Friday, February 28, 2014

Expat Experience - Diane Wargnier, Loire Valley, France

Diane Wargnier
Who are you?

My name is Diane and I'm an American originally from New Jersey now living in France's Loire Valley with my husband, Tom, and Cavalier King Charles spaniel, Dagny.

Where, when and why did you move abroad?

I live not far from Angers, France, and moved here about two years ago.

What challenges did you face during the move?

I think the move was the easiest part.

The challenge was maintaining a long-distance relationship (me in NYC and him in France) so once we got married, I moved and it wasn't challenging at all. I bought a one-way ticket, packed two suit cases, and was off!

How did you find somewhere to live?

When I first arrived, I just moved into my husband's apartment so it was a seamless transition for me. It's the same town I'd visited many times on trips and is where my husband works. But five months ago, we bought our first house in the same town to have a space we call our own complete with a little backyard for the dog. We searched for several months and in France, the home buying process is a little different than it is the US. Here, you work with many agents since certain properties are only available with a certain agent. I have to say I'm lucky that my husband is French and could navigate the process with ease. Between the paperwork and cultural differences along the way, I would have been lost otherwise...

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