Three years ago I left my life in Canada to move back to France.

Part 1 | How it’s been going & lessons I've learned.

Three years ago, I stood in Pearson Airport, Toronto, gripping a suitcase in one hand and my dog Sophie in the other. My husband, Marc, kissed us both goodbye - tears in his eyes - before I stepped through security and made my way to Gate C34, boarding a flight to Paris. I felt everything at once: overwhelming anxiety, electric excitement, a touch of fear, and an immense sense of relief. Months of preparation had led to this moment - the moment I finally moved back to France after twelve years in Canada, returning to the place that had never stopped feeling like home.

Looking back now, that day feels both like a decade ago and just last week. So much has happened in the past three years, yet I still find myself restless, eager for more. Moving back was the best decision we ever made, but it wasn’t easy—it never is.

On this anniversary of our big leap, I want to take a moment to pause and reflect. To share the truth about this move—what went smoothly, what didn’t, and what it’s really like for a couple in their late thirties to leave everything behind for a new (or maybe old) life in Europe. No sugarcoating, no filters. Just the raw, honest experience.

I hope you’ll enjoy the journey with me.

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In this Part 1, you’ll read about:

• The (almost) impossible search for a long-term rental in coastal France.

• On the importance of adopting a French routine.

• On tackling French administration.

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Even before I landed back in France, I was desperate for answers. Where would we live? How would we support ourselves? Would we make new friends? I wanted certainty, a roadmap, a plan. Maybe it was fear of the unknown. Maybe it was because I had been waiting for this moment for so long. Either way, I was in a rush to rebuild a “normal” French life. I wanted it all, and I wanted it fast.

But of course, life had other plans.