The Time Has Come To Move

Today I am “moved” to write about organizing my move in 2 ½ months to France. I plan to be there for the period of 3 months with the plan to hopefully move there permanently. The time has come to move. It can be quite overwhelming at times encompassing all the details. To name a few, 

• What documents are required to open foreign bank account?
• Will I be able to carry the groceries from the store to the apartment? 
• Am I proficient enough with the language ? I am able to understand the language however, my speaking is not as fluent. I have hired a French tutor through the language website, Italki, and have lessons every other week. 

The Time Has Come to Move to Menton

I have spent a while considering where I would want to settle now that the time has come to move. Menton is a city in southern France. Menton is built into a hillside. Climbing and descending stairs is a way of life. During my first visit there, initially I felt quite successful ascending 3, 4 or 5 floors of stairs thinking to myself, “Whew, I am done,” only to reach the top to be directed to walk to a beautiful street which requires one to descend or ascend a staircase and so it goes up, up, down, down. I believe this was the precursor to the modern day steer master found in the gym. It appears that in this town cardio fitness was just a given if you wanted to go to the market and get your food for the week.

One of my first goals while living there is not to look and be so winded at the top. Young children and older people continue their conversations effortlessly while climbing the stairs, definitely a goal to achieve.  However, the top of the stairs are absolutely worth the views of the mountains and the ocean, gorgeous! As it is an old Medieval City it is very  beautiful and maintained as it largely was in the past.

Considerations For Moving

I will be sharing many photos and stories once I am there. Other aspects to consider are what kind of dog food do the pet food stores have? I have a dog with allergies. will the hair salons have the color I need? A minor detail but nonetheless important. I know that once I am there I will find answers to all of these questions and I cannot preoccupy myself with details that will answer themselves when I am there. 

I chose to rent by the month with Airbnb in both places, Menton & Annecy. Living a month and half in each place will give me a very good idea of each and help me choose where I may want to stay. Typically, monthly rental rates with Airbnb are reduced as opposed to renting by the night or by the week. I have rented a 2-bedroom Airbnb for both stays in the center city in Menton and Annecy. The intention of renting a 2-bedroom place is  to enable both of my adult kids or friends to visit. To help me get settled, my daughter is traveling over at the same time.

The Time Has Come To Move – Planning The Travel Details

Now that the time has come to move, I have made a plane reservation for myself and both dogs, Lily & Lucy on K9 Jets for October 18, 2024. Yikes! It’s so close!! Just a few weeks away. I will be leaving Teterboro, NJ and flying to Paris, France. Gill will fly commercial from New Orleans to Paris. We will be arriving at different airports, landing about an hour difference from each other. The airports are about 30 minutes away from each other. At this point we are not quite sure how to get to Menton. We can take a Pet taxi- Happy Saluki to Lyon- midway – 5 hours for $1,300  or the entire way to Menton which is 5 hours further with a total of $1,500. We are leaning towards getting a rental car and driving ourselves which would be more cost effective and truly a start to our adventure.

A Quick Stop in Lyon

Lyon is the midpoint for the drive. We would drive there on the first night. Lyon is a very dynamic city known for its universities and commercial and industrial businesses. All the while keeping its small town vibe.  It is also the French Capital of Gastronomy. How fun would it be for our first night when we found a delicious restaurant after our long trip, and to be greeted by a fresh baguette and with some fresh olive oil for dipping. And of course finishing off the meal with a delicious French pastry. Yes! One can never go wrong with a delicious meal and a great way to end a day. 

Menton is considered the Florida of France. It is a town in the French Riviera in Southeast of France and it is known for its beaches and gardens. I will most certainly be sharing a lot of our trip and of course of Menton when I am there. I can’t believe the time has come to move, and I can’t wait!

Traveling With My Daughter

Traveling with my daughter, Gill, is just so special! I feel so very lucky to have a close relationship with my daughter as an adult. She is not only my daughter but has become a close friend. Watching her grow up into such a sweet, grounded and successful person has been an honor and privilege. She has carved out for herself  a full life both professionally as well as  having an active social life.  Feeling very grateful. 

Thanks for being here,

-Soraya

Interested in reading more about moving to Europe with pets? Check out my post, Moving To Europe With Dogs