"When the time came to move to New York for college, I was prepared to say goodbye to country living for good. I spent six years in New York, and then another four in Berlin. Although I loved my experiences in both cities, I was exhausted. Years of apartment hopping, navigating dirty subways, and dealing with nonstop hustle left me craving a reprieve - and wondering why I'd been so quick to swear off a quainter life in the country."
"So, when my husband proposed that we move to a little village near his family in France, I surprised myself by agreeing to give it a try. This was in 2021, when COVID-19 restrictions were making it challenging to live in Berlin, and we were both desperate for the benefits that such a relocation could offer - like more square footage, a yard, and, most importantly, proximity to our loved ones and their support."
"Without a driver's license, I felt isolated by the lack of public transit I never needed a driver's license when I lived in cities, but that all changed when we moved to the French village. There, we simply couldn't get around without a car - but we sure tried. I knew going in that my public transportation options would be more limited than they were in a city, but I didn't expect to be as isolated as we were."
I grew up in a remote California suburb and moved to New York for college, then lived in Berlin, enjoying both but becoming exhausted by apartment hopping, dirty subways, and nonstop hustle. In 2021, during COVID-19, my husband proposed moving to a small French village near his family, and we relocated seeking more space, a yard, and proximity to loved ones and support. I had lingering reservations but believed it would be different. Old qualms resurfaced, and without a driver's license I felt isolated by limited public transit; we struggled to buy a car, bicycling and walking proved difficult, and we left after two years.
Read at Business Insider
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