Have you been daydreaming of moving to France 🇫🇷?
If so, add your dream location in the comments below! 👇
Your feedback on my previous beach photo were so fun - thank you! Yes, my son took that photo. Here are a couple more from that same day.
When I first moved to France, I lived in Beaune, Burgundy. Prior, I traveled there multiple times on discovery trips, made friends, researched the entire area thoroughly, and it checked all the boxes on the list.
But it was Pearl, my first French bulldog, who led me to Bretagne. Pearl and Rose are sisters, born in Brittany. I remember arriving in May 2019 and was so enamored with the stone houses and open, rolling countryside.
Back in Beaune, during the third triple-digit heatwave of the summer, I decided to escape the heat and return to Brittany. I rented a summer home in the Cotes d'Armor region. We fell in love with 😍 EVERYTHING- the temperate weather, lush green countryside, the sea's crystal blue waters and fresh air, and the calm, quiet, slow French life.
By the end of the trip, my husband left me this single instruction: Go back to Beaune, pack up the house, and move here. And so I did!
Moving and living in another country is not about the actual logistics or what you've made up in your mind - it's about following your heart and soul on a journey of discovering another culture and, thereby, yourself.
The summer house owners generously allowed me to return and rent their family home long-term. Looking back, I realize how rare that opportunity was as landlord-tenant laws are so complex in France - he took a huge chance on us.
And by allowing us in, we not only had the opportunity to explore the area and find a home to purchase nearby, but we also had a haven to pass the Covid confinements.
Ultimately, This French Life is an ever-evolving story founded on real-life experiences. It has never, once, been what I expected, but it has ALWAYS resulted in something beyond my wildest dreams.
Wishing you beaux rêves and a lovely weekend,
Shannon
