I once read that many high-net-worth people with incredibly busy lives don’t describe their lives as stressful — they call them interesting instead.
That stuck with me.
Interesting and Stressful Might Be the Same Thing
It made me wonder: does living an interesting life mean living a stressful one?
Interesting things are, by definition, new and different. And for most of us, new and different brings some form of stress — even the good kind. The exciting, forward-moving, this-is-exactly-what-I-wanted kind. It’s still stress.
And navigating stress — even the best kind — demands something from us: energy, mental bandwidth, and often physical stamina. No wonder it can leave us feeling exhausted. Sometimes, intensely so.
Moving to France Is an Interesting Thing to Do
You already know this — because of how many questions people ask you about it. They’re interested. They want to hear all about your adventure.
But alongside the excitement comes stress. Maybe a little, maybe a lot. And with that stress comes a very real need to find moments and places that restore you: familiar things, restful things, safe harbors.
That’s normal. It’s not a sign that you’re disorganized or less resilient than anyone else. It’s just part of the deal.
If you’re going through that right now — in your Move-to-France or Just-Landed-in-France stage — don’t worry. You’re not doing it wrong.
We’re Feeling It Too
We’re in one of those stretches ourselves right now, taking on some new and interesting challenges of our own. They’re exciting — and they’re draining.
I’ve been needing more sleep. I’m slow to respond to friends and family back in the States. I’m quicker to get snippy with Jason. Sometimes I struggle to find energy even for things that are genuinely fun. There have been a couple of recent moments where I just had to opt out of something cool and choose downtime instead.
I don’t love any of that, honestly. But the things we’re working on right now are things we’ll remember and be proud of. That’s the price of living an interesting life.
You’re building one too. And we’re cheering for you.
Baguettes and Butter 4eva, Raina❤️
