All of sudden, ten years flew by and I had a tall, dark and handsome French husband, a flat in Paris next to the Bois, and two gorgeous little Franco-Americans…I would not have even dared to dream of a life so perfect. Except it wasn’t really perfect, because life never is. Paris is a breath-taking city, but it’s a bit lacking in the UV department. In 2010, our family moved to sunnier days in the South of France, which reminds me a lot of my native California. Once again, I feel like I should pinch myself – I truly am living the dream!

During my 15 years with a global telecommunications company, I worked in areas as varied as Finance, Strategic Development, Marketing and Project Management. It was when researching the possibility of moving my parents over that I became interested in providing solutions to English-speaking retirees in France.

If you have ever dreamed of living in France (like I did), Renestance is here to make it easier. Learn from our experience and enjoy the exceptional quality of life in France, without all the hassle.

From age 9, when I met my first American friend at a hot air balloon fair, I’ve been interested in the English language and culture. Lucky enough to travel quite a lot to Canada and the United States and being exposed to English, I’ve then become fascinated by computers, their pseudo-languages and the first RPG games in text mode. Later came the early Internet, where most of the resources were in English (and very few in French). By the time I was twenty-four, I was fluent enough to be ready for the next step of my life : meeting the american woman who would become my wife and the mother of my two kids.

Knowing that, it feels quite fitting that I now have the pleasure of helping anglophones move to France from the front stage (by co-founding part of Renestance) as well as from behind the scene (by providing online tools) with one goal : make their life a dream in France!

For family reasons we decided to move back to Birmingham and I suddenly felt like an alien in my home town. Only a couple of months later we decided that France was where we needed to be to raise our children.

We decided on the Languedoc region as it has a little of everything – close to the mountains, the coast, plenty of rural life, but not too far from cities big enough to offer everything a growing family needs. The proximity of numerous international airports and the ease of travel from the region sealed the deal, I love to travel and explore. We moved here in 2016 and haven’t looked back. The children are well integrated in the French school system and we all feel very much a part of our community.

My career in the UK was in finance, and since then I have worked in the travel industry for companies who specialise in offering the personal touch along with first class customer service. No request can surprise me now! Having moved to another country with a different language and culture myself, I know how daunting this can feel. If I can use my knowledge and skills to help ease the path for others to enjoy our region, I would see it was a job well done. I am happy to be that reassuring person who you can pose any question to and will always offer a sensible solution.