Re: Cold feet ?
 

Back to the original poster's enquiry, yes I think it's normal to have a 'what the heck are we doing?' moment. After all, you've got to an age where you're comfortable, know the ropes, the area, there's few stresses and few unknowns .. and then suddenly decide to take on a massive adventure with a million unknowns! My husband retired out here at age 70 (I'm younger) , he said "if not now, then when?" and we also remembered a saying "when you lay on your deathbed, the things you regret aren't the things you've done, but the things you haven't done!". So it felt right to take a leap into the unknown. Eight years later, we're here, fine, well, integrated and life is good. So just take the leap and enjoy the challenge ...

Re: Cold feet ?
 

Have an exit plan. Start backwards if you need to -
do you want to be buried in France?
do you want to be looked after in a french old people's home by french speaking staff?
Make decisions beforehand and plan well. Look into tax/pension/healthcare.

My uncle and aunt "retired" to the dordogne in their mid-fifties. Uncle was a builder by trade and after he'd fixed up their cottage he ended up self-employed and doing work for other people - oh and paying a lot of the money to the french govt. Enough that after 10 years they'd had enough. They were bored to tears in their quaint little town which is dead as a door nail in the winter,it was cold and a 3 hour drive to the nearest airport....

So, they sold up and bought a very nice camper van. Last seen heading round the med - in their mid-sixties. They kept their UK house and will head back when they're bored with travelling or when grandchildren arrive.

They helped out various elderly brits and absolutely did not want to end up in the same position.

Re: Cold feet ?
 

BE karma for this quality post petitefrancaise. I particularly like the work it backwards concept.

Have to say I wish I had 'worked it backwards' more before we emigrated to New Zealand.

Re: Cold feet ?
 

:o aw shucks BEVS!

It's advice that was given to me about starting a business but is perfectly relevant to nomads like us.

I have a very visceral reaction when I think about where I might end up. I'm in the USA now and really can't see myself here when I'm older and more frail and in need. Same for France as well. I might well end up back in France or Spain for a while but I'd rent a house there that I could leave easily and have a house in my home village in a very beautiful Welsh valley to retreat to. I've already used my primary residence capital gains exemption in France and I've no real desire to keep the estate agents and the tax people in clover!

Course, my kids'll probably be in the US and I'll end up staying just to be the Granny that my kids didn't have because I dragged them away to foreign countries.

Re: Cold feet ?
 

PF, your#77 was an excellent post. :goodpost:
If more expats had been given that for thought years ago, I have no doubt there would be much less heartbreak today amongst the elderly here.

Re: Cold feet ?
 

'do you want to be buried in France?
do you want to be looked after in a french old people's home by french speaking staff?'

We, the children, all asked our parents exactly the same question and back came the answer yes. They even pre-arranged their cremation because being cremated is not the done thing in France.

Then reality hit. Now we have one parent in Kent and the other in France.

Excellent post PF.

Re: Cold feet ?
 

Used to be so but its getting very easy now,but like a lot of things here it may be a regional issue.
A couple of years ago a family member passed away and he was cremated here with his ashes being taken back to the UK in a car. A coffin is very much a more difficult thing though.

Re: Cold feet ?
 

A friend here did the same.
Mind you he did say that throwing MiL off the cliffs at Dover had been a dream of his for years!

Re: Cold feet ?
 

Thank could so nearly have been my line. :p

Re: Cold feet ?
 

Sorry!

Re: Cold feet ?
 

I was going to say Biggsie that you nearly set yourself up for one of Tweedie's Regulation Haymakers there...

Re: Cold feet ?
 

What you mean like my personal definition of mixed emotions?
Seeing the mother-in-law drive over the cliff in my brand new car. :sneaky: