How To: France

How To: France

So... It's getting real - my long-stay visa was approved; we're moving to France!

I'm looking at all sorts of articles on how to (or not to) get along in France - advice ranges from "learn French" (whaaa?!?!) to "these are the documents you need to open a bank account" (OMG, you can't imagine) to "weigh your flour for baking" (and, by the way, there are Oh. So. Many. Types of flour to understand).

Did you know? "Rules" for kissing hello and goodbye vary (a *lot*) by region! Yes, I saw the survey...
So, when in the Hérault - kiss, kiss, kiss!

I've sorted through my forums, groups, and Facebook pages, trimming those from past moves and adding new ones for France. Of course, I kept *some* for nostalgia!

I had a rough list of things we will have to do to settle in once we get there. Now I have to put it on a timeline - February and March will be *very* busy times for us!

We know from our move to Costa Rica that there are times when you really need expert help - fortunately, Renestance is very near where we plan to land, and they have been a big help in the past (they helped us understand a sticky insurance situation when we vacationed in France last year).

I have a list of things to get used to - and apparently checking off these boxes will tell me "how French" I am.

Alors, Santé !

~~~
some websites:
https://www.renestance.com
https://transferwise.com/gb/blog/how-to-adapt-to-life-as-an-expat-in-france
http://www.myfrenchlife.org/2016/12/07/ways-to-offend-the-french/
http://www.destinationtips.com/destinations/14-photos-french-faux-pas-things-not-to-do-in-france/
https://www.renestance.com/tips-not-in-the-guides-for-american-expats-in-france/
http://www.thelocal.fr/20160722/30-errors-foreigners-make-when-moving-to-france
http://www.combiendebises.com
https://transferwise.com/gb/blog/6-best-apps-to-learn-a-new-language
http://www.thelocal.fr/20160714/how-well-you-have-adapted-to-france