k1w1

Thanks Andy, I have to second Chrissie truly motivational so you are helping not just her but myself as well. I guess all things are possible so long as you are willing to put in the effort yourself. Myself I do not own property in the UK so that is not an issue it has to be all or nothing and I can't wait. I do hope you get to be where you want as well.

Sue

themoose

sorry to cut the quote short
just to say how right you are. Two great notes, which capture the essence of what we all (most anyway) want.

Good luck cw and k1w1. As for Andy i hope you too manage to get back there and live the life you sadly lost (but only for a while).

cw239

thanks for that marion.
i don't have an OH to spoil my intentions luckily, although until Andy showed up below i did have misgivings about the rightness (or wrongness) of my decision-making. i have been known to do some pretty daft things in the past!!
good to know that you and yours are still happy in limousin 10 years later - long may it continue.
best wishes, chrissie

Andrea50

Hi Chrissie and Marion

You know, misgivings are amazing things. They can be GOOD, ie prevent one doing something daft, but again they can be a NUISANCE - they can also prevent one doing something amazing. How do you tell the difference? Answer: You can't. Some of the things I have done have been truly "daft" but by whose criterion? And a lot of them worked out just fine. And the most "sensible" thing I ever did (according to a lot of my friends) was coming back to England. And I don't reckon THAT was a winner.

We all have them. We all probably always will have them.

I used to use the "flip it and see" method. It goes like this:

Get a coin. Say "Heads I will, Tails I won't". Flip it. When it lands, see how you FEEL. Are you pleased it was what it was? Then do it. If you feel fed up it came up the way it did, do the other thing anyway.

Easy peasy!!!

There are two types of people. There are the "When in doubt abstain" brigade and fair play to them. And there are the "When in doubt, go flat out" brigade.

I am a fully paid up member of the latter; ok I failed the first time, but that is not going to stop me having another shot if I get the chance. You only live once (being atheist helps here I think!) so LIVE. I would hate to be 80 and a whiskery old trout sitting alone in a mansion in England. Would rather be larky French maid (old one, granted) gadding about on a budget (with a Left Hand Drive zimmer frame).

There, that's me done!!!!!

Hugs to all.

Andy

Novocastrian

I have to admit that I am a firm supporter of this technique as well.

L'Acajou

Hi Andy

Just wanted to say how much I enjoy reading your posts, I am not alone, far from it, I have a hubby and 4 primary-school aged children...but what you say is relevant to anyone moving over here. I can particularly relate to the "champignon" episode because exactly the same thing happened to me!
In fact in the early days my best French was pharmacy French, as we went through the nits stage at school, plus having to buy headache tablets and cough medicine etc etc, in the pharmacy whereas in the UK I would have got them in the supermarket. It used to terrify me but it does help you learn.

I agree with the notebook idea, it is a good plan to write down useful phrases and words, your own dictionary. Read as much as you can, it is gratifying to see how your comprehension improves. I took my darlings to see the Asterix film recently, I could understand almost everything, although it is disconcerting when your 5 year old giggles and you don't know what the joke was!

We will have been here 4 years in May and I wish my French was better but it is improving, I have to deal daily with a multitude of phonecalls, visitors and letters (farm-related) and it does get easier.

All in all, we are all extremely happy here, we have found the place where we belong, we have felt at home here since we first stepped out of the car in the farmyard. We are still in awe of the place.

I believe we are very fortunate rather than lucky to buy our dream place, we have made tough decisions and aimed high, made many sacrifices to get us this far. (I had a couple of pieces published in the Farmers Guardian about the process, I became a minor guru when another farming family followed in our footsteps!) When we first talked about it (in fact one week before we actually agreed to buy the farm, it all happened so quickly!) I said to my brother that I thought it was a bit drastic. He said sometimes you have to do things which seem drastic. How right he was (incidentally he is a highly-qualified engineer and has just qualified as a barrister!)

We have some friends who are moving over at the weekend with their two young daughters, we just know that they will adore the life here, they have a UK income so have the security to underpin everything.
I know I have commented in posts about folk who come over with rose-tinted specs etc, it is my pet hate, thinking somehow France owes them a living, but as long as you can look after yourself - in every sense- then get over here and join the party!

All the best

Sue

themoose

another really great post. Thanks

Spacephoenix

Hi,
I am planning to move to Southwest France on my own with my 7 year old son and our dog. I am French but have been living in England for 14 years so have become a bit of a Brit myself. As much as I love England and English people, life here is often too much of a struggle and I want my son to receive a better education. My advice to you is just do it! I came to England on my own, age 23, with very little notion of the language yet managed to acquire a degree and start my own company. If I can be of any help, let me know. Regards

cw239

hi spacephoenix
haha, ive been struggling with it for almost 60 years and have finally had enough!
you have been a brilliant achiever in 14 years - well done indeed!
thanks for the encouragement - all my plans are underway.
best wishes, chrissie

onlyonebrenda

So glad to hear your news Chrissie. Don't underestimate us slow learners. Better to do things now than never at all.
Things to consider buying in England rather than here.
J clothes
A floor polisher (wooden floors) (about 8 x cheaper in England)
Casual, pretty clothes. Throw out your best business stuff. No-one dresses up here and the clothes are over-priced and poor quality.
Stilton and cheddar cheese
Marmite and those dreaded baked beans
Paint for decorating - exorbitant here
English books although you can always use Amazon but have to pay the post
Secondhand English videos/DVDs for duvet days. You can get English DVDs over here but they usually cost at least 20€ and the title translations are not direct translations so you don't always know what you're getting.
Bring all your junk. It's comfort zone stuff but leave behind small size furniture as it will be lost over here as you'll almost certainly have a bigger place.
Bring electrical goods. They work fine over here but buy your plug adaptors in England or on the boat, also buy your road atlas of France in England or on the boat. Printed paper is taxed and expensive over here.
Anything I miss? Fish and chips and a decadent Starbucks type cappucino but when I went back on holiday and had them I wondered what all that was about. By the way you can get them over here if you hunt hard enough.
Anyone want to add to my somewhat eccentric list?

themoose

Just shows that we can achieve things. A lifetime gives us many challenges and changes. With them we can find happiness.

Collioure_Bee

Top post Brenda. Saw some paint in Auchan when I was over last week and thought the expensive cost must have been a one off! B&Q (other DIY strores are available) here I come. Will have to settle on colour scheme before I go for good!
I went round the shops looking for brown sauce and pickled onions with not much joy so stock of them going too.

As for the original thread, I know I'm a bloke so is a bit different, but I am going on my own too. Have been over a couple of times in the last year and made a couple of mates so at least there are some I can call on more or less straight away but is still a big, scary step, for a bloke as well.

themoose

Good luck Mr Bee. Its a brave move for any one, but the thing is to just enjoy it and have a great time. Good luck with wherever you end up

onlyonebrenda

As long as you don't get as big-headed as one local Englishman Mr Bee. He thinks we single ex-pats have nothing better to do than..... Well, I'm sure you know about the birds and the bees
Seriously though you won't be the only man on your own. A number of couples come out with high hopes then one partner sometimes finds they like it less than the other, often when grand-children arrive. At least you will have no-one to please (or blame) but yourself.
And we're considering having a French BritishExpats get together this summer if there's sufficient interest - should be good fun and a source of information exchange.

dreamcatcher

Lovely thread,just wishing you guys all the luck.Its a great place to be,and the people will make you feel not on your own at all,.Warm wishes to all.