever you do go for a big town, or you will be isolated in a rural idyll, slow pace of life, but few people to make good contact with. I could go on, but I suggest before burning any boats try a few months and then reassess. I wish you bonne chance, but please keep us updated. Wishing you well.

Bob Nicholson

Ryan, So sorry to hear about the breakup. I have two bits of advice: 1) Wait a minute before making huge decisions. You're an over-thinker so I'm certain you've given this a lot of thought. But you're under stress and probably some depression and anxiety. 2) I've lived in Europe for ten years in Germany, Spain and Portugal, and have traveled extensively. I'm certain there are solid reasons why you chose France, but I would reconsider if I were you. Of all the countries I've resided and visited, France is at the bottom of my list. Spanish and Italians are much more friendly, and Germans are industrious and intellectually curious. Germany is quite easy to get by with English, and the language is remarkably easier to grasp than French. I wish you well wherever you settle. Peace, my brother.

Tactical Bagels

“Without naming names” because we would be here for a very long time. You describe like 90% of Political content creators. You are a rare gem I wouldn’t want to lose. Do what you need to in order to keep your excellent quality, even at the cost of quantity. Whatever happens, I know it will be an opportunity for growth, and I know you’ll take that opportunity. Good luck. You have my support.

Jared Fry

You seem like a good dude. Sorry to hear about the messy breakup. I imagine you took these things to heart. Looking forward to hearing how things are going when you get a new heading.

michael lemos

Gosh Ryan..I’d love to sit down over coffee and have a great conversation. You seem like a deep and logical thinker.

Job Veltman

Love it, great video. Maybe you could get to know the country by making a video about the politics that led to the establishment of the banlieues, to its problems, and the politics that cause problems not to be addressed. My hypothesis: congrats on moving from one dysfunctional democracy to the next :)

Chris

I deeply enjoy your mind. That said your message reminds me of one of my favorite passages. I wonder what you think of it and what you hope to get out moving to another place. I don’t mean to hold you accountable—you don’t need to explain yourself to me—but I wonder what you hope for because I sometimes think of of doing the same even though I can’t articulate a reason for _why_ it would be good. https://athenist.com/s/IvpLvzu2ISc|PwZ960QGLu0 It is for want of self-culture that the superstition of Traveling, whose idols are Italy, England, Egypt, retains its fascination for all educated Americans. They who made England, Italy, or Greece venerable in the imagination did so by sticking fast where they were, like an axis of the earth. In manly hours, we feel that duty is our place. The soul is no traveler; the wise man stays at home, and when his necessities, his duties, on any occasion call him from his house, or into foreign lands, he is at home still; and shall make men sensible by the expression of his countenance, that he goes the missionary of wisdom and virtue, and visits cities and men like a sovereign, and not like an interloper or a valet. I have no churlish objection to the circumnavigation of the globe, for the purposes of art, of study, and benevolence, so that the man is first domesticated, or does not go abroad with the hope of finding somewhat greater than he knows. He who travels to be amused, or to get somewhat which he does not carry, travels away from himself, and grows old even in youth among old things. In Thebes, in Palmyra, his will and mind have become old and dilapidated as they. He carries ruins to ruins. Traveling is a fool’s paradise. Our first journeys discover to us the indifference of places. At home I dream that at Naples, at Rome, I can be intoxicated with beauty, and lose my sadness. I pack my trunk, embrace my friends, embark on the sea, and at last wake up in Naples, and there beside me is the stern fact, the sad self, unrelenting, identical, that I fled from. I seek the Vatican, and the palaces. I affect to be intoxicated with sights and suggestions, but I am not intoxicated. My giant goes with me wherever I go. But the rage of traveling is a symptom of a deeper unsoundness affecting the whole intellectual action.

Heidi Victoria Saglund

Life's about understanding the world and ourselves in it. Growing up in Norway, as an adult, I left and lived in the US for 15 years for the same reasons you mentioned, then back to Norway. Although we're now half in Sweden as well. My heart though, belongs to France. Good for you!

Tim bennett

I find your way of looking at the world inspiring. :) I don't have the health to move around but I've brought a set of The Great Books of The Western World to try to keep growing, as a high school drop out from being dyslexic and on the spectrum (I didn't know that until I was 40) I don't know how I will go. Good luck with French and hope it all goes well for you.

Mark Adams

We wish you the best of luck on this new chapter in your life. May it prove to be a path to emotional healing and personal growth.

Heidi Victoria Saglund

Welcome to Europe! I would consider Bretagne, France due to the climate in the summertime (Provence is simply too hot) + beautiful scenery and the closeness to the coast. My friend lives there and truly loves it after many years living in Paris.

jonathan jönsson

Welcome to Europe!

Mark Cooten

I don't know if you know him already, bit you could reach out to Mike Duncan (history of Rome, revolutions podcasts) for advice on living in France. Sounds amazing.

Moreen Carvan

Ryan, you have clearly described a healthy understanding of yourself. I appreciate your courage in sharing what must be both painful and exhilarating decisions. I hope you are kind to yourself as you take these steps. Leaving a monoculture, by choice, is equally courageous. I'm a Patreon subscriber because you have a reasoned perspective and voice, and because I've seen you grow. I wish you well, and hope you bring your unfiltered self here, to your space, and allow us all to support your development as you support ours.

Andrew Knowlton

Appreciate the update! And sorry about the rough change you’re going through but I really admire your commitment to evolving and keeping and open mind

Mathieu St-Louis

Doing the Jim Morrison thing are we? Well good luck, i actually thought of having France as a retirement plan but I think they’re a little too pretentious for me.

Kaerakh

I think moving to a new country is a very valuable experience. I lived in Korea for half a year and it had profound effects on my world and political views that was very beneficially moderating. It also made me a firm believer in the effects of linguistic relativism and that a person should be mindful of what the deep meanings of words are. I hope this kind of experience will be similarly valuable to you.