How I Made The Move In One Year
From “I’m moving abroad one day” to “I can’t believe I live here now”
Still can’t believe I live here now.
One day in September 2024, I was scrolling mindlessly through Instagram in a post-work decompression state, and saw an ad for a Move Abroad Escape Plan Bootcamp.
“Only $37? Sure, why not?” I signed up.
One year later, I was living abroad in France.
Moving Abroad Solo, With Assistance
There’s A LOT to figure out before uprooting your life and moving to a new country. Some people do it completely by themselves, and I have so much respect for those who do it that way.
But I wasn’t one of them. I knew I needed guidance. My life to this point had been the traditional pathway of high school > college > degree > career. I’d been teaching for 19 years and knew I wanted to do something different, but I didn’t know what — other than wanting to eventually live abroad (read more about that decision here).
For me, the Escape Plan Bootcamp through Move Abroad Coach — and later, the Freedom Life Experience program — assisted immensely in providing guidance along the way. It covered lifestyle, destination, visas, budgeting and finances, and putting everything together into one solid plan. Since I wasn’t sure where to even begin, this program was perfect for me.
It helped me put together the plan that led to moving to France within 12 months.
When I look back on that year and the myriad of tasks needed to make life abroad a reality, three distinct phases emerge: the Figuring It Out Phase, the Making It Happen phase, and the Imminent Departure phase.
The Figuring It Out Phase (The First Four Months)
This is the fun phase: all the dreaming, envisioning, learning, listening, journaling, self-reflection. Perfect for those introspective folks who like to be alone with their thoughts!
September to mid-November
So what did I have to figure, exactly?
Lifestyle — what did I want my life to be like? Did I want to stay in one place, hop around to different countries, work remotely, run my own business? What did I envision when I thought of myself in a new country, a new town? What was I doing, thinking, feeling, seeing? I had to give myself something to move TOWARD, not just run away from the current reality.
This photo below was my vision board that came together as I thought about the life I wanted to build.
My vision board for the life I wanted
My Tip:
People often start with the destination, but figuring out your ideal lifestyle first is essential, because this in turn influences where you will live. For example: want to work remotely? Well, not all countries have a visa that allow for that “digital nomad” type of work, which limits your options.
Destination — the fun part! Seriously, this research stage is the best! Exploring different regions and towns virtually, watching YouTube videos, looking at tons of beautiful photos, asking questions in expat Facebook groups, even utilizing ChatGPT to create lists of possible destinations. I spent a lot of time figuring out my “must haves” versus “would be nice to have” criteria to guide my search.
I narrowed it down to two regions: the Loire Valley, and Alsace. From there, I picked one city in each region that could potentially be my “first not forever” town: Angers in the Loire Valley, and Strasbourg in Alsace. But the more I researched, the more I fell in love with Strasbourg, so that became my primary focus.
Angers, France. Photo from Unsplash.
Strasbourg, France. Photo from Unsplash.
Visa — Every country has different visas. Turns out that France doesn’t do a “digital nomad” visa, and you can’t work on a tourist visa in France. So I consulted with a company called Citizen Remote to figure out which visa I would need, and how to apply for it.
Since my lifestyle goal was to be my own boss running my own freelance wine writing and consulting business, the best option was the profession liberale visa, which allowed me to start a business that I could run from France. This came with other requirements that guaranteed lots of paperwork in my future.
Budget — There were two things I needed to know: how much it cost to live in my selected destination, and how much it would cost to make the move abroad.
Living costs: I didn’t look at just the generic living costs, but specifically MY living costs, which included things like dog food, vet bills, business startup costs, and credit card payments (because while I wished I could be debt-free while moving abroad, it wasn’t going to happen that way).
Moving costs: this included airfare, visa costs, Hadyn’s flight, vet visits and health certificate, visa-compliant health insurance, etc.
Budgeting came with painful but necessary money realizations, but it also gave me a better idea of 1) how much I needed to save, and 2) what I would need to make in my business each month to cover living expenses and meet my financial goals.
My Tips:
DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP, and don’t just rely on what other expats report their expenses to be. Customize your budget for yourself and your lifestyle, and research if those projected costs are accurate for your destination. And while there WILL be hidden or unexpected costs during the process (such as the unexpected echocardiogram that Hadyn needed 10 days before our flight), you’ll also be bringing in some money by selling your stuff (or through your side hustle or business).
Pet travel requirements — I researched import requirements for dogs coming into France, and made a list of everything that Hadyn already had, and everything he would need (and by when). There was no quarantine requirement for bringing him into the EU, as long as everything was followed correctly (and don’t worry — stay tuned for future content and guides on moving abroad with your pet!).
It took me months to get all of this figured out, but once I had it sorted, I could move on to the next stages.
November to December
Mapping Out The Timeline - I set a “Leave By” date in September 2025, with a backup date in October in case I needed to bump it out further. Using the skills I was learning in the Freedom Life Experience program, I made a list of the major tasks I needed to complete, and then backwards-mapped from my Leave By date.
Ever a teacher, I used an old bulletin board, color-coded everything, and mapped it out by month. Even with my semi-organized bulletin board (which kept changing as things moved around), I still felt overwhelmed at times.
My bulletin board in progress
Telling People — I began to tentatively inform family, close friends, and colleagues of my intentions. It was terrifying to say it out loud, because at this point, I still was in the “I’m absolutely crazy for doing this” (see previous blog) phase.
I was also very selective about who I told at first, because I was still creating my plan. I only told those who were in my inner “need to know” circle, and later expanded to telling more people as more pieces of my plan lined up and fell into place.
My Tip:
Don’t tell just anyone and everyone about your plans at first. Be strategic and break the news wisely. Telling the wrong people before you’re secure in your decision can leave you feeling discouraged, full of doubt, and defeated.
Who are “the wrong people”? Those who will immediately attack your dream or belittle you for it, those who will try to convince you it’s a bad idea because of misconceptions they have about life in other countries, those who will play “devil’s advocate” and pick everything apart before you’re ready for it. You can have these difficult conversations later when you are more confident in your decision and plan.
Planning the scouting trip — Not everyone needs a scouting trip, but if you can make it work, do it. I knew that I needed to see the region at the top of my list — Alsace, and Strasbourg in particular — before finalizing my plans and actually resigning from teaching. I needed that peace of mind, that advanced glimpse, that answer to “Could I see myself living here?”
My Tip:
On a scouting trip (which is not a vacation trip, BTW. Future blog on that later!), the vibe check is everything. If you don’t vibe with a place — meaning you don’t feel at ease there, or excited, happy, hopeful — and you can’t actually envision yourself living there, then it’s not the right place.
The Making It Happen Phase
By the time January 2025 rolled around, I entered the next phase: making it happen. Also known as the “slow grind then hurry up and wait” phase.
January to March
There wasn’t much to do during these months, because all my visa paperwork, downsizing, and important dog stuff couldn’t happen until closer to my Leaving Date.
So I focused on my business, my scouting trip preparation, and on getting Hadyn checked out to make sure he was healthy.
Figuring out and building my business — I was a little all over the place at first. I started writing about wine on Substack. I made a LinkedIn profile. I built an Upwork page, tried to narrow down my ‘niche’, and started applying for freelance jobs there. I initially started as a curriculum designer, thinking that would be a natural fit with my skill set. I quickly learned that while I could do it, this wasn’t something I wanted to do long term — which meant back to the drawing board for business ideas.
Dog Things – Hadyn needed an exam, bloodwork, and his Distemper/Parvo booster. I also ensured the clinic’s microchip reader could read his ISO microchip, and that his chip was recorded in their system and on his paperwork.
I also double-checked that his vet was USDA-accredited and could do health certificates. She was, but I later learned from the clinic that they won’t do international health certificates for individuals, only for pet transport companies, so I would need to find a different vet for the health certificate later in the year.
One more thing added to Move Abroad List.
My Tips:
Start the process for your pet early. Check when they are due for revaccination, and schedule any vaccinations well before the health certificate appointment. Check what type of chip your pet has, and if it isn’t an ISO microchip, you will need to get them rechipped. Ensure that the vet clinic has a reader that can scan your pet’s ISO microchip, that the pet is scanned BEFORE the rabies vaccination is given, AND that their chip number is recorded on the vaccination certificate.
Want to get started? Search now for a USDA-accredited vet, and review pet import requirements using the official APHIS website.
April
April was all about two things: the scouting trip, and decision day.
The Scouting Trip — During my spring break, I traveled to France to visit Strasbourg, Colmar, and other towns in the Alsace region. I fell in love with the Alsace region, but also had some big reveals:
I liked Strasbourg but didn’t want to live there. My scouting trip made it clear I wasn’t a city-living person, BUT I did want to be close enough to easily visit this gorgeous, diverse, dynamic, happening place!
I wanted a smaller, quieter, calmer, more peaceful town that wasn’t too small. It needed to be big enough to have a hospital, vet clinics, grocery stores, maybe even a movie theater.
I needed nature to be more integral to the town, both within and around it. I wanted to feel like the town was surrounded by nature, not like nature was surrounded by the town.
If I was going to work in wine, I needed to be closer to the wine route.
Basically, I learned that Alsace was the region I wanted to be it, but not Strasbourg. During my scouting trip, I ventured outside of Strasbourg into the nearby towns, which is how I discovered the town that would be come my ‘first not forever’ home!
Decision Day — when I came back from my scouting trip, I was mobbed by my colleagues who were in the know:
“Was it everything you hoped for?”
“Did you love it?”
“So, are you going to move abroad?”
Within three or four days of returning from my trip, I made the final decision and handed in my resignation letter.
This was it. I was really going.
May to July
These were the busiest, craziest months, where EVERYTHING started happening all at once.
Flights, Lodging — I booked my flight and my dog’s flight together on AirFrance, then started looking for the three months lodging required for the visa process. Having been to my destination town in April, I had an idea of the town layout and knew where I wanted to be. I found the perfect place through AirBnB and Booking.com (they were listed on both) that would work out well with the dog, and messaged the host right away. He asked a few questions about the dog, and then sent me an invitation to book. Yes!! I was in!
My Tips:
Flights: Call and book your flight and your pet’s flight together at the same time. Be prepared to give them information on the size of the kennel , and the weight of the dog and kennel combined.
Lodging: Secure your short-term rental, then start searching for long-term housing (whether by yourself or with an agency or real estate agent). I advise against signing a long-term lease for a rental you’ve never seen, in a neighborhood you know nothing about, in a town or country you’ve never been to as more than just a tourist. Get there first, then look at housing in-person.
Transport options — I won’t lie: this was such a big stressor. How do I get to SFO airport with everything? From CDG Paris airport to my destination with everything? Should I rent a van and drive in France? Hire a driver? Take the train?
I settled on renting a car to get to San Francisco, and using the hotel shuttle to get us to the airport. Once in France, I would take the TGV train with Hadyn, and use the SNCF Mes Bagages program to transport my luggage (and Hadyn’s giant crate) to my new home. Then it would be only myself, a backpack, and the dog on the train (Note: to hear about the wild adventures I had doing this, check out this Move Abroad Coach Podcast Episode where I share it all!). Seemed reasonable at the time…
More Dog Stuff — Heartworm test, microchip scan, and rabies booster. I made sure my dog’s microchip was scanned BEFORE they administered the rabies, and that the chip number was recorded on all his paperwork, per EU requirements.
Since I would need a different vet for the health certificate, I also looked up local vets on the USDA database, called around, chose the clinic, and made an appointment for 10 days before our flight in September.
Wrapping up my 19 year teaching career — It was a long stretch of saying good-bye to everyone, clearing out my classroom, giving my classroom pet (a snake named Matilda) a new home (another teacher in my department took her, bless his heart). It took me a full week to clean out my classroom, desk, and work space, but I finally did it. Since I would see my work family again right before I left in September, it helped make the good-byes a little less sad and more of a “see you soon”.
Downsizing, Decluttering, and Selling – This deserves its own blog (future post!). These three things consumed my entire June.
I decluttered slowly at first, picking one small thing to do each week. Then I started tackling cabinets, closets, and entire rooms. I made multiple passes over my books and my clothes, downsizing in stages. Same with artwork, knick-knacks, and the thousands of papers shoved in my office desk.
My whole life had to fit into a suitcase and a backpack. I wasn’t shipping any furniture or belongings, so I sold everything I could on Facebook Marketplace and in a garage sale, donated or gave away what didn’t sell, and then trashed or recycled what couldn’t be donated.
I stored a few items — mainly books and some dog sport equipment — with friends, and then packed up everything else to move up to my parents’ house.
My Tips:
Start the decluttering and downsizing process months before you are actually moving. Pick something easy to start with, like getting rid of old pens and markers, throwing away old make-up, clearing out the junk drawer, collecting and recycling all the dead batteries around the house, getting rid of dead lightbulbs.
Be forewarned: it can be an emotional process to sort, sell, or get rid of your things, so do it in stages. Start with items you are least attached to, and work up to those to which you are most attached.
Also — dump runs were so cathartic! By the end of June, I couldn’t wait to go hurl relics of my old life into the giant dumpster bins.
Moving – I had to move out of the house I was renting, so as I was downsizing, decluttering, and selling everything, I also was packing and deep cleaning.
The last night that I was there, I slept on the floor in a sleeping bag next to the dog. I had been in that house for nearly 18 years, so it was a bittersweet moment. My entire life was now packed into a five-foot truck bed, waiting to be downsized even more after summer vacation with my family.
Photos: the last night in my home of 18 years (with the dog on my ‘bed’, of course) and my packed-to-the-brim truck holding my whole life…and my Dyson vacuum cleaner destined for its new home (my parents’ house).
Visa prep and application — Should I have started earlier? Absolutely. But I like to procrastinate, and well, I was also busy with other things, like moving out of my house. So I spent most of July assembling my visa packet, even while on vacation. This involved writing a business plan, developing financial projections, writing personal and business motivation letters, gathering testimonials, writing my CV, moving money around and assembling financial paperwork.
Things also had to be translated into French, which my visa advisor handled (except for my personal letter, which I wrote in French myself, to put some of my French language learning to use).
At the end of July, we filled out the visa form together online (while I was camping in the middle of the woods), submitted it to TLS Contact (the company handling the visa applications), and then booked the earliest in-person visa appointment I could get, which was at the end of August in San Francisco.
Nothing like having your visa appointment scheduled only three weeks before you plan on leaving for France!
The Imminent Departure Phase
If you feel exhausted at this point, I’m right there with you. Making the move happen is exhausting, but also rewarding. Now, the final push!
August to September
Good-bye tour — I visited friends and family one last time. It was a wonderful few weeks of shared moments and lots of hugs, and I am so grateful for this time. Don’t neglect it in your own move abroad journey!
Visa appointment – I drove from Oregon back down to California for my visa appointment with TLS Contact. It was a full-day process, because they were running behind and took several hours before they could get to me. The TLS agent and I went through my visa application together, made sure I had everything. I handed over my passport (because it gets sent to the French embassy in Washington D.C., where they affix your visa inside if you get it), paid the fees, and had my photo and fingerprints taken.
Hopefully I would have my passport back in the next two weeks, with a profession liberale visa affixed inside.
Packing – I planned to fit my life into one giant suitcase and my Eagle Pack backpack, while still meeting AirFrance’s luggage requirements. I bought myself a new suitcase (because my old one was a beat-up duffle bag from my college years).
I packed and repacked that suitcase at least a dozen times.
I also had to pack what I needed for the dog. I could only bring the basics: leashes (short leash, 6-foot leash, long line – all of which I have used here and am so glad I have!), collars, brush, coat wipes, muzzle, treats, food, dishes (the ones that would attach to his crate door for travel), and all of his paperwork.
Hadyn testing out my new suitcase and trying to “help” me pack.
My Tip:
Weeks before your move, start sorting and laying out the items you’re bringing, and test-pack your suitcase. Seriously. Don’t leave it for a few days before.
Also, packing cubes are fantastic!
Dog stuff — I made the final purchases of Hadyn’s giant IATA-approved airline crate, all its accoutrements (dishes, stickers, metal nuts, etc.), and his new basket muzzle (required for public transport in France, and useful at the vet, too).
I then trained him to accept the muzzle and see it as something positive (or at least tolerable). It helps that he is very food driven!
Then, it was back to California for his health certificate appointment 10 days before his flight. During that appointment, they discovered he had a heart murmur, requiring a follow-up appointment. The heart murmur didn’t exclude him from flying, so the certificate was sent off to USDA electronically to be endorsed.
Once signed, it would be FedExed to me, hopefully in time for our flight (still waiting for my passport and visa at this point, too).
Finalizing plans – Lots of double-checking at this stage: flight, lodging, train tickets, hotel bookings, baggage arrangements through SNCF Mes Bagages. Packing and repacking the suitcase. Making sure I could fit enough of Hadyn’s freeze-dried food in my suitcase to last a couple of days.
And still waiting for my passport, visa, and Hadyn’s endorsed health certificate.
Selling My Truck – my little Toyota Tacoma was the last thing to go. I sold it two days before my flight, and it was an emotional event because it was the first vehicle that had been truly mine. We had had many adventures together over the years, so many road trips.
Wherever it is now, I hope my Tacoma is happy in its new home, and is being loved and cared for.
The Paperwork Arrives! — 12 days after my TLS appointment and only six days before my flight, I received my passport in the mail with the visa inside. Cutting it close, I know. (Again, I recommend starting your visa process earlier than I did. For France, you can apply for your visa up to three months before your arrival date. There is now an additional step for creating a business in France, so that now adds extra time to the visa approval process).
Haydn’s health certificate didn’t arrive until the day before we had to leave for San Francisco. But once I had that in hand, I could relax. This was it.
We were ready to go.
The Recap
Nearly one year to the day from that September 2024 Escape Plan Bootcamp, I was in France with my dog, starting our new life together.
How did I make that happen in one year? By:
Getting professional help in figuring everything out (lifestyle, destination, visa, etc.), and in applying for my visa
Mapping out a plan that worked backwards from known deadlines (Leave By date, Hadyn’s health certificate date, “Apply for Visa” date, Hadyn’s rabies revaccination date, etc)
Dividing the big tasks across the year based on their deadlines, then breaking them down into smaller sub-tasks (Rocks, Pebbles, Sand approach)
Doing my best to keep the momentum going by doing SOMETHING related to moving abroad each day, even if meant doing something simple like envisioning my new life (because the brain needs help adjusting to the changes), or clearing out old pens and dead markers stashed in that one desk drawer
Being relentless, not giving up, and seeking out a group (even virtually!) of like-minded people for encouragement when things were tough.
If it’s your dream to live and work abroad, then it is entirely possible, and usually sooner than you think. Start planning, get help if you can, and be relentless. You can do it!
