This one is short and personal — written for those of you dreaming about France, knee-deep in the chaos of preparing for a move (OMG, how is it possible to have so much stuff?!), or freshly arrived and still catching your breath.
Wherever you are on this journey: moments of uncertainty will find you.
What if this isn’t the right move? What if you don’t find your place? What if it looks nothing like you imagined — or costs waaaay more than you expected?
We’re in One of Those Moments Right Now
This week, we received all the quotes for the first round of restoration work on our house. They blew us away. So much more than we expected. Having renovated homes in the US before, we thought we had a reasonable sense of what was coming.
Nope. Total shock.
First came the urge to cry. Then the overwhelm. Then the twisted stomach. And then that same wave of questions from when we first moved came rushing right back:
- What if we’re making a huge mistake investing this much time, energy, and money?
- Is this actually worth it?
- This isn’t what we expected — should we even proceed?
- WHICH THINGS DO WE CUT?? What if we regret it?????
😱😨😩
Total spiral. You get the picture.
What Helps: Coming Back to Your Vision
So much is unknown in the early stages of a move to France. When the unexpected hits — and it will — knowing what you actually want from your life here becomes your anchor. It’s what helps you figure out how to adjust the plan without abandoning the dream.
To steady myself, I brewed a pot of coffee, opened the windows to let in the birdsong outside, and went back to our long-term vision — what we each wanted from life in France, individually and as a family.
I reminded myself why we chose this path, committed to this dream, and decided this was the place for us. Then I wrote it down.
Then I asked myself the practical questions: Does this renovation align with that long-term vision? Which parts are actually central to the life we want here? Is any of it truly necessary to live out what we came for?
Thinking through our vision — balanced with an honest look at our actual life versus our aspirational one 😂 — will help us decide what’s worth it.
Whatever Stage You’re In: Remember Your Vision
Some days will feel hard. The unexpected will show up uninvited. But if things are still aligned with why you started, keep going.
You’re building something beautiful.
Baguettes and Butter 4eva, Raina❤️
