The Big Move and Settling In

What I share with you of my personal stories is not about me. It’s about how what I experience can help you navigate life a little better, thanks to the experiences I’ve had. Plus, I just love telling stories. Anyone who knows me knows that I’ve got a lot of stories to tell and do, some of them told many times over (my daughter will attest to that and is quite bored hearing them so many times). Even since our journey that began on Tuesday last week, there are dozens of stories to tell.

I won’t bore you with all of them—but just a few that might be pertinent.

Our time in New Orleans with family was perfect. Everyone loved getting to know Little Leeds who loved getting to know them. I ate enough boiled and spicy crawfish to last a lifetime (although that might be impossible). We downed a few fried oyster po-boys, but never managed to have raw oysters on the half-shell or boiled crabs. But that’s okay—I have to return to New Orleans before October 2027 to renew my driver’s license.

DRIVING LICENSE RENEWAL

Well in advance, I had booked an appointment at the Office of Motor Vehicles to have the address changed on my license and possibly renew it if they would let me. Normally, they give a six-month window for renewals and require being in person, but “shan’t ask, shan’t receive.” I took the chance.

After checking in, and asking the clerk there to print out the proof of address, I sat and waited an hour-and-a-half before going back to the counter to see if they had forgotten me. No, they hadn’t, but it turned out they had a record of my having cancelled an earlier appointment, but not having confirmed a later one. Ugh. I wasn’t even in their system, but when she confirmed that they would not renew the license earlier than six months in advance, I opted on leaving entirely and letting it go with an outdated address. That wouldn’t matter for the few times it’s used renting cars when traveling, but this means a return trip to Louisiana before it expires in 2027. It’s an expensive and time-consuming way of renewing the license, but it’s important, so c’est la vie living in France.

The point is that it’s important to maintain your U.S. driving license unless you have a French license and seriously no longer need it. Driver’s licenses from some states are eligible to exchange for a French driver’s license. You must apply for the permit at least three months before the expiration of your one-year period. (See this site for more information.)

To determine if your state has reciprocity, visit this website. Here’s the current list: Arkansas, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin. Louisiana is not one of them, and I never did obtain a French license. (To trade in your US State driving license once you are here, visit this site.)

MOTHER’S DAY IN THE PARK

On Mother’s Day (U.S.) we attended the VCPORA 28th Annual Mothers’ Day Concert & Picnic at Cabrini Park in the French Quarter. It was an excellent way of meeting up with friends and having a relaxing afternoon while taking in some of the sights of the neighborhood. The French Quarter—or Vieux Carré (Old Square)—is the oldest neighborhood in New Orleans and the historic heart of the city. Despite its name, much of what we think of as French architecture is actually Spanish.

Founded by the French in 1718 under Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, New Orleans became part of the Spanish Empire in 1763 after the Seven Years’ War. Two devastating fires in 1788 and 1794 destroyed much of the original French colonial city, and the Spanish rebuilt it in the style we recognize today: wrought-iron balconies, interior courtyards, thick stucco walls, and colorful Creole townhouses.

It’s for this reason that Toulouse and the French Quarter share a kind of warm, lived-in southern character. When I first visited Toulouse, it felt very much like home. The color and texture of Toulouse’s pink terracotta brick (“La Ville Rose”) is much like Creole brick, the wrought iron balconies and shutters, the Spanish influence, not to mention the street life. The truth is that they are architecturally quite different, but emotionally Toulouse absolutely can remind Americans of New Orleans—especially people who respond to warmth, music, food, and a less formal pace of life.

The concert and picnic was so, so local. We happened to come across a bevy of old friends without having planned any of it. I’m pretty sure actor John Goodman was in the crowd, under a wide-brimmed hat. He has owned homes in the city for years—including in the historic Garden District—and chose to remain connected to New Orleans even after Hurricane Katrina. Goodman became one of the public voices associated with the city’s recovery and resilience and has also been active in local charity events, preservation causes, and cultural fundraising. Locals generally view him as someone who genuinely loves the city rather than merely owning property there as a celebrity retreat.

Poppy Tooker made an appearance, fully intending to be noticed, as she always does. She is one of the best-known food personalities in New Orleans and a passionate advocate for Louisiana food culture, local traditions, and independent food producers. As a food writer, culinary historian, radio host, and television personality, she’s best known for hosting the NPR-affiliated radio show and podcast Louisiana Eats! And you can’t miss her. Her style is colorful, theatrical, and deeply rooted in local identity. She often appears wearing dramatic hats or vintage-inspired outfits, fitting perfectly into the exuberant personality of New Orleans culture.

By coincidence, old friend from France, Susi Gott Séguret, who is a culinary innovator and author of several culinary books, recently had a spot on NPR with Poppy. She mentioned this to me without knowing about having seen Poppy in New Orleans. It’s a small world.

Note: Mother’s Day in France is celebrated on May 31st. Lucky us. We get to celebrate twice.

THE BIG MOVE

This was a big move for my daughter and her son. She had whittled down her things to three suitcases, but we discovered when traveling from Maui to New Orleans that they were each just at the weight limit (50 lbs), with not an ounce to spare. To make life a little easier, we purchased another suitcase. TJ Maxx had a decent selection at good prices, and because we’d be paying $100 for an extra bag, I chose to make the most of it by buying a big bag that would be useful later for myself—a Samsonite with the basic bells and whistles in bright blue.

For the flight to Paris, with us were five checked bags, two rolling carry-ons, a baby stroller, and a variety of other things, including a kind of sling that fit over the airplane tray table and seat to create a bed for Little Leeds. (It was brilliant.) We also had food for all of us, so that we wouldn’t be dependent on airline cuisine, although Air France does a pretty good job—better than most. Still, we’re pretty fussy about what we put into our bodies. The quality of the French diet has spoiled us.

Getting to the airport with all the bags in our rental car was a big undertaking. No way in hell were they fitting into a Toyota Corolla with us, too, so we arranged to drop the car at the airport, be transported back to the house by my sister, then have an Uber van pick us up. Fortunately, the airport is a 15-minute drive away, so that was as simple as it might get. (BTW, I highly recommend the rental car company Sixt as they consistently do the best job of making the rental pleasant and painless.)

When we checked in at the airport in New Orleans, the Delta agent offered us the smallest of bags free of charge, while we paid $100 for the large bag—the one I had bought! (If we had chosen a smaller bag, it would have been free, too!) Then, Air France has a requirement that infants under two years old who travel in an individual seat, must be installed in an approved car seat or with a CARES-approved (Child Aviation Restraint System) harness. The harness cost $75, purchasable at the gate.

We got close to missing our connecting flight in Minneapolis because there was less than an hour to make the gate change and we couldn’t deplane until the medics had come on and removed a man who had taken ill. With all of our belongings, we were lucky to hop a people-moving cart to speed up the transfer.

All-in-all, even though the red-eye flight was challenging with an infant who just wanted to run off unused energy, we landed at Airport Charles de Gaulle unscathed, but sleepy, waited in line at passport control for almost an hour, found our driver and arrived home 2.5 hours after landing. It was cold and rainy in Paris. What else is new?

Note: I have a taxi G7 driver I’ve used for years who I can recommend: Gedeon at +33 6 52 16 34 14. If Gedeon is booked, he sends one of his team and they are all very nice and accommodating. James, one of his drivers, met us at the exit doors, helped us with all of the luggage, dropped off mine at my apartment (taking them up my three flights of stairs) before going on to Erica’s with the rest of the bags and the three of us.

SETTLING IN

I cried when we landed and hugged Erica. “You’re home after 24 years away from being with me,” I said. Hard to believe so much time has passed and that we’ve lived such independent lives for so long. We were both anxious to get settled and exhausted from the travel.

We had much to do to get them comfortable…and we were starving. Uber Eats delivered the wrong order to us—only half of what we had ordered. That was the beginning of a series of mishaps for the next few days that made re-entry a comedy of errors. The following evening with another Uber Eats attempt, the food was very late coming and was left at the mailboxes instead of delivered. When we went down to get it, the package was gone—someone had taken it. I had to run out and find food. Uber Eats wouldn’t refund the money. They claimed they had proof of delivery. Will we use them again? Not so sure.

I won’t bore you with the rest of the mishaps, but there was one after another like this. By Saturday, however, we were well on our way to settling back into life in Paris. The sun came out and my geraniums were as big and beautiful as one can imagine. That gave me energy to prepare for Saturday evening’s webinar, The Real Cost of Living in France—What It Actually Costs (and Why It May Surprise You) sponsored by the Federation of Alliances Françaises USA.

THE REAL COST OF LIVING IN FRANCE

The number of registrations broke their records. We were not surprised, but pleased. Everyone wants to know if it’s really true that living in France can cost half of what it costs to live in the U.S. Yes, is the answer! I paid $14.66 for a dozen eggs in Maui, and I saw eggs in New Orleans for about $8. Groceries are just one thing that is quite a bit less expensive, but in addition, of a much higher quality. Then, when you go down the list of the 10 jaw-dropping cost savings, every single one wins. And again, it’s not just the savings, it’s the quality that counts…especially on things such as health care and transportation.

We got tons of questions, many of which were off-topic. That’s normal—people want to know what they don’t know and take every opportunity to learn what they can, but it was important to stay on track and stick to the program.

The webinar was recorded, so even if you missed it, you have an opportunity to watch the hour (plus 10 minutes that we went overtime), just by visiting our YouTube channel or that of the Federation of Alliances Françaises USA. (If you subscribe to our YouTube channel, you’ll get notifications each time a new video posts!)

And the good news is that we will be talking about this same topic in an upcoming North American Expats in France Quarterly Financial Forum—2nd quarter 2026 with Brian Dunhill from Dunhill Financial.

GET TO KNOW THE REST OF FRANCE

Our next webinar is this week, May 21st at 1 p.m. Eastern U.S. time!

Get to Know the Rest of France: The Best Places to Live and Why—with Jennifer Parrette and me. Join us for a walk-through of our top spots to live in France outside of Paris and Nice—and learn more about how the Adrian Leeds Group new Regional Division can help you. Visit our website for more information. You can also register directly.

A la prochaine…