"Why France?!"

As soon as we shared our plan to move from the United States, we were met with questions from our family and friends like "Why France?" "Do you know someone there?" or "Do you speak the language?" The truth is, we don’t know anyone in France and we didn’t speak any French initially. However, we’ve been learning the basics of French on Duolingo for the past seven months and now know just enough to get us into and out of some amusing situations, (blogs on that to follow).

We’re drawn to France for its slower pace of life, healthier lifestyle, delectable food and wine, rich history, stunning architecture, and, of course, its proximity to the Mediterranean. Bordeaux, specifically, is a fantastic base with its beautiful 18th-century architecture, renowned wine regions, and vibrant cultural scene. Here, we’re just a couple of hours from the Pyrenees Mountains and Spain, about six-hours from Italy and Switzerland, and a three-hour train ride from the UK. It’s a world away from the U.S., and we’ve already explored many of its diverse landscapes—from Omaha Beach in Normandy to the Pyrenees in the South, all in a week. We’re getting pretty adept at navigating all the roundabouts, and to our surprise, France has a surprising number of cornfields, which makes Jon nostalgic for his Iowa days.

The real question we asked ourselves before moving from the United States to France was, "why not?"