I’ve resurrected this blog, because… we’re moving to Lyon, France in a little less than two weeks. Zomg, how did that happen? (Umm, Hope, you made some plans and then time continued to roll along).
For those of you who are wondering…
- How? Because Kristian and Lilian are Finnish Citizens.
- Why? Because we can.
- No, but why? Because not everybody gets an opportunity like this and we thought it was a good time to go on an adventure.
- Ok, but why? Because we want to live somewhere that we don’t need a car and you can get fresh croissants every morning. That sounds glib, but the European lifestyle really appeals to us. We like the idea of taking the time to appreciate life. We also think it will be a refreshing change to live in a country where people don’t go bankrupt just because they needed to call an ambulance.
- How long are you going for? We rented our house out for a year and then we’ll reassess. The hope is to stay there permanently.
- Are you keeping your jobs? Kristian is going to consult and I am still trying to figure my situation out. I’ll probably be in the US for a good chunk of this autumn.
- What is Lilian doing about school? Lilian got into a French public school that has an “anglophone” section. She’ll be in English language classes for things like literature and history. She’ll take intensive French classes until they think she’s ready, and then she’ll have classes like math and science in French. She’s already met a few of her new classmates via WhatsApp. I’d say that she’s equal parts nervous and excited. Her new school has a Model UN club that’s student-run. She loved Model UN this year, so she’s happy that she gets to continue with it. There are students from 52 countries in the anglophone section, I’m so excited for her to make friends from all over the world.
- Why France? Why Lyon? I made a spreadsheet and it scratched a lot of itches. It’s in the European Union (I’m side eyeing you so hard right now, UK), so we can live there under Kristian’s EU citizenship. It has a great quality of life, but is (relatively) affordable. I speak decent French, so at least one of us will speak the language. There’s tons of public transit, it’s bike-friendly. It also has a Eurostar station, which means that we’ll be able to travel around Europe relatively easily. It doesn’t hurt that Lyon is considered the gastronomic capital of France, with over 30 Michelin-starred restaurants.
Right now, we’re deep in the throes of storing things, packing things, and giving a lot of things away. It turns out that owning a house for 17 years causes you to accumulate stuff in every nook and cranny. We’re taking this move as a bit of a reset. We’re keeping valuable/sentimental items, but we’ve sold/donated/given away a ton. I’m really proud of Lilian. It’s hard to be twelve years old and navigate an international move away from your friends, to a country where you’ll need to learn a new language, and decided what to do with all of your things at the same time.
I’ve definitely had to evaluate my purchases of “someday” craft supplies. Just my unfinished projects filled several bankers boxes. I brought them all over to my Mom’s house and I’m going to spend my alone time this Fall working my way through them.
I made accounts on this here blog for Kristian and Lilian, because they’d like to talk about their experiences as well. I hope that we’ll all be able to share some experiences and stories as a family.
À bientôt.
Amazing, Hope! I wish you three an amazing and wonderful experience. ??
Thanks, Amie! Please come and visit us! 😀
Anything this exciting is bound to be terrifying. Hold hands and take the leap!
(You already know how to hang upside down)
Omg! I’ll miss you Gramma! This sounds so awesome though!!!
I am very happy your family is seizing and creating this amazing opportunity! Best wishes as you make the leap and settle in! A bientot!
Hope LJ and Kristian….wishing you an amazing experience. truly an experience of a lifetime. Enjoy and take it all in. Best of luck on this fabulous adventure. debbie
We are so excited for you! And very proud- a big move takes a lot of guts, it’ll be hard but so rewarding.
Yay! What a leap into the unknown. I’d like to follow you through this journey so please keep posting. Also, I’ll grab any LED tape and art stuffs you are willing to part with. Also, you will be the first to know when the next Alien Halloween party happens so y’all can come back to visit and have fun.
What a great adventure you will have.
Looking forward to following your journey!
Thanks for following along!
<3
I didn’t find any LED stuff during the cleanout, sorry. 🙁 But your party will definitely be worth a visit!
Awww thanks! <3 I love your way of framing it.
Thanks so much! <3
Thanks for your well wishes! <3
We’ll still be around!
Hee hee, I do love to hang upside down! I like your way of framing it. You and Vita should be friends. 😀