FRANCE - EXPAT EXPERIENCES

Jamie · Expat Focus Administrator Joined: Aug 06, 2000 Posts: 1815

We're always keen to publish the experiences of those who have already moved abroad. If you'd like to help other expats by sharing your own experience please see the instructions at the end of this post!

FRANCE - EXPAT EXPERIENCES

Sion Dayson

I'm Sion Dayson, an American in Paris. I'm a writer originally from New York and North Carolina. Unlike a lot of expats here, I had never dreamed of living in Paris. I spoke Spanish, longed for warm weather, and didn't display any Francophile tendencies. So wouldn't you know it? I fell in love with the City of Light one cold, rainy November. I was in Europe for a work conference and had a layover in Paris. Three days of exploring and the city worked its magic. I couldn't shake the place. I planned a month-long holiday for the following April...

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Cynthia Caughey

I’m a 51-year old American expat living in Chambery in the French Alps. I moved here in 2008 to marry my fiancé, now husband, who is a French citizen. We met when I was vacationing in Provence on a train to Avignon. After a 2.5 year long distance relationship between Chambery and Los Angeles, I moved to France at the age of 49. It was a very difficult decision since I left behind a city I loved and lived in for 26 years...

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Alan Simonds

We were over here on holiday in 2005 and drove past the end of a lane which had a sign for a building plot for sale. We looked at the land which amounted to about 1.4 acres and had a stream running along two sides. We were totally smitten and decided to buy. We settled here in France in May 2006. The main reason for coming was for a better quality of live, escaping from the pressure of work and the traffic in South East England...

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Would you like to share your experience of moving abroad to help other expats? Simply contact us with replies to as many of the following questions as possible and we will review them for publication.

Who are you?

Where, when and why did you move abroad?

What challenges did you face during the move?

Can you tell us something about your property? (e.g. how did you find the property? what was the buying/renting process like? are you looking to move again? etc.)

What is the property market like at the moment?

Are you employed or self-employed? What challenges did you face in either finding employment or running your own business? (Please ignore this question if you moved after having retired.)

Are there many other expats in your area?

What is your relationship like with the locals?

What do you like about life where you are?

What do you dislike about your expat life?

What advice would you give to anyone following in your footsteps?

What are your plans for the future?

If you would you like to include some photos (maximum 3 photos of yourself, your property, the local area etc.) please let us know and we will contact you with further details.

If you would like your contact details to be made public so that readers can contact you please specify which details (e.g. email address, website address, phone number etc.)