Illustration: Marylu Herrera
This week, an American pupil in Paris hooks up, will get ghosted, and goes for a shvitz: 25, single, Paris
DAY ONE
10:30 a.m. Get up, have Greek yogurt, and take into consideration the day forward. I’m on a Fulbright getting my grasp’s diploma at a public college and my courses are on Thursdays and Fridays. Subsequent month, I’m beginning an internship at a nonprofit serving to French organizations apply for funding. I’ll have a lot much less free time, so I’m having fun with these previous couple of weeks.
11:30 a.m. Take the tram to lunch at a pupil canteen. In France, college students can eat a big, normally first rate meal at any college restaurant within the nation for €3.30. I’ve cod with white sauce, steamed greens, pasta, and a chocolate éclair.
1 p.m. Dwelling. Learn a biography of Catherine the Nice, then work on a brief story I’m writing in French. My diploma is in European Affairs, however I wish to be a author, so I write.
2:30 p.m. Stroll to the fitness center and get groceries at Lidl.
6 p.m. Canvassing with the Socialist Celebration. You don’t must be a French citizen to affix. We’re getting ready for native elections in March, which the correct wing has an actual probability of successful. We go in pairs round a public-housing advanced in my neighborhood to remind voters concerning the election and inform them about our candidate.
7:30 p.m. My roommate, Alex, and I are good mates from undergrad within the States, so we hang around lots. Tonight, he’s along with his boyfriend, so I’ve dinner solo: a baguette with butter and leftover roast hen from our vacation potluck. End Catherine the Nice biography.
8:30 p.m. Sexy. Open Grindr and Sniffies. Alex comes house along with his boyfriend, Stephan, which is ok (and he requested!), however I wish to have some enjoyable of my very own. I’m coming off a dry spell on account of asymptomatic oral chlamydia, provenance unknown. I’ve plans with just a few guys this weekend, however it’s not the weekend but.
9 p.m. Sniffies isn’t widespread in France like it’s at house — it’s principally vacationers. Chat with Tommy, a cute man visiting from the U.S.
I’m making an attempt to keep away from guests and guys in open relationships as a result of I need one thing severe. However … this man is cute and shut by, so fuck it. Head to his lodge. It’s a cringe hostel within the tenth, however he has an enormous personal room.
10 p.m. Tommy is even cuter in particular person and really candy. He has tattoos and chest hair. We kiss passionately within the large mattress. I’ve introduced poppers (authorized in France!), which makes all the things extra sensual.
We strip. I flip him over and eat him out, then enter him missionary and uncooked. It’s scorching, and he brings out my extra dominant, verbal aspect. I end inside him and he orgasms concurrently.
We cuddle, and I get arduous once more, which I anticipated. It’s usually straightforward for me to go for a second spherical. Tommy sucks me, then does what I actually love, calmly teasing my balls, taint, thighs, and gap along with his tongue and stubble. It’s so intense and good — it doesn’t take me lengthy to complete a second time.
In spite of everything this, Tommy tells me about himself. He’s from the western U.S. and works in fuel, which requires him to journey lots. He’s leaving early, however says I ought to sleep within the room till checkout. It’s good.
DAY TWO
6 a.m. Tommy and I say goodbye and change Instagrams earlier than he leaves for the prepare. Again to mattress.
10 a.m. My cellphone is nearly lifeless. There’s a restaurant close by I like, so I wait on the library till it opens for lunch.
I try Meursault, Contre-enquête, by Kamel Daoud. Sit down to complete The Catcher within the Rye, which I’m studying for the primary time. I borrowed it on a whim after seeing it on the English-language shelf. Nevertheless: I hate it. It may be the worst e-book I’ve learn this yr! Begin the Daoud novel.
12:30 p.m. Rooster and waffles for lunch! It jogs my memory of my household. They dwell within the South, the place I grew up. Lacking them is among the hardest components of being in France. Alex and I vacationed in Spain for the vacations final yr, so I’m actually excited to be going house this Christmas.
1:30 p.m. Dwelling. Cost my cellphone, textual content mates, fuck round on-line, learn, examine.
6 p.m. Alex comes again from class and affords to make shrimp pasta with a spicy tomato-cream sauce. Sure.
8 p.m. We get excessive and watch music movies: Addison Rae, Charli XCX, Kim Petras. I inform Alex about Tommy. He nods approvingly, solely after teasing me about my no-tourists rule.
10 p.m. As at all times, masturbate earlier than mattress.
DAY THREE
9:30 a.m. Zoom courses this week. The break from my commute is sweet— my college is within the far finish of the Paris suburbs — however it’s tougher to focus on-line. All my courses are in French, which already takes further focus. My professor cancels morning class, so I’m going to the fitness center.
Midday Afternoon courses on challenges dealing with the EU and European regional funding, plus preparation for our spring subject journey to Finland. Eat a leftover hen sandwich throughout break.
6:30 p.m. Have plans with a Grindr man I met final week. He desires to high me, however I’m undecided I wish to make the journey into central Paris. Take a bathe and notice I shouldn’t backside tonight, gastrointestinally talking. Textual content the man this information and ask if he nonetheless desires me to come back over. When he says we should always postpone, I’m miffed however relieved.
7:30 p.m. Alex and I get Chinese language meals. I’ve spicy beef with rice. Low cost, filling, and scrumptious.
9 p.m. Learn earlier than mattress.
DAY FOUR
8:30 a.m. Yogurt, Zoom class about NGOs.
Midday Boil a bag of frozen pierogi.
2 p.m. Class on the EU’s present challenges.
5 p.m. Had a Grindr hookup deliberate, however earlier, I checked to substantiate, and he’d blocked me or deleted his account — not unusual. Stephan, Alex, and I watch the premiere of Heated Rivalry, the brand new homosexual hockey present.
Stephan has to depart. Alex and I’m going to a brasserie within the twelfth. I get blanquette de veau with profiteroles, and we cut up a carafe of white wine and a few prosciutto (22 euros!).
10 p.m. Stroll to the theater to see The Richest Girl within the World, a French black comedy concerning the Bettencourt affair. I’m going to the films extra earlier than I flip 26 subsequent month and lose my youth low cost. Tickets shall be twice as costly. Tonight, I pay €5.90.
1 a.m. Dwelling on the tram.
DAY FIVE
10:30 a.m. Usually I’d sleep in on a weekend, however I’m leafleting with the Socialist Celebration at a farmers’ market.
11 a.m. Pouring rain. We abandon the hassle.
Midday Alex makes carbonara, then we go to the Musée des Arts et Métiers, a museum of business design in central Paris. Most museums are free in the event you’re a authorized resident below 26 — one other factor to make the most of earlier than my birthday.
3 p.m. Fitness center. Tonight I’m seeing Kevin, a French man I went on a pair dates with a yr in the past. We reconnected final month and he invited me out dancing, so I recommended we pregame at my house with Alex.
5 p.m. End the Daoud novel and do homework.
9 p.m. Kevin arrives. He, Alex, and I’ve apéro — cheese, sausage, bread, pork rillettes, potato chips — whereas watching music movies. We name this “homosexual man music-video evening,” and it’s a cherished pastime.
Midnight Depart for the membership. Raidd is a lowest-common denominator: free entry; conveniently within the Marais, Paris’s homosexual district; performs Anglophone pop. It’s pretty touristy, however nothing else super-interesting is going on tonight.
12:30 a.m. The membership isn’t as crowded as regular, and the music additionally isn’t pretty much as good — bizarre remixes! All of us do poppers. Kevin and I make out and grind, however I really feel like we’re going by means of the motions.
1:45 a.m. Alex leaves to make the final prepare. I keep longer — it’s believable Kevin and I’ll go house collectively or go to a different membership.
2:45 a.m. Fatigue wears on us. I invite Kevin house, however he declines, saying we’ll do it one other evening. I’ve doubts. Take the evening bus house.
DAY SIX
1 p.m. I sleep in. Frozen paella for lunch. No concrete plans in the present day, however I’ve acquired a reply on Grindr from Paul, who I messaged on Friday whereas perusing the grid on the brasserie. He’s super-cute — tall, toned, bearded. He’s heading into the Marais to hang around. I don’t know something about him, however he agrees to fulfill for espresso! That is Grindr at its finest — it’s usually way more torturous.
3 p.m. Arrive on the café. Paul could be very cute. The dialog flows simply. He says he hardly ever makes use of Grindr as a result of he doesn’t like to simply hook up and needs one thing severe. I like this! Although I’m responsible of utilizing apps to hook up, I’m on the lookout for a relationship.
Paul pays for my espresso. (This occurs extra usually in France than the U.S.) He advised me on Grindr that he’s stopping by a close-by underwear retailer that has a sale, since he has a fetish for attractive underwear. I counsel teasingly that we go collectively, since I want to purchase a brand new Speedo. He agrees and proposes that we stroll round first. It’s chilly however sunny — uncommon in Paris this time of yr. We stroll throughout the Seine to Île-Saint-Louis, stand in a shiny spot on the embankment, and kiss. Not all French males like PDA, so that is reassuring.
5 p.m. The underwear retailer is 2 tales and has plenty of choices. Paul accompanies me to the altering room and surveys me watchfully as I current myself in numerous pairs of Speedos. I really feel uncovered, however it’s extremely popular, particularly when he reaches to tug them down over my ass.
Paul picks out some thongs and we swap roles. Once I stick my head within the altering cabin, I’m speechless: He appears so scorching within the thong, particularly his ass. I can’t resist brushing my fingers throughout him briefly. We make purchases, and he asks me if I wish to get a cocktail at a close-by bar, his deal with.
5:30 p.m. The bar is darkish and fairly, and I’ve a tremendous apple-Amaretto drink. We kiss within the nook.
7 p.m. Paul asks me to dinner. We go to a Sichuan restaurant the place I just like the spicy soup with dumplings and roast duck. He asks what I’m doing tomorrow. I inform him I’ve no plans, and he suggests we go to the fitness center and have dinner after which I sleep over. I’m tempted, however hesitant — feels somewhat quick to do one thing so relationship-y? However I say sure as a result of it sounds very nice. We kiss good evening.
9 p.m. Dwelling. Begin The Marriage Portrait, by Maggie O’Farrell.
DAY SEVEN
9:30 a.m. Yogurt, fitness center.
11 a.m. Bathe. Take the tram to the closest college restaurant. Pork in tomato sauce with couscous. I’ve texted Paul to verify we’re nonetheless on for tonight, however he hasn’t replied, regardless that Instagram says “energetic now.” I inform myself that function most likely isn’t dependable (although I’m undecided that’s true).
1 p.m. Tram house. Learn. Examine. Attempt not to consider why Paul isn’t replying.
3 p.m. Fuck, I’m being ghosted. I sob for a couple of minutes. (Sure, actually!) I deserve some type of “fell for it once more” award. Briefly think about if it’s time to cease actively courting males. It looks as if there are at all times new terrors.
4 p.m. I don’t wish to be in my house anymore, so take the Métro into central Paris to stroll round, regardless that the solar is setting. I hearken to Lana Del Rey.
5 p.m. My good friend Henri texts asking me if I wish to go to the homosexual sauna tonight. I’m now free, apparently, and I’ve been eager to see him. Henri and I met in a distinct homosexual sauna in D.C. shortly earlier than I moved to Paris. We’re mates with advantages. I’m not removed from the sauna, so I’m going to a library that’s open till 7 to learn.
7 p.m. Meet Henri on the sauna. He’s attractive — Syrian, tall, bearded. He pays for my entrance (when he proposed going final week, I advised him I wasn’t within the temper to pay 15 euros, so he stated he would cowl it). I wasn’t profitable on my final couple of sauna visits, so I haven’t been shortly, however it’ll be good with Henri as a default associate to play with.
8 p.m. Henri and I are solely carrying towels, we begin sluggish: kissing, fondling, stroking. I suck him off within the steam room, and a good-looking man with lengthy hair sitting close by begins touching my dick, so the three of us play collectively. We get too sweaty after a bit, so we exit for the pool and chat with our new long-haired good friend, Jean-Paul. The three of us spend the remainder of our time bopping across the completely different sauna areas collectively, kissing and jerking and sucking. It’s very sensual. I’m not serious about Paul.
10 p.m. I’m the primary to depart. I haven’t had dinner, and I wish to go to a close-by pizza place earlier than it closes.
10:30 p.m. Wolf down a medium veggie pizza with white sauce and spicy oil (€5.90) earlier than the Métro house. The upcoming week is a clean slate by way of males, so I ponder if it’s a very good time to take somewhat step again … or not!
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