My TOP TEN reasons for wanting to relocate to France:
(maybe I forgot something, or maybe you know better! in any case, let me know what you think!)
Reason # 1
Quality of life
Reason # 2
Work to live, not live to work. Taking time to enjoy life, spending time with family, longer lunches and dinners. Slower pace of living. Sundays are what they used to be in the United States forty years ago.
Reason # 3
Healthier lifestyle, pedestrian friendly cities, beaches, mountains, walks in vineyards.
Reason # 4
High-quality health care system, affordable to all, low cost prescription drugs.
Reason # 5
French gastronomy, locally grown fresh produce markets, bread, cheese, olive oil, Mediterranean diet.
Reason # 6
Easy travel to diverse locations (other European countries); children grow up (with the possibility of) being exposed to more foreign cultures. And no matter where you live in France, Paris is just a quick train ride away.
“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.” -Ernest Hemingway
Reason # 7
Some of the best, and most affordable wine regions in the world. Summer wine festivals in the Languedoc are fabulous.
Reason # 8
Mediterranean climate: The weather may not be so fantastic in every part of France year round, but in the Languedoc, it really is quite pleasant most of the time.
Reason # 9
Manners are still important in France, and the vast majority of children are raised to show respect. This is very important to me.
This is a picture of my son, my niece, and some friends.
Reason # 10
Comparatively low violent crime rate. We are not planning to live in a big city, but even in Paris I feel safe walking alone at night.
Living in Languedoc 
That was ten very good reasons.. 🙂
Thanks, Mac! I didn’t realize I’d already published it. You’ll like the version with pictures better 🙂
Ah yes – that’s even better! The table looked great. And it seems like a very soft and gentle climate – judging on the colors. Viva la France! 🙂
Mais oui!
Léa
Léa,
What are your favorite things about living in France, since you’ve already made the move?
Sorry to add a downer or two (thanks by the way for liking my blog on France) but the red tape is horrendous, and the country’s taxation and benefit system is unsustainable, and the country is heading for a bad time. Heaving said that I’d be happy to retire to the south. Mainly for the food, the reasonable weather, and the ease of getting to both Spain and Italy. I wouldn’t want to join the work force.
Thanks for the comment! Of course, I was writing about the top ten reasons that I love France, leaving out the parts that could be not so wonderful 🙂 I know what you’re saying is true, as it is with most places, you take the good with the bad. My husband is French, and our kids already have double nationality. I’m working on French nationality for myself. That should help some with the horrendous red tape (though I know that France has a strong reputation for that). We’re not even close to retirement age, so I hope that we can make joining the work force work for us.
I totally agree with your reasons!
Why, thank you! I think they’re very good reasons myself 🙂
You sold me…of course France is not a hard sell, it is? Great blog!!
Reblogged this on 24/7 in FRANCE and commented:
This blog’s list pretty much sums up the pros of living in France, which I also hear from my expat friends. For me personally, the quality of life here is #1! What do you think of this list?
Kim, Thanks so much for reblogging my post! What a fun surprise this morning 🙂
Re-blogged this post, just to let you know, on 24/7 in France.
It is my dream to live in france someday! Isn’t it difficult to get a visa?
I’m not really sure, but I know a lot of people do it. I am a bit lucky because my husband is French, so that is how I manage to get a visa (and eventually citizenship).
How nice! 🙂 i love france!
Visiting other countries sheds a little light on how far we have regressed in manners and family values. And France has such a wonderful walking and public transportation culture. Maybe someday, I’ll join you there.
I see your point. It’s hard not to judge which is the better way of doing things when comparing cultures. I can tell you that I see a huge difference in the interactions within families in France vs. in the US.
Where do all of you live? how do know that France is so great. I mean it sounds great. But ya.