A French designer, who moved to India some two years ago, admitted that it turned out to be one of the “best decisions” of her life. Julia Chaigneau shared that she now truly “feels at home” in the South Asian country.
‘Moving to India was the best decision’
“Hi, I’m Julia, a French designer and almost two years ago, I moved to India,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Chaigneau revealed that although “nobody around her understood it” at the time, moving to India ranks among the best choices she has ever made.
Explaining her decision, she further wrote, “I was looking for a place where being ambitious didn’t feel like something I had to apologise for. I wanted a place where helping each other and being warmer would be the norm.”
Julia admitted she took the leap without knowing exactly what awaited her.
‘Golgappe blew my mind’
“I moved without really knowing what I would find and didn’t expect to just feel at home in a place so different from where I come from,” she added.
Among the many things she cherishes here are the flavours of Indian cuisine. She confessed, “I fell in love with the flavours and endless variety of dishes, though I’ll never get through them all in one lifetime.” In the comments section, she admitted that local delicacies like golgappe or panki “blew her mind”. “I got completely addicted to it when I was living in Ahmedabad,” she expressed.
“There is much more to this story, and maybe I will dive a bit more into details, but for now I’m grateful I found this home for myself, and I hope others find theirs too,” she wrapped up her heartwarming social media post with these words. x
Hi I’m Julia, a French designer and almost two years ago, I moved to India.
— Julia Chaigneau (@juliachaigneau) August 31, 2025
One of the best decisions I’ve ever made, even if nobody around me understood it then (or now).
I was looking for a place where being ambitious didn’t feel like something I had to apologize for. I… pic.twitter.com/SDjEcTd8Sp
‘Padharo mhare desh,’ say social media users
“This is amazing! Love this, Julia. So glad you found your place here,” commented one person.
Another added, “What a beautiful and courageous story! Thank you for sharing it. It is incredible how you trusted your instinct and found a place where your ambition is celebrated & your spirit feels at home. It reminds people that ‘home’ is not always where you are from, but where you think you can be your true self.”
“Padharo Mharo desh [Welcome to my country],” read yet another comment.