We get a lot of questions about what personal possessions you should bring when you move to France. After a few years of discussions and emails, I finally have a one-sentence answer:
“Bring the things that happily remind you of your life before, or the things you associate with your particular corner of American culture and want to continue to have or share in your French life.”
Why? Because you can buy everything else once you’re here.
France is a developed country with elegant taste, a huge range of shopping, and amazing pre-owned markets — think Leboncoin, Vinted, brocantes (antique markets) or the recyclerie shops you’ll find in almost every French town. You can replace general household goods here, likely for less than it would cost to ship them over.
So what’s worth the shipping fee?
The Things Worth Packing: Comfort, Memory, and Meaning
What actually makes the cut? The items we’ve been happiest we brought share one thing in common — they give us a small, tangible connection to our life before France. 😊 Here are some of our personal examples:
The deep dish pie pan. Can you find one in France? Absolutely not. It’s all shallow tart pans here. Jason’s pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving requires the real thing, so we carefully packed it.
Juliana’s 5th grade art project — that we had turned into a drink coaster. Fragile, cost about three cents to make, and completely irreplaceable. It sits on my desk in the French countryside and instantly makes my office feel like home.
Our “We Love Houston” cutting board. It reminds us of the wonderful years we spent there, and it makes me happy every time I cut up fruit.
A set of measuring cups. Yes, you can convert Grandma’s recipe to grams. But is it even Grandma’s recipe at that point? 🙃 I like the feeling of scooping the flour. We packed those too.
The Christmas cookie plate. You’ve served cookies on it for 40 years. It takes up space, it’s a bit delicate, and it’s an awkward size to pack. But the first time you have friends over in December and can’t load up that plate with American cookies to share with new French friends? You’ll be sad. Bring it.
The cast iron skillet. Ok, so this is probably only if you’re Southern (is the northern equivalent a crab boil pot?!?), but it’s the only thing you can make real Southern cornbread in properly! And I’ve NEVER seen one here! So no need to think — just bring it. Yes, it weighs a million pounds. Still worth it (in my humble opinion).
Being able to start new traditions while still honoring old, meaningful ones is key to building a sense of home in a new place. This felt especially important to us because we don’t want Juliana to lose her American connection, even as she grows up becoming more French.
Unexpected Essentials
Board games with a lot of written instructions deserve a spot on the packing list if game nights are part of your family tradition. Re-buying UNO or Yahtzee in France? No problem — we did exactly that. But Pandemic? Reading a complex instruction book in French is no way to start game night. OMG. We kept our English copy.
Art you’ve collected over the years is worth the trouble too. It’s not easily replaceable, and it connects you to who — and where — you’ve been.
Then there are the unexpected essentials — the things that are both unique and part of your daily life.
We have a padded, water-resistant picnic blanket that zips into itself with a convenient carrying strap. An impulse buy at Target years ago (how do they always KNOW what I need?! 😅). We use it constantly, and we have no idea where we’d find a replacement in the US, let alone France. It came with us.
What to Leave Behind
Now for the harder truth: all those things that seemed like they’d surely be useful when you bought them, that still feel like they should be when you look at them — but that you’ve just never used?
Leave them.
You’ll hear that voice saying, “I know this will finally be useful in France!” Don’t believe it. Something that’s been gathering dust won’t magically become essential once you cross the Atlantic.
The same goes for anything with a motor or a plug that can’t be switched out, beds and linens (the bed sizes are different here), pots and pans, and general plates and dishware. None are difficult to find here.
This process will be hard. But it will also be freeing.
Baguettes and Butter 4evea, Raina ❤️
