Hi James, I am 29 and i moved to a rural part of the Charente in July 2006 with my parents. Which was lovely but a little too quiet and too rural. I am now living in Angouleme (with a French friend) which is the largest city in the Charente but small by English standards. I am an English Teacher! The nightlife is great and it is the best of both worlds so my advice would be to move to a small city! I would suggest some sort of job even if its in a bar a couple of nights a week you learn French more quickly and meet great people. Alex