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Was moving to FRANCE the right move or not


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We are all different.  Thus some are happy, but some are not.  The trick is to be able to admit it if you are one of the latter and do something about it.

Personally, I don't regret it for a moment but I know it's not been a bed of roses for some.

Hi and welcome, btw.

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I don't think you're getting the wrong message Magaret, some people may be sorry they moved to France, just as some may be sorry about their choice of husband/job/car/whatever.  You can't please all of the people all of the time...

Whereabouts in France are you, or have you yet to make the leap, and are just researching?

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Hi Magaret and welcome... we moved last August and wish we'd done it years ago.  Our son is settling in at school very well (the school has been fantastic at helping him settle and learn the language) and our move has been far easier than we ever anticipated it would be.  We now have a very international group of new friends, a busy social life, work less hours, spend more time outdoors and generally have a very good life. 

We still love the UK of course... but a mother can love two babies so I guess we can love two countries... for now France is our home and we can't see that changing.  I'm sure it's not like this for everyone but no complaints from the Roses! [:)]

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The only regret is that we work far harder here for a great deal less which was not the original intention when we see what UK family earn and spend it on, but after many years,it is our only home and hopefully that of the next generation and theirs. At least we have no mortgage and credit cards etc to worry about and live our lives paying as we go which does help you to sleep at night.
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We're split 50/50.  I have felt settled & at home since the moment we arrived in France, but Mr Cat misses Northern Ireland very much & is finding it much more difficult.  His uneasiness is probably due to having retired early & not being able to work anymore - so maybe we should have waited a little longer before moving, to get him over the retirement hurdle first.
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J and I moved here in January 2005 after 40 years at work, both early retired.  After 3 months, we were flooded and had to deal with that.

The following year, 4 friends were killed in a road accident in our village and we had to deal with all of the fallout from that.  In 2007 we were still mopping up the mess from the accident and J's mother was in the terminal stages of Alzheimer's back in the UK.

We both have chronic health conditions which are treated brilliantly, better than they ever were in the UK.

Would either of us go back?  Not ever and is it the bestest thing we've ever done as a couple - too right it is.  And after years and years of stress, work, travelling because you have to and everything else that goes with life in the UK, we are both happier than  we've ever been - though we realise that we're very fortunate and much more so than people who have to work here to make a living.

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Personally, I think what Tony says is the key. If you like peace and quite and rural life then rural France is wonderful if you don't have to work. However, if you have to work or try to bring in some sort of income it could be very very difficult and I would recommend doing lots of research and finding out as much as you can before making the move.
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ali-cat, we are like you but opposite way round, hubby loves it here but I have a love/hate relationship (probably hate is too strong a word).  I find it very difficult to define, even to myself, why I am so unsettled, different days it is for different reasons.  I think, for me, we bought the wrong house in the wrong situation,  we have a modern house with no character surrounded by wooded hills and I feel slightly claustrophobic not having any open views, except our small lakes, and water becomes boring after a while - but not to hubby.

Would I go back to the UK - no, I just have to keep looking at other properties and try to find one that has everything hubby and I require.

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We've worked physically harder than we ever did in the UK but the stress is so much less.  In 4 years time our endowments that we kept going when we got rid of the mortgage will come to fruition (much lower than predicted, but with no mortgage to finance, will still give us a nice lump sum).  This means we can worry less and less about financial matters and really start to enjoy life in France.

Go back to the UK?  Never!  Although sometimes we do enjoy a long weekend there.

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