3 years ago this coming week, I left my life in the UK and moved to rural France. It’s been an uphill struggle most of the time, and now I think I have been here long enough to be able to appreciate that it was quite a brave move for me to make.
One of the lovely streets in my nearest town
At that time, I did everything in a mad rush, I visited in the August for a holiday and then decided to move over pretty much as soon as I got home. I then moved lock, stock and barrel in the October. I packed up, saw all my friends before I left, as well as starting my own business… all in about 6 weeks!!
One of the hardest things about living in France is learning the language. I’m not a child anymore when learning things is a lot easier, it’s taken me 3 years to feel confident that I can get by going into shops, making appointments and communicating reasonably well with my French friends. If I had known how frustrated I would feel about the French language, I may not have moved over here. If I was ever to move back to the UK, this would be the reason why, my failure at being able to communicate properly in French.
I am one of the lucky ones though, I run an English speaking business. All my clients are English, and the only French client I have uses me for my English. I don’t think I would be able to run a business where I needed to speak French on a daily basis – I would certainly be a very stressed out person if I did!
It’s been a while since I wrote a blog post about my life here in France, so I thought it would be an ideal time for an update.
I now live in a different village, I moved here back in December, in the middle of winter. It was a very stressful time, and to be perfectly honest, the worst decision I have made since I’ve been here. I pretty much jumped from the frying pan (my leaking apartment where I started) into the fire (a house with numerous problems one after the other). My main issue in this new place is the Internet, you may have read my post about not having Internet for days. Well the Internet is still not perfect, but it hasn’t gone off for that length of time again.
Stocking up with wood for the winter
But, not dwelling on the doom and gloom of housing problems, my business has grown very well over the last 3 years and I now have a full complement of clients. I can’t say it’s been easy, I work at home all week alone and don’t really get to speak to anyone, but all the hard work I put in at the start has really paid off.
Lunch with Les Dames de FER coordinators
Joining the association Les Dames de FER was another high point in the last few years. It’s great to be able to socialise with other women in business, and mostly in English, which is a relief. As I’m the group coordinator for this area, I have been busy over the last few weeks organising events for 2015 – it’s not something I have ever done before, but I am really enjoying it.
The lake in my small French village
I still get out once a day with Hatchi, my dog, who keeps me on my toes. If it wasn’t for him I would be sat at my desk 24/7 and not getting out in the French country air. My aim for next year is to spend a lot more time outside and doing all the things I planned to do when I moved here and also buying my first house (watch this space). Now my business is growing steadily I can afford to take some much needed time off.
You have really settled in Jo. My OH wanted to move to France but it wasn’t a good time with school and ages of children, never a good time. I doubt very much we will make that move now even when our youngest goes to University. I can imagine it must have been hard learning a new language and having to communicate, they speak so fast. Anyway, I just wanted to say that I found your update very inspiring. One hell of a determined, gutsy lady. 🙂
Thanks Jane… You should still do it, there are a lot of English out here, so it’s not as lonely as I made it sound! 🙂
Great post Jo! As you know, we’re similar in that we’re both expats. Is there anything you really miss about the UK?
For me it’s just friends and family.
Thanks, James… Yes I miss friends and family, but also tea, cheese and bacon! 🙂
You’re brave making that move. I’m glad your business is building up and you’re settling in well and making new friends. Living in Jersey most of our road signs are in French and we hear the language quite often. A lot of people from here have second homes in France and I’ve often been tempted to move but its never been the right time with children and schooling, etc.
Thanks Debs, I didn’t realise your road signs were in French, how strange… Jersey does sound lovely though, the best of both worlds I think! 🙂
Hi Jo
Good to see that your business is flourishing , all will be well just hang in there and eventually you will feel more comfortable with the language
Thanks Jenny, good to hear from you… The language will come I am sure, I need more practice! 🙂
Nice blog Jo.
Give me a buzz when you get the new house?
I’m good with a sander & paint brush!
Plus, pretty good at making tea and bacon butties – always seems to make DIY more enjoyable?
Toodle pip
Zo
Haha, thanks Zo I will do! You may have to bring the bacon with you though depending on my last delivery of the stuff from Dad! 🙂
You are doing great in France! It is normal that you have problems with the language. It is so different than English and as a general it is a very hard language with difficult pronunciation. I was living in Hungary for 3 years and I had really serious problems with learning the language. Hungarian is a very very strange language. After all I didn’t feel good there and I moved back to the UK. Thanks for sharing! All the best!
Thank you Jana, I went to Budapest for a week before I moved to France, so know how difficult it was with the language there. 🙂
Well done Jo!
This sort of mirrors my story, although I moved here back in August 1997. That was after a year of coming over to “visit” my French girlfriend about once a month (with her doing the same in the other direction). The year of going back and forth between Leicester and Paris took its toll, so I gave up my job in the UK, then a month later I was on a one way trip to live in France.
Like you, it took me at least 3 years to feel confident enough to speak to other people in French. The main struggle was actually understanding conversations. If I’m sat at a table with 10 people all chattering away, that can still be a bit of a problem for me. I can manage 5 people, but 10 just makes me shut off a bit – as the different subjects flit back and forth.
Work-wise, it is safe to say that it has been a bit disasterous in the past. From never being unemployed in the UK – I’ve had longish periods of unemployment between jobs and projects in France. Not a good place to be. In 2013 I was asked by a Dutch friend if I’d be interested in giving English lessons on the phone. I’d never really considered teaching English as an option. Anyway, I quite enjoyed it even if that job only lasted 9 months.
After that I decided to strike out on my own – and as I write, I have a few students. As I was a “home Dad” from when my son was born in 2007, then for my daughter who was born in 2010, it works well for me. I can do the school runs, cooking, cleaning etc etc between the lessons.
I think I see working for myself and from home, as being my future from now on. Giving these lessons is a real confidence booster, as some of the time I have to switch back to French. I love helping people and this job enables me to do just that. I can relate to my students struggling sometimes with their English as I have been there with trying to speak French.
The only thing I don’t like about living in France is the isolation – as I live in a village, with very few English speakers to talk to. Plus, as we’re in the Paris region, people can be very introverted. I had a 7 year stint typesetting/designing the magazine for my local mairie. Although Mr le Maire is nice and the adjoint I worked with was too – a power struggle has seen me lose my job! Which was actually a voluntary job for my first 5 years of doing it.
The person who instigated this “power struggle” then promptly gave “my job” to her friend.
Welcome to France…
I wish you luck with your future projects, Jo. If you ever need to have a chat about life in France – then feel free to give me a shout.