We’ve been talking about our plans to move to France for the better part of a year, and most people we’ve spoken with in the U.S. want to know why. Naturally, they’re curious about why we’d uproot our comfy American lives and move to another country. Oftentimes they’ll even venture a guess or two: Is it for work, or family?
When we respond that no, we’re moving to France simply because we want to, more often than not we’ll get a confused look or even a blank stare.
I’ll admit it: Saying we’re moving to France just because we want to is an oversimplification of our motivations — though that is, at its core, what is driving us. But if you’re really curious, here are a few of the many reasons why we are drawn to France.
1. France is an incredible country
France is a breathtakingly beautiful place with a rich history and culture, incredible architecture, and some of the best food in the world. We love the language, the focus on family and free time, the social systems, and the quality of life. We love French cities and villages and the countryside, and we’re excited to explore all of its diverse regions. I’m regularly brought to tears by the beauty of it all, and I long for it when I’m not here.
2. Travel opportunities
From the first time we visited Europe together — a 10-day trip in which we crammed in visits to five different countries — it’s been clear that we have to live in Europe if we want to properly explore it. And the more we visit, the more we want to see. While traveling from the U.S. to Europe can be extremely costly, travel within Europe tends to be easy and affordable. We’ve seen flights between different countries priced in the single digits! And of course, the train network is expansive and easy to use — especially in France. We also love that many French cities are designed for people, not cars, with great public transportation options and plentiful bike lanes.
3. Education
The public school system in our hometown school district, like many in U.S. cities, is understaffed and underfunded. It’s struggling. So the choice that many city-dwellers like us are faced with, as our kids reach school age, is whether to move to a place with better schools (usually the suburbs) or invest $10,000-$30,000+ a year (per student) toward private schools. Some will also pull their kids out of school completely and attempt to educate them at home. None of those options is attractive to us.
In France, we can afford to enroll Oliver in a number of excellent private schools for under 2000€ per year. Likewise, higher education is dramatically more affordable than schools in the U.S. Most college kids in the U.S. today will spend over $100,000 for their undergraduate degrees over the course of four years. The average university student in France will spend under 1000€ for a degree. And as EU citizens, French students are entitled to attend school in any EU country under the same conditions as nationals of that country — meaning they’re not just limited to universities in France.
4. Healthcare
In France, healthcare is viewed as a basic human right that is accessible to all residents. We will be eligible to enter the public healthcare system after living in France for three months. Until then, we have taken out a comprehensive private health insurance policy for our family of three for the year with excellent coverage for about $3000. Compare that to the $12,000+ a year we pay for our mid-range American family policy, and the $7000+ I’ve paid on top of that this year for an ER visit and biopsy that were not covered by our insurance. Taxes are definitely higher in France, but it’s a huge comfort to know that an accident or illness will not bankrupt our family and we will be able to receive the care we need — without worrying about what kind of bill we’ll be receiving in the mail after a doctor’s visit.
Similarly, France is known for prioritizing the health of its people over corporations — unlike the United States. Food and farming practices are better, and portion sizes in restaurants are appropriately sized. Many additives/preservatives/hormones that are allowed by the FDA have been deemed unsafe in the EU and therefore have been completely banned. Cities are set up to encourage walking and biking — safely, without the constant threat of being run down by supersized vehicles. Healthy living just comes more naturally in France. (Minus the smoking, which for some reason is still very popular in France!)
5. Safety
Gun violence and violent crime are generally low in France, while it is common in our hometown and throughout the United States. Like many Americans, we have had many personal experiences with gun violence. To name a few: A mass shooting occurred at a graduation ceremony in our neighborhood, a neighbor was shot and killed on her front porch, a teenager was shot and killed outside of Todd’s office, a man was shot and killed by a stranger outside of a neighborhood restaurant. There have been so many shootings in alleyways and on the highways and outside of schools that we’ve lost track. We’ve become numb.
And yet I feel overwhelmed with the anxiety of having a young child in a country where we’re all just bracing ourselves for the next school shooting, where he has to be drilled on what he’d do if a shooter entered the school. I’m always looking for an escape route in large crowds in case someone opens fire, and I’m genuinely afraid to piss someone off in traffic in case they’re feeling trigger-happy. I’m not paranoid — a man pulled a gun on a fellow driver recently in a nearby city, and I have personally been threatened by a driver (without a visible gun, thankfully) while walking around my neighborhood with my 7-year-old son.
The threat of gun violence is very real because of where we live, and the most tragic part is that nothing is being done to stop it. Is anyone surprised, when we live in a country with more guns than people? This is real life in the United States, and when we’ve shared our stories with non-Americans while traveling abroad, they have been genuinely shocked.
We are still at the beginning of our family’s French adventure, and at this point, we are not sure whether the move will be temporary or permanent. Maybe we just need a break from the pressure cooker that is life in the U.S. before returning, or maybe we’ll find that France feels like a better fit for us. Either way, we’re incredibly grateful for the privilege of having this experience with our family, and for having the time and freedom to decide what our next chapter will look like.