Back in the day, when I lived in Europe, it was a piece of cake for an American to move overseas. Not so now. There are numerous rules, regulations, and required documents to obtain your initial visa, and the timing of submitting these documents is crucial. It can be overwhelming.

With that being said, we plan to move abroad, but we need a base because I am not getting rid of all our possessions. That is not my idea of a good time. Thank God, Ray agrees.

So, we have two plans.

PLAN A is to move to Mexico and use it as our base. Our “stuff” would live in Mexico, and we would become residents of Mexico. We love the warmth of the people, the beauty and diversity of the culture, the country, and the food… I could go on. It captured my heart and soul many years ago. It also has a fab vibe!

We could travel easily from Mexico, and when traveling to Europe, we would ensure our stay in the Schengen area is under 90 days. A large chunk of time in France or Spain sounds intriguing, along with a generous sprinkling of additional destinations. 

PLAN B is to move to Europe full-time. France or Spain would most likely be our base. The central location of both countries would allow us easy access to all of Europe and beyond. After first living in the Netherlands as an exchange student (1971), and returning a few years later to attend College in Switzerland, I quickly found myself becoming a Europhile, so Europe makes sense. 

After much discussion, we decided on Plan B: to move to France as full-time residents in Pézenas, our “starter village.” We completed all tasks to make this happen in just four months!

In February 2019, we flew to Los Angeles to apply for our French visas, and after receiving approval a week later, we set plans in motion. By June 1st, we had sold our house and cars and donated a ton of items to family, friends, and Goodwill. We filled a container with the rest of our belongings to be shipped by sea to our new address. And, oh yeah, RAY RETIRED. YAY!

And finally, on June 5th, we flew to France! 

As of June 10th, 2019, we became residents of the gorgeous medieval town of Pézenas, our starter village. We’ve since moved to Béziers, a lovely city along the Canal du Midi and Orb River. Not bad. 

But, being A Gemini, change is always in the air… The journey continues…