The Art of Living Where You Feel at Home

One of my first cousins and her husband, living currently in Arizona, decided to consider a move to Europe. I can remember when their house in New Orleans was under nine feet of water following Hurricane Katrina and all of the trials and tribulations they’ve gone through ever since. Life hasn’t been a bed of roses.

When I got wind of their interest in moving, I suggested they check out Nice and offered up my apartment as a place to stay. Initially their thoughts were to move to Italy, but I explained why that wasn’t the best choice…France has the best of all worlds, so why not give it a try? Besides, I know how much Nice reminds me of New Orleans and why I thought it would be a good fit for them.

They jumped at the chance, hopped on a plane and settled into the apartment just nine days ago. A few days later Kim had these words to say, “I can’t explain it, but I immediately felt at home.”

Adrian’s cousins, Kim and Art

I wasn’t surprised. Nice has always reminded me of New Orleans. There are some parallels, like both being port cities; both having a lot of Italian influence, yet French; their weather is similar, although New Orleans is overall warmer. There is a humor, a playfulness, and a friendliness about the attitude of the locals and the city that one cannot deny. They both have big carnivals annually. They both offer up a lot of seafood caught from their seas. They both are colorful cities architecturally, with colorful and artistic natives. They both appreciate the “Art of Living.”

Nice Port

Both she and Art (a fitting name considering the theme of this Nouvellettre®) spent most of their time walking and exploring all the neighborhoods of Nice and getting to know the city. They attended Parler Parlor, the French-English conversation group and met up with our clients and friends for a Friday evening “apéro” where they met like-minded people and immediately made friends. They are already chomping at the bit to get started to find them an apartment for September in which to move permanently and call home.

Carnival Nice

Nope, I am not surprised. And of course, I am thrilled! More family members are moving our way. All these years I never gave in to “going back” (it’s impossible to go in reverse) and never understood why more hadn’t considered it. Now, with the current political climate and high cost of living, it’s not such a pie-in-the-sky idea. More and more people are realizing that there are other places in the world where one can have a higher quality of life for a lot less expense. France is one of those places.

Nice is nice, but it might not be for everyone. That’s okay; there’s a lot of France to love. If you visit Paris and then travel around the country, you’ll just get confused because you’ll be enamored with every nook and cranny of the country. For those who want the excitement and activity of Paris, it’s the perfect answer because there’s more to do than you have time in the day. You can travel anywhere in the world from Paris easily and you’ll make a zillion interesting friends.

Place Masséna, Nice

Pontalba Apartments, Jackson Square, New Orleans French Quarter

But again, it might not be for everyone. Villages offer a quieter lifestyle, but not without charm and culture…one doesn’t have to give up learning new things or having intellectual conversation just because you’re in the middle of vineyards and fields of lavender. The smaller cities offer an urban life without the kinetic energy of a city like Paris. There’s something for everyone. And everyone I know loves where they live.

Let us help you discover where in France you will Feel at Home and where you can experience the true Art of Living. We can help guide you to make the best choice…FOR YOU!

It’s easy. Just schedule a consultation. That’s where it all starts. You’ll work with me or one of my seasoned staff. You won’t be disappointed.

Visit our Services page to book “two hours toward changing the rest of your life.”

A la prochaine…