Oh my goodness. We’re really doing it. We found a house and sent off our contract and security deposit last night.
So. It’s now officially official.
WE’RE MOVING TO FRANCE!
Next up: shopping for plane tickets. We’re aiming to move on February 1st. Which is just 6 short weeks away.
I’m so excited I can hardly stand it.
I’ve been talking about the possibility of this move for months and curious readers have sent in lots of smart questions about the whole adventure. I’ll answer some below.
1) Why are you doing this?
Mostly, it’s because we can. My husband and I both work at home and the kids aren’t in high school yet. We’ve always talked about doing something like this and realized if we didn’t make it happen soon, it wouldn’t happen at all. We hope an experience like this will be very formative for our family and will help our children have more world-minded viewpoints. We are planning to go for a year, but would definitely consider extending our time there if it makes sense.
2) Do you speak French?
Un peu. I studied French in high school and for 2 semesters in college, but I can only remember a few words and phrases. I better get working!
3) Will you keep blogging while you’re there?
For sure. I’m pretty much addicted. Plus it’s my job. I’ll be reporting on all our adventures in case you’re curious to see what a year abroad for a family with young children is like.
4) How did you decide where to live?
Good question. After lots of research, we narrowed our country choice to France. I wasn’t interested in living in Paris (families of 8 don’t always make good city neighbors), but I wanted access to the city. So we looked for towns within 1 or 2 hours of Paris with a direct train. Then it came down to finding an actual house. We wanted something that would fit our large family, was furnished and was in our price range. The house we found (it’s in the countryside of the Normandy region) is amazing! I’ll tell you all about it in a separate post.
5) What about your husband’s job?
His job will remain exactly the same. He works for K12.com as the Director of Foreign Language Curriculum. K12 is based in Washington D.C., but because their offerings are online, Ben Blair can work from anywhere.
6) What are you doing for school for your kids?
K12 is an easy choice for us because of Ben Blair’s work. But we’re determined to help our kids master French as soon as possible, so we’re also looking into the local schools or hiring a tutor. I’ll keep you updated as things develop.
7) What about practical things like selling your house? Getting a car while you’re there? Renter’s insurance and health insurance? Your kids yearly doctor visits?
Some of these things are easy. For example, we rent our house here in Denver and our contract is month-to-month so we can leave at any time. Simple. Other things are more complicated. But we’re working through the challenges one by one. Whenever I have a good tip, I’ll let you know. In fact, I’m considering writing a weekly post where I can discuss some of these practical things. Is that a feature you would like?
8) Are you scared?
Terrified. I keep remembering when Ben Blair and I lived in Greece. Those first few months were so challenging! But ultimately, being there was wonderful for us as a couple and influenced our marriage and our lives in hugely positive ways. I hope (and suspect) the same will be true for our year in France.
Watercolor of Dinan, France by Wayne Roberts
Oh la la ! What a jump ! Congratulations. I hope you will love our country. Normandy is a great region. Bienvenue !
Véronique from Colombes (a small town in the outskirts of Paris)
I’m so looking forward to hearing about your family friendly design finds from Normany! This will be such a treat Three words: brave, brave. brave.
Horray! I’m so glad everything worked out :) How exciting!
My husband works for a French-owned company and I am holding my breath that he will be asked to move there for a year—oo la la, how I’d LOVE to be on your adventure.
And, my girls JUST started K12 and their favorite subject is French—they can do a week’s worth of work in a single sitting. Maybe the stars will align and we’ll get over there someday too.
So very happy for you!
Sounds exciting!! Good luck to you and your family!
Fasinating! We, too, have talked about living in another country for a year or too. Maybe you’re experience will give us the courage. Schooling has been my major concern. Good luck!!
How exciting for you and your family!! I spent quite a bit of my time growing up living overseas (my elementary school days were spent in Luxembourg), and am so thankful for how much it has affected my life to this day. Good luck to you all, you will cherish this experience always!
Hip hip hooray! Magnifique! I hope you’re reading or re-reading your Peter Mayle, even if it’s the wrong part of France. I’d also recommend Adam Gopnik’s “Paris to the Moon,” and just for fun, Julia Child’s “My Life in France.”
Your younger kids might enjoy “Anatole,” “Adele & Simon,” “The Cat Who Walked Across France,” and others (we just studied France in our homeschool.
Can’t wait to read all about it and go green with envy. ;-)
Oh my gosh! Je suis si heureuse pour toi!! xoxo
Felicitations! I’m in France right now (in Alsace) visiting my parents. You’ll love France and the experience your kids will get is going to be PRICELESS! I went to French schools from second to eighth grade and survived to tell about it :)
Bon jour !
I don’t know if you will ever make it to my comment ..but here it is anyway :)
Good luck with the move ! As someone who has done cross continental moves , my self, I know how it is .. the packing, the travelling, the un packing (ugh) .
Its tough and takes a lot of guts to do :)
It means new friends, new schools, etc etc etc…but you’ll survive.
What an opportunity you have given your children to experience life outside their comfort zone. They might crib about it , but years down the line, they’ll thank you for it ! I know I appreciated the many moves much later :)
good luck and I look forward to reading all of your adventures :)
Very excited! The most formative experience of my life is probably the time (for several years) that our family lived in The Netherlands and Germany when my brother and I were young. You will absolutely never regret it!
p.s. Is your sister also moving to France – I seem to remember that from my Cyber-readings… ?
My husband and I lived in France for 7 years – that’s where we had our first child. We had a wonderful time and I’m sure you will too! My only only tip for now is to stock up on pretty slickers, warm sweaters, and rain boots. I was always surprised by the chilly rain in the winter and spring. Oh and Du Pareil Au Meme http://www.dpam.com/ has the greatest kids clothes – bright, fun, and affordable.
If you need a live in French translator, I would be happy to sacrifice and go! Hee! Hee! I cant wait to see what adventures await you…and to see France through your eyes!
Xo…Linsey
Félicitations! You will love it here. Cold in Normandy, but you’re from Denver so you’re fine. When we first moved in 2008 I was so scared but so excited too. When we moved back 2 months ago I was ready…ready to stay forever. If you have any questions about moving, long-stay visa, or anything else, just let me know. We’ve done it twice so pretty much have it down.
I’m totally going to live vicariously through you on this. Can’t wait to read along.
*jealous!* And super duper uper excited for you all! I’ve been pushing hubby that as our sprouts grow we need to plan more overseas adventures. I want them to grow up knowing more of the world.
Wow, I wish you the best of luck:) Rad idea:)
Do visit Hungary while you are near:)
Hi Gabby,
I am an American mother of two living in Paris. This is our third year in France and in the first year we lived in a tiny fishing village in the Loire Valley. I am an art historian and really enjoy reading your blog. If there is any way that I can be of use to you and your family in preparing for your move, please let me know. You are going to have such an exciting year!
Bisous et bon voyage!
Jennifer
Hooray! Genial! Im so excited you are doing it. Incroyable! I certainly hope we get to meet up someday. My sister also lives in France (Nantes) – so we can definitely help you out if you need it. Just let me know!
I would LOVE to hear all of the practical details of moving to a foreign land. I think a weekly post is a fabulous idea. It would be amazing to do this and I’d like to see how you figure it all out. Good luck with the details and thanks for sharing!
wowsers! Sounds delightful!
Bon sejour en France! If you need anything, please feel free to ask…my husband is French and whole family still lives there, and I am fluent and taught French until we just had our first bebe!…I would love to help, and am so excited that you and your family take such an interest in the culture and country! It will be an experience, and I can’t wait to read your blog posts once you’re over there :-)
it’s not a good color on me, but I am green with envy!! SO exciting! I would love to do what you are doing. It is so important to take these opportunities in life when you can
Congratulations to you! What a bold move!!
I will be in Normandy in the spring for my honeymoon so I look forward to any regional tips you may post in the coming months.
Wow, Gabrielle!! How fun! You are so blessed. Wishing you and your family and smooth move and a wonderful new life in France (:
I think this is an absolutely marvelous and fantastic idea and good on you and Mr. Blair for having the guts to take a chance and do something challenging. Sure makes for an adventurous life and allows your children the opportunity to experience things they may have otherwise only read in a book.
I look forward to you sharing your adventure as you make your way through each stage. I’m sure there won’t be a dull moment. I’m also sure you have lots of connections and people to network with that will help you with things.
I hope you put your children in a French school. They will be speaking French so quickly. One of the great things about children and languages. They tend to pick it up rather quick. They will gain a lot from learning a second language.
Totally.over.the.moon.for.all.of.you.
X
yay yay yay, i live in london but we have a house in france so are there all the time… i wonder how the kids are gonna like it. can they speak french? im 15 and my brother is 9 and he would struggle if we lived there all the time but i think i would be fine. if our house is near your house that would be so cool! good luck with moving x
My husband and I and our three kids plan on moving to France (probably Frejus area) in a couple of years was well, so I am so excited about following and learning from your adventure! I just called my husband at work to tell him he will have to become an avid reader of designMom pronto, he was a little leary of that.
I can’t wait to read all about it! I would say we’ll miss you except we get to (virtually) come too! Yay!
Oh my goodness! Congratulations! Can’t wait to follow your adventure.
THRILLED for you, and yes, I’d love the “practical reality” updates.
Love.
Hi Gabrielle. I’ve been a silent reader of your blog. Just want to wish you and your family the best in your new life and ventures. It’s an exciting change. Can’t wait to hear your stories!
You’ve just given me courage. My husband wants to move to Brazil. Should we go? It’s not quite as developed and safe as France, thus my hesitation. But what a positive outlook you have on it!
Congratulations!
Brittany
Please do give tips about living abroad! I’d love to do that with my family someday. Such a great experience for the kids!
So excited for you!! Besides all of the logistics involved with this new adventure, I’m interested in knowing more about how you will maintain your careers while overseas. I am a teacher who is interested in working in a more collaborative, online environment. What are the pros and cons? Will you have to travel back and forth or just do most of your work online? Good Luck!!
Ben oui, comme tout le monde bonne chance!
I am definitely interested in a weekly post about your moving-to-France process. My husband and I are thinking about Italy in a couple years. I love all your reasons for moving to France, it will be an unforgettable experience!
So excited to 1) learn of your blog (via Jordan Ferney) and 2) learn of your impending move to France! I’ve lived in Paris for 4 years, am married to a Frenchman and am glad to help you out if you have any questions.
My blog has some reviews of restaurants, expos, and various musings about life as an expat. Je vous souhaite plein de courage pour cette belle aventure! A très vite…
We are moving to France in exactly 1 year! I can’t wait to read all about your experiences and learn from them when the time comes for us to leap across the pond.
Bon chance!
Hello!
Welcome to the Expat Club! My husband is French and we decided to move here 6 months ago with our 1 year old (he is 18 months now). It’s been a HUGE adjustment esp with the language difficulties. I had taken French in HS and before we were married I took 2 years of French as well. I was at intermediate level but was a bit rusty from a 3 year break to plan the wedding and have a baby. The past 3 months of classes has brought me back to intermediate level. My husband’s family also lives locally and that is a great help!
I would suggest you put your children into French School this way they will get the most out of this experience and they will learn French quickly. I think with a tutor they will learn but more so if they are integrated in the system. OR maybe enroll them on Wednesday’s in a Centre de Loisirs to meet French kids and interact. These are usually public centers through the Mairie or the School.
Being in the countryside you will find that there are less people who speak English than here in Paris. I normally do not speak English with the French. Some are patient with me and enjoy me trying to explain what I need others are rude…but you would also get that in the US if you struggled with English.
If you EVER have any questions keep me in mind ;-)
Good Luck!
This is so insanely wonderful! I’m completely inspired that you are doing this (and with your sister!). I can’t wait to hear all about it. xo Abbey
Good good good good luck. I have done the move, but without children (just a dog). I live in Bordeaux now and am finally settling in after two years. The bureaucracy is exactly as horrific as they say it is. Keep your head up and stay positive !
Someone sent me your link and I have only read a small portion but you should be excited. I have done this and you will love it. We moved our family to France the summer of 2007 before all our kids were in high school as well. We did it merely for the experience and it was a terrific one. My kids still talk about it everyday! Good luck with all the paperwork and all the fun that comes in figuring out a new system! You will love it. I would love to answer any questions if you have any-having done it already I would love to have talked to someone who had already experienced it.
We have 5 children.
Perhaps I should give you a little more background on our experience. You can check out our blog from when we were there at
whereisfrance.blogspot.com. We have 5 children our oldest was 12 and I had a 10, 8, 6, and 4. We wanted to have an experience for our children and so we decided France would be the perfect place. We ended up in a small village 1 hour south of Paris called Bourron Marlotte, it is near Fontainebleau. We had rented a house before we left and got our visas and passports and all the millions of paper work that is required for you to enter the country legally. We spent the first couple of weeks trying to figure out life- carte de s’jours,(total pain) buying a car, figuring out where to buy groceries etc. (it’s all fun) then school started. We enrolled all of our children into French schools which is what I would suggest if you would like them to learn the language in 1 year. It was brutal, just as you read or hear, but when they started to communicate with their friends in the French language it was awesome. There is a lot of homework (google translate was my best friend). They did it-they did it all. They participated in everything we completely put ourselves out there to experience everything possible.
The French really frown on missing school, but we did take the opportunities to travel a lot and if our kids missed school we figured we only had a year so we were going to make the best of it. One of the best parts of the system there is they go to school for about 6 weeks and then they are off for two which helps with the traveling thing.
My kids all spoke French when we left, so did I in fact, because we had great neighbors who helped me along.
It was definitely an experience that was worth every ounce of pain, worry, and fear. My kids are stronger and feel that they can handle anything after that.
Feel free to email with any questions- I would love to help make the transition easier in any way.
Tifiny
Oh, how fantastic!!!! While my hubby and 1 child (at the time) lived in Paris we toured all of France and Normandy was by far our favorite!! We stayed at a little gite next to the owners home in the beautiful quiet country. Such a wonderful variety of history (both American and French), beautiful country and great touristy spots like Mont-St Michel. Lovely, lovely! Makes me think of 5 quarters of the orange (though I am not sure that took place in Normandy).
My partner speaks 12-14 languages as an adult. He got started spending summers in Sweden and Finland as a boy. What is the number one best and fastest way for kids (or adults) to learn a language? Being around their peers of similar age group speaking that language. It’s like magic. Tutoring and other influences help too of course. But do not keep your kids isolated from their French peer group no matter what! Close friends are best, then sports teams and other active groups where they get to know others are great too. Keep us all informed:).
I just read this post.
My husband, two & 1/2 yr old daughter Olivia and I are moving from Hilton Head to Manhattan,KS. I am scared of change :) but staying positive about it.