Is It Time To Move To France?

This is the most frequent question I've received since the election.

As you can probably imagine, the number one most frequent question I’ve received since the election is: How can I move to France?

A lot of people are wondering if it’s time to leave America. Some are feeling that something dreadful is on its way and want to leave before it happens, others have been thinking about moving abroad for a long time, and the election gave them a reason to speed up their timeline. Still others just want to know what their options are if a need to move comes up in the future.

We have moved to France twice, and neither move was for political reasons, but I can totally empathize with wanting to flee a country that you love, but that sadly, doesn’t love you back.

With that in mind, I’ve got three opportunities for anyone interested in learning the ins and outs of moving to France.

NEW! Moving To France Workshop

Join me and Ben Blair on Tuesday, December 3rd at 7pm ET (that’s the week after next!), for a packed-with-information workshop about moving to France. You’ll get a complete overview, including topics like visas and financial requirements, insurance, employment, how much French is required, moving costs, cost of living, renting vs. buying, schools, taxes, the time difference, community involvement, and how to decide what to bring and what to leave behind. You’ll also receive our list of resources to help you get started planning your move.

This 90-minute workshop will include time for Q&A, so you can get your questions answered. The workshop will be recorded, so if you can’t make the live workshop, you’ll still be able to access and watch it at your convenience.

Even if you're only curious, and not currently planning to move abroad, this workshop can bring some real peace of mind, as you learn that yes, it's possible to move to another country.

Click here to register and reserve your spot. Registration is $29. A Zoom link will be emailed to you when you register.

We are packing as much information into this workshop as we possibly can, and can’t wait to share everything we’ve learned. Be sure to tell your friends who are thinking about a cross-ocean move!

Office Hours Meetings

Make an appointment to speak with me one-on-one in a video call for 30 minutes. Ask me all your questions about moving abroad. I haven’t offered Office Hours calls for several months, but I just opened up some dates in November and December. Click here to choose a date and time, and book your meeting. I look forward to chatting with you!

(And since I know you’ll ask: Yes, you are welcome to book an Office Hours call about any topic, not just moving abroad.)

Relocation Retreat

For those of you who are serious about making the move happen, reserve your spot for our Relocation Retreat happening September 17th to 21st, 2025. The Relocation Retreat is focused on the practical aspects of buying property in France and/or relocating to France.

At this 4-night retreat, me & Ben Blair will join guests daily for workshops and classes from local experts (either in English or with translation) on topics like buying property in France, financing property in France, property taxes in France, how to apply for a residence visa, how to find real estate in France, how to work with a maître d'œuvre (a French general contractor), and how to move a household abroad.

Retreat guests will learn about aspects of daily French life — like shop schedules, restaurant schedules, how the trash works, having a car vs. public transit, etc.. The Relocation Retreat also includes visits to actual homes for sale so that retreat guests can get an idea of the types of properties available at different price ranges.

Click here to learn more about our retreats, and reserve your spot in our September Relocation Retreat here. Be aware, there are currently 4 rooms available for the Relocation Retreat. So if you want one, be sure to sign up right away. Make it a holiday gift to yourself!

Note: Wish this retreat was happening sooner? If there’s enough interest, we could host a Relocation Retreat in April as well. Email designmom@designmom.com with questions.

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A Few Things

And while you’re here, here are a few things I’ve been wanting to share with you:

-From Planet: Critical — Cyber-Security Experts Warn Election Was Hacked. “It’s north of a 35 billion to 1 probability that you could win seven out of seven outside of recount range with less than 50% of the vote.” What are you thinking about these new reports and open letters? Does the data seem compelling to you? Or does it bother you people are talking about this.

-From The Guardian — How to survive the broligarchy: 20 lessons for the post-truth world.

-In the New York Times (gift link) — Roxane Gay writes Enough. “We act as if they get to dictate the terms of political engagement on a foundation of fevered mendacity.We must refuse to participate in a mass delusion. We must refuse to accept that the ignorance on display is a congenital condition rather than a choice.”

-In Mother Jones — Of Misogyny, Musk, and Men. Women are not okay. We’re furious.

-I started posting on BlueSky — BlueSky is another Twitter replacement platform. I’m still posting on Threads as well, but I do like the idea of moving to a platform that is not owned by an oligarch.

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I hope your week is going well and that you’ve been able to regulate your news intake so that it’s not too overwhelming. Sending you love and (still!) righteous anger.

kisses,
Gabrielle