Austin to Paris: Moving Update

The final steps of our journey before arriving in Paris.

We arrived in Paris earlier this week, however, as I’m sure you can imagine, I am extremely behind on all content things! I’ve been slowly chipping away at this update post for several weeks now, and am happy to finally put it out into the world. Within the next two or so weeks, I plan on publishing a post covering our first few weeks here. It’s only been three days and I already have so much to share. If you’re not already subscribed and would like to follow along, I’d love to have you subscribe!

A quick snap in the neighborhood this week

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I wasn’t expecting to show up in this space for at least a few weeks, as I planned on taking a much-needed hiatus amongst the chaos of moving from Austin to Paris. But here I am. Taking a short midday break at our Airbnb while the baby naps, and I feel like giving an update on our move.

I hope this post (and any future posts on the topic of Paris/moving to Paris) will be as transparent as possible. While moving to Paris may sound like a dream (and it truly is in so many ways!) it also has come with copious amounts of work, emotions, and to-dos. No one said moving to another country (especially with little ones!) would be a simple task, but I know it will be worth it.

For those who missed my first Substack post explaining our choice to move back to Paris, as well as some of the first steps we’ve taken over these past few months to make this move possible, you can read it here. This post will act as an update on all things from our apartment search to packing for Paris. If you have any questions or curiosities about the moving process, please do not hesitate to leave a comment or reach out via direct message (or over on Instagram!) I love connecting with others who are thinking of making the leap to move to France/Europe or have already done so.

Now onto the latest update…

Moving Checklist

A summarized overview of our moving journey over the past few months

• Expense planning for the move and life in Paris

• Enroll our daughter in a bilingual school

• Pre-departure Appointments: Doctors, dentists, haircuts and more

• Paperwork: Passport Renewal & Long-Stay Visa

• Book Travel Plans

• Moving Sale & Donations

• Move out & belongings to storage unit

• Prep home for our tenant

• Find an apartment in Paris

• Sell Cars

our home in Austin on move out day

A Quick Catchup

It’s officially moving week and we are feeling all the things. Mainly stress if I’m being honest! But I know once we get through this week, the excitement will really begin to set in. The days are currently busy, from taking care of both the kiddos (one of which is teething badly, and the other is on her second dose of antibiotics,) to getting a new tenant settled into our home here in Austin, and so much more. There has been many highs and lows throughout this entire process, especially during this past week. To start on a high note, we finally signed an apartment lease, with just nine days to spare. The apartment is in our ideal location and checks (pretty much) all the boxes! On the other, less exciting, side of things, my car needed nearly a $4,000 repair just two days before we planned to sell it. I guess that’s just how things go sometimes.

Apartment Search

While there has been more than several challenging aspects to this international move, the apartment search has proven to be one of the most difficult. I plan on writing an entire post on the subject, as we’ve now rented more than six apartments in Paris over the last eight or so years (both long and short term) and I have a lot to share on the topic! If you have any questions on apartment hunting in Paris, please let me know.

For this search, we were looking for a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment with a short walk to Ella’s school. We debated if we wanted a furnished or unfurnished rental, but decided on a furnished rental for a year to make the relocation process simpler. Also, with the Olympics happening this summer, trying to furnish an entire apartment would be extremely stressful!

Nearly all of my husband’s family live in Paris, so it was extremely helpful to have feet on the ground. My in-laws were able to visit the apartments and FaceTime us during each visit. Obviously visiting in-person would have been ideal, but having someone visit for us was the next best option, and I’m so grateful to my in-laws for helping us navigate this move.

After several months of searching and some (unexpected) negotiating, we finally signed a lease! The rent was higher than desired, and we had to pay quite a bit upfront, however it’s in the absolute ideal location and newly renovated, so we decided it was worth the investment.

Here’s a little peek at our new building. Once we get a bit more settled, I will share images of the apartment! It’s furnished for the most part, however we will be furnishing our daughter’s room, and also plan to redecorate where possible to make it feel more like home. Following this year, we will reevaluate our living situation, ensuring we love Ella’s school, the location and Parisian life in general before investing in an unfurnished apartment.

loving this tile moment in our building

Packing & Bringing Things to Paris

This was another challenging part of the process. After donating and selling a good amount of our belongings, we stored the rest in a unit here in Austin. As you might imagine, shipping is insanely expensive. The quotes we received ranged from $600 to over $1000 for a small box to a larger suitcase. Therefore, we decided to only bring suitcases. We will bring four large suitcases, as well as two smaller carryons. Essentially we’re starting from scratch and only bringing the bare minimum, which is clothes and a few decorative pieces and keepsakes I just couldn’t stand to part ways with!

My family will be visiting in a few months and I’ve set aside a small box for them to bring. When we return to Austin next summer, we will revisit our storage unit and bring some additional items with us then. If we get to Paris and feel like we REALLY need some things, we left a spare key for family/friends to access our storage unit. I also packed a few boxes labeled “Paris” so that I know which belongings I’m hoping to bring in the near future.

everything we brought to Paris

Pre-Departure Appointments

Before heading to Paris, I wanted to make sure all of us were caught up on appointments, from pediatrician visits to dentists and more. Yes, obviously we are going to the land of universal healthcare coverage, but I wanted to ensure we were all up to date on everything so we didn’t have to worry about check-ups while we’re settling into life.

For the past year or so, especially postpartum, I’ve wanted to visit an integrative doctor to receive a more holistic look at my overall health. I’ve struggled with chronic fatigue, migraines, brain fog and more with little answers from doctors aside from prescription medications and general recommendations. With this integrative practice, I was able to receive a personalized plan and look at my overall health, from nutrient deficiencies to food sensitivities. Turns out I have a severe intolerance to gluten/wheat and eggs. Let me tell you what news I didn’t want to receive a week before moving to France!

Overall, I’m happy to have a plan of action to help me feel better physically, mentally and emotionally as we transition to life in Paris. I am also curious to see how living in this new environment will affect my wellbeing as a whole.

Personal Thoughts

I also wanted to include a few personal thoughts I’ve had along this journey, as I think they’re important to note.

It comes as no surprise why we stay in our comfort. The comfort of the everyday routines and lives we have built.

The hardest part of this process has been the goodbyes. Leaving our community of family and friends we’ve worked so hard to foster over the years. Leaving the first house we truly made into a home; the place we brought both of our babies home to. Leaving our daughter’s school, where she was so happy to attend each day, and where we had an awesome community of friends.

When you think about all of the things you’ll have to leave behind when you uproot your life for a new one, it’s no surprise that we choose to stay comfortable. Walking into the unknown is a hard thing to do, but I know that through the discomfort and sorrow of change, of leaving this current life for a new one, there is so much beauty and growth on the other side. And this is why I willingly do so.

Moving to Paris nearly 8 years ago was potentially the most defining decision of my life. It led me to my husband, my first business, newfound passions, and then my children. It entirely changed the trajectory of my life and my perspectives on myself, others and the world around me. And I’m certain this time will be no different. It’s an odd feeling knowing that next week I will be living a totally different life than the one I lived today; than the one I’ve been living for the past 5 or so years back in Austin, but it’s also such an exciting, surreal feeling. I simply can’t wait to see what Paris has in store this time around!

Again, if you have any questions or curiosities, please let me know. I plan to continue documenting this journey in hopes of providing value and inspiration for those interested.

As always, thank you for following along,

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