Mad to leave everything behind - "you'll miss your garden" "what about the children?", bad to leave with elderly parents still living ( but they moved to be nearer my sister) , and foolhardy - well we'd soon change our minds and be back when we realised it wasn't like being on holiday!
People have also said we were brave to do it - somehow at the time it didn't seem like that despite the fact that in the end we had to sell up and move before we had actually found somewhere to live. I had not been brave enough to do it when we were younger but when retirement offered us the chance to have an adventure it just seemed like the right time, now or never. We had often thought t would be nice to live in France instead of just holidaying, we loved our little holiday house by the Vere at Bruniquel. I dreamt of living in the countryside and making a new garden. I needed to make the break with the potteries ( sorry Stoke, thanks for the last 40 years and all that but I needed to get away). It was to be a 10 year experiment and then probably we would return and live out our old age near one of the kids.
But no such thing - it was not long before we knew we had made one of the best decisions of our life together and we were destined to stay. No-one who visits us can fail to recognise it was the best thing for us, we are living our dream - selfish maybe but you only get one stab at life.
We love nothing better than sharing our home and this beautiful region with family and friends who care to visit and there are many who come every year.
We were also lucky to have found a region where traditional music and dance is thriving. We often say that music ( in particular T C's musical talents) have been the key to us meeting people, making friends ( particularly French friends). improving our French language and integrating. We have loved learning occitan dancing too.
We are incredibly busy, incredibly happy and most of all incredibly lucky to be here. Who knows what the future holds but for now we continue to live every day to the full and appreciate our good fortune each and every day.
So 9 years on we are now proud French citizens ( and well as English of course - but just at the present time it is more difficult to feel very proud of that), we have no regrets, we are "at home"
aiçi sén pla
