We are two women from the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. who have moved to France. Pourquoi pas?
Debbie: When I got together with Jeannine in 2008 she told me that on her life wish list was a plan to live in Europe for a year. She wanted to have the experience of immersing herself in a different culture and learning a new language. It wasn’t my personal goal but I do love to travel and I do love her, so shortly after Covid isolation, I suggested we get serious about the plan.
Jeannine: I don’t recall what sparked my life-long desire to live in Europe…maybe it was a grade-school “pen pal” from Dijon, or maybe it was my dad’s stories about his family having emigrated from Germany in the mid 1800s, or perhaps it was having read too much Jules Vernes in grade school. Whatever it was, the desire to live in Europe has been with me for almost all my life.
Debbie: We adore hiking and were aware of the French Grande Randonee (GR) network. These are
long well-marked hiking trails that are all over France. Spending a year in France seemed like a grand adventure with lots of opportunities for hiking.
Jeannine: In 2016, we took 5 weeks to walk the Camino Frances from St. Jean Pied-de-Port, France to Santiago, Spain. We conducted an informal survey of walkers (many of whom return year after year to explore a new section), which section they thought prettiest. Our very non-scientific query led us to plan a multi-day walk on the Chemin de Saint Jacques from the French villages of Le Puy-en-Veley to Conques. After two weeks’ walking this section in 2019, we became resolutely enamoured with France.
The trails, the landscape, the food, and definitely the people won our hearts.
Debbie: Getting a Visa to stay beyond the 90-day Schengen limit was a bit complicated but the process is well documented thanks to numerous online resources. So we set about renting out our house for a year. We arrived with our beloved dog in September 2023 and chose to spend the winter in the sunny south of France. We are from the Pacific Northwest of the US so the winter sun was a novel delight. We chose Nîmes because it was a bit less expensive than other cities in the south of France, and has a rich history with remarkable Roman structures. We made some good friends there. However, we did not want to settle there – we wanted a temperate climate more similar to the Pacific Northwest.
Jeannine: While I had initiated the idea of a year abroad, Debbie was the first to recognise that extending that year would be a logical next step for us. We were having a great time, meeting wonderful people and – for the most part! – enjoying the challenges that life in a new country offers.
We loved our life in France!
Debbie: We had obtained a long-stay visitor visa before leaving the US which would allow us to extend our travels, without having to return to the US and begin the visa process all over again. Hanging over our heads, of course, was the possibility that the US election results could be a repeat of 2016. While we were hopeful that the 2024 election would go as we wished, we were also watchful. After spending some months doing yet more research, we devised a list with a dozen potential French “home cities” to select for year two. We set about exploring those places and ultimately chose Angers (pronounced AHN-zhay), at the western end of the Loire valley.
We made the decision to sell our house in Washington state
After almost a year in Angers, we decided to make the move and live permanently in France. It wasn’t an easy decision but it was one that felt right for us. We have taken advantage of this location to do two multiday hikes with friends on the GR 34, situated along the gorgeous Brittany coastline. The GR 34 is 1,700 kilometers long so completing it is now an aspiration. Having all the trails of Europe outside our doorstep remains a delight.We joined a women’s hiking trip in the Dolomites last July and to La Gomera earlier this month.
We are now on the continent and can join more WalkingWomen holidays..
Last month La Gomera, The Canary Islands
In September we will join another women’s walking group for a week of hiking in Wales. We have had three trips with Walking Women recently. Every time we have met delightful and interesting women. Several have become close friends. We are already planning our walking trips for next year.
Jeannine: As Debbie mentioned, in February 2026 we participated in the Walking Women’s trip to La Gomera in the Canary Islands. It exceeded our expectations as the weather was perfect, the terrain varied, the views spectacular, the accommodations truly lovely and René, the guide – one of the best ever. Crowning it all was the incredible group of women who made up the group.
Of course, missing friends and family are among, I would guess, some of the largest concerns and realities one has when considering a big move. We have been very fortunate to have quite a few friends visit us over the 2+ years we’ve been here. We keep in touch online with quite a number more. The great majority of the folks that have personally traveled to see us (and to see France!) have enjoyed themselves but been happy to return home, no matter the very difficult time that the US is undergoing.
For us, being able to make our dream into a reality came at a good crossroads in our lives.
It is not unlike taking a hike that is somewhat beyond your comfort zone. Some days the wind gusts and the rain falls. It takes consistent effort and can be somewhat uncomfortable. You may not reach the end of the trail having maintained the speed you want. But it feels amazing to have shown up for yourself and for your fellow travelers in the discovery of what lies around the bend. The process and experience stretched us to make the change work, enabled us to see substantially different horizons, and allowed us to walk a path that pleases and suits us.
Both: So our life is now in France. We made the leap and if you really want to – you can too!
Hopefully we will meet some of you adventuresome women on a future walking holidays.
Thank you to Debbie and Jeannine for sharing their story and become WalkingWomen writers. If you have a story to share please get in touch. £50 discount on your next holiday for every story we publish.
