North America might be considered a traditional hotbed of women's football, but playing in Europe was always the aim for Ashley Lawrence.
"When I was playing in university I always wanted to play professionally, and my dream was to play in Europe," she tells AFP.
"I knew that the level of the game, where I wanted to develop, was in Europe."
Lawrence is speaking in the bucolic setting of the training ground of Paris Saint-Germain's women's team, on a bend in the River Seine amid the plush suburbs to the west of the French capital.
It was in early 2017 that she moved to Paris to join an ambitious club whose battle is to end the dominance of the mighty Lyon, at home and abroad.
"Every day is a challenge, I'm playing against some of the best players in the world and it's great to really be pushed out of my comfort zone because I know that is how I'll progress as a player," said the full-back in an interview just before she joined up with her country for the World Cup.
A native of Ontario, Lawrence did not speak French before making her move to a country where she has been wowed by the history, the food and the cafe culture.
It is also in France where she is hoping Canada can go far at this year's World Cup.
She only turned 24 the day after helping Canada beat Cameroon 1-0 in their opening match, but she has already won 77 caps for her country and is established as a key member of Kenneth Heiner-Moller's team.
"We have really added a lot of new dimensions to our team and we have that kind of balance of experience but younger players that also have played in big games, played in big tournaments," says Lawrence, who was part of the team that lost to England in the quarter-finals as hosts in 2015.
Their best performance remains finishing fourth in 2003.
"This World Cup, we are definitely contenders to win it and I am just excited to go in and to really show the world what we've put in."
'On this journey together'
Christine Sinclair is Canada's biggest star, with the veteran forward on 181 goals for her country, just three shy of Abby Wambach's international record.
However, defender Kadeisha Buchanan, who played with Lawrence at West Virginia University, got the goal against Cameroon, setting Canada up for Saturday's clash with New Zealand in Grenoble.
Ranked fifth in the world, Canada fully expect to get out of a group also featuring European champions the Netherlands.
However, if they fail to top Group E, a last-16 clash with the United States is not beyond the realms of possibility.
That would be a daunting prospect after they lost 2-0 to their neighbours in the final of the CONCACAF qualifying tournament last year.
For Lawrence, though, there is plenty to admire about the US team, not least their well publicised battle with their own federation to secure equal pay.
"I think that we're all on this journey together, but it does take someone to really take that step and that is the US," says Lawrence, who is involved in coaching and charity work off the field with her own 'Yes She Canada' programme.
"We are behind them because I think once they do that we are kind of going to follow in their footsteps.
"I think it's exciting and it's promising for the women's game and I just hope that it continues to go in that direction, other countries get on board and other clubs and hopefully one day we can really be on the same playing field as the men."