> At a Glance
> – Charlotte Wells, 30, posted a sarcastic TikTok of her daily six-flight climb to a Paris apartment that exploded online
> – A follow-up clip revealing the building’s tiny, broken elevator fueled even more debate
> – Why it matters: Her story shows how humor and small routines anchor a grounded life abroad-and how quickly the internet can amplify it
Charlotte Wells never planned to go viral; she simply needed to laugh her way up six flights of rickety stairs. Her deadpan TikTok about the trek now has millions of views and sparked a global conversation about expat realities.
From NYC Burnout to Paris Staircase
Burned-out from New York City life and between jobs, Wells visited her parents in Boston last year. A family friend who owns a vacant Paris apartment urged her to “live like a local” and reset.
> “It was a rather last-minute decision, and honestly quite out of character for me,” Wells tells News Of Los Angeles.
She landed in Paris, took one look at the narrow spiral staircase, and realized her “new perspective” would come with quad-burning consequences.
Why She Shuns the Elevator
Viewers kept asking why she doesn’t ride the lift.
- The cage-style elevator is barely wider than her shoulders
- It frequently stalls between floors
- Repairmen rarely show the same day
> “It never truly shifted from being an inconvenience,” she says. “But infusing that inconvenience with laughter made it much more manageable.”
Building Community One Baguette at a Time
Instead of chasing Eiffel-Tower glamour, Wells hunted routine: the same wine vendor, the Tuesday produce stall, the café that remembers her order.
Key neighborhood wins:
- Banter-filled chats with her wine-shop guy
- Inside jokes with farmers-market vendors
- A sense she’s contributing, not just consuming
> “Finding a new community and routine… has been the most grounding part,” she says.
The Reality Behind the Romance
Paris nights can feel lonely when your bedtime collides with local happy hour. Cultural nuance makes deeper friendships slow to form, even when bistro small talk flows.
| Expectation | Reality |
|---|---|
| Champagne under the tower | Early nights prepping for the climb |
| Instant Parisian BFFs | Polite chat that rarely pivots to plans |
| Effortless joie de vivre | Six flights of stairs-every single day |
Key Takeaways
- Humor turned a daily grind into viral content
- Real expat life hinges on tiny routines, not landmarks
- Community grows from repeated small interactions
- Starting over rarely looks glamorous-and that’s okay
Wells still climbs, still films, still laughs on the landings. Each sarcastic step reminds thousands that adventure sometimes arrives one flight at a time.
