Since both Ben Blair and I can work from anywhere, we are dreaming of living abroad for a year (and even making some tentative plans!). Ben Blair has been looking into housing and found this Master’s House. It’s located in a small French village, 2 hours from Paris and 2 miles from the beach. It sits on 4 landscaped acres and shockingly, it’s in our budget. In fact, it’s less than the rent we paid in New York. A dining room for 30, 8 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 6 fireplaces. Oh. And a tennis court. More space than we need. Maybe you will come to visit us and help fill it up. : )
I’m sure it will be taken between now and when we’re actually ready to move, but it’s fun to think about.
What do you think? Would you like living abroad with your family? If you could work from anywhere, where would you pick?
{ 99 comments… read them below or add one }
I dream of going back to France with ma famille! Though it seems a little less realistic for us. But I would love to come and visit!
YES!!!!!!!! and France.
so maybe we should move in with your family ;-)
My husband and I lived in Germany for two years and we would go back in a heartbeat! We had a two bedroom apartment on top of a house overlooking a small nature preserve on one side and the Black Forest on the other. We could ride our our bikes to France, Switzerland was just over an hour away, we loved to buy homemade jams and pickles and handgrown produce at the little self-serve stand around the corner, we went by bike and train everywhere (so easy to do there!) and our favorite date was to walk down the street to the local biergarten next door to a tiny chapel. You certainly don’t need a castle or Master’s House to really enjoy Europe. It’s the little things that I miss most!
I say go for it! I would love to live in England for a year! Then I could just pop over to Italy for every holiday.
Oh my goodness, what a dream come true! If there was a way we could do it, we would… I think my picks would be France, Italy or Switzerland.
Fingers crossed you are able to get this home; it sounds perfect. And yes, even though we’ve never met, we would love to come fill up a couple of rooms!
How amazing would that be? Ah… take me with you! I majored in French and am totally smitten with all (well, most) things French. .. so I would go to France for sure! It’s hard to do, though. Seems like there are lots of obstacles to overcome in the process. Good luck. And if you do it, let me know how. :)
Between Jordan’s plans to move to Paris and this post, I’m so envious.
My husband and I have talked off and on about living abroad. I’d be open to going anywhere — there’s plenty to experience all over the world. I’m a bit partial to the England since I would love my son and daughter to sound like “Charlie and Lola.”
Unfortunately, neither of us work for ourselves (I’m in advertising and he’s a high school English teacher), so I’ve resigned myself to it being an impossible dream.
Either the northern or Mediterranean coasts of Spain in a small village that goes down to the sea. I’m dreaming of the bread and cheese already.
Oh my Gabrielle. This is one of my dreams. I hope you can realize this dream. What an awesome experience it would be.
I think that living abroad for a year or 2 would be grand. I would love to live in a small villiage in Italy somewhere. Not quite sure where since I have never really looked into it, but what a fun idea to think about.
You and your sister Jordan need to come up with a plan to both move to France at the same time :) I believe she has posted about this a few times recently, too!
That looks absolutely amazing, and it would be so much easier to do now, while your children are still young. I think I’d get a little too homesick for my parents and extended family if we lived abroad, but I DO often daydream about moving to Boston. I know, I know — Boston, how exotic, ha! — but I’ve lived in the Philadelphia area for my whole life and it would be fun to move to a new city that is new to both my husband and me. It would be so nice to explore and learn new corners of the city together, and we both love Beantown so much.
Ah, la bella vita… I would love to live in Europe (Italy please) for a year. Or more. But alas, both our jobs require us to be *here*. (Of course I get the perk of traveling to some of the greatest National Parks in our nation – Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Zion, etc – so I can’t really complain.) Maybe when we retire. But I’d be more than happy to come visit!
We have had endless talks about moving to the UK. A couple in our same field did this recently. I would love to do it permanently…
The house looks amazing!
Best,
Tina
What a dream of a house and how great to follow through on the dream of living abroad. I’d love to take my family and jet off to Sicily for a few years.
What a dream! I can’t believe the fact that it is cheaper then your rent in NY! Thats crazy! I would definatly love to live in that house when I have a family of my own someday!! I had the opportunity to visit Paris twice and I love every minute spending time there and hoping to go back soon again!
Daile
dailecwilson.blogspot.com
My husband and I would love to live abroad. Our favorite places would be England, Austria, or Switzerland. I say do it and have fun.
Holy cats! You should leave tomorrow just so you can get this house!
That’s so funny – we’re thinking about doing the same thing! We’ve dreamed of Southern France or Italy. Maybe even Barcelona, with trips to Mallorca! As long as there is internet service, we can be up and running. Say, what are you thinking with the kids’s schooling? We’re trying to make this happen before our little ones are in real school (tho, I suppose Preschool is real school, kinda).
Wow that is a beautiful home. My husband is currently a graduate student and an aspiring professor. Our plan is to have him teach summer school every other summer in order for us to fund living abroad the opposite summers.
Currently on our smaller budget we participate in home exchange and travel around california on long weekends.
We would love to go abroad for a few years. We are thinking about Japan because my husband served his mission there. Or maybe New Zealand. It is so far away for us, but it is certainly fun to dream.
Wow – your timing is incredible! We leave in 2 weeks for a two year stay in Switzerland…. and you and the gang would be welcome for a visit! Yesterday, I watched all of our stuff pull away in a sea shipping container, and now I can actually feel excited (the whole packing thing was a bit of a mental block… needed to get that out of the way!!!). It will be quite an experience going from living rural in Canada (a drive to everything) to an urban European city (and no need for a vehicle!!) We feel extremely lucky to have this opportunity! If you have the chance, GO FOR IT! : )
France. Yep I’d pick France. Luckily I have a standing invite from a friend that lives there & I may get to visit her next summer!!
Wow that house is AHHHmazing!!
Gabrielle
If you move to France I will do my best to pay you a visit. And I’ll invite you to visit me too! I live in Toulouse (southwest of France) with my family and I love it. I’m originally from Miami but have been in France for a little over six years.
The house looks like a dream come true. I hope your tentative plans work out for your family – what an experience!
Bises, D
Sigh. My hubster & I both work from home as well.
This looks like a perfect plan.
How did you find it?
That sounds so delightful. My family lived in England for a year when I was in middle school, and it was fantastic. It opened my eyes so much to the outside world. We went to the American School in London, so we didn’t have any adjustment issues with our education. My husband and I are dying to some day do the same with our family– maybe to London or France or Tokyo.
I can’t believe a house like that in France could ever be affordable!! Truly amazing.
My husband and I talk about living in Costa Rica all the time. Or Holland–which is completely on the opposite spectrum of Costa Rica but just as lovely.
How fun if both you and your sister moved to France for a year!
I would LOVE to live abroad! But it would be hard to appraise Texas real estate from Paris or London or Prague…but I can dream and visit. :)
Zach and I would Lu-hu-huve to live abroad. We would love to do it in the next 5 years (before our family is too big… even though it looks like you are making it happen, so if we don’t do it in the next 5 years… there’s still a chance!) Anyways, you and your sister are awesome. Seriously, you should just call the realtor (or whoever) and say you’ll take the house. Even if it takes you a couple months to get there, it would be RAD!
Hubby and I have discussed both France and Italy (he works virtual office anyway – and I do freelance writing). My parents lived in Europe when I was young, hubby’s family is from Latin America (he was born in Peru) – AND hubby and I took our school age daughter and infant son to Paris years ago (just 5, I guess) and lived in Montmartre in an apartment for a few weeks (my daughter did her schoolwork every night at the kitchen table, we walked to the corner bakery in the mornings where people got to know us – so nice); we were there with friends who were staying 6 months so … were just with them on the first leg of their trip. Anyway, when we went to NYC a few months after returning, we realized how affordable France – even Paris! – was comparatively. We have most recently discussed Italy where his cousin has a B & B. Good luck with your plans!
I was fortunate enough to live abroad for many years growing up. It really made me the person I am today. I would love to live in either Africa or Australia with my family. Either location would provide so many opportunities to be in nature and to experience difference cultures.
I live on the beach in Hawaii and I sat here for a while trying to to come up with a place. I am thinking someplace like Sweden or New Zealand would be fun.
yes, yes and more yes. my parents sacrificed everything to head to York, England for one whole year with their seven children in tow. we lived in a place similar to your photo + mold and slimy bathrooms. still, it was an adventure that bonded our family like none else. all of us look to that year as a great force of good in our lives; such an incredible experience. if you indeed decide upon it, you’ll have to get loads of encouragement from my mom, http://www.travelinoma.blogspot.com. she’d love to give you some tips. xo.
Japan — I have traveled there with my grandparents, and I fell absolutely in love. It’s clean, accessible, both urban and quaint. The food is AWESOME.
We are down to year 9 of our 10 year plan which ends with us moving the family to France, most likely the South of France….we plan to try for a year and see how it goes!
Dreamy! So nice to hear of someone wanting to do this with a family of 5. We have a 2 year old boy, just found out we are having another boy… and someday I’d like to add a girl in the mix if the universe will let us. My husband and I often dream about moving to foreign lands with the family, but it is also an overwhelming thought moving that many little people with you. If you go, I will anticipate every post to see how your experience is going!
Good luck and Happy Travels!
Eva
THAT HOUSE! ill visit you. :)
Oh, this is such a dream of mine. It seems that it will have to wait though as my hubby (who is the main moola maker) actually works in an office in the states with little opportunity to not do that at this point. But…where there’s a will, there’s a way, right?!?
I’m already planning my visit, so you have to do this! :)
We are probably going to go to Sydney in the next year. My husband grew up in Singapore and wants to leave the US again. His sister and family are in Sydney. I’ve always wanted to live abroad. We decided come January, we will buckle down, look for jobs and get out.
I’ve been thinking about this exact subject. Seeing this blog post made my wife consider me working from home more than she was previously. She’d love to live in France at some point (or anywhere abroad really). I’m happy wherever she is happy.
That would be so awesome! My husband and I have talked about moving to Sweden or Switzerland a few times. We’d obviously have to find jobs and get visas and that sort of thing… but both would be really neat! In the more realistic dreams, we’re thinking of moving to Calgary, Alberta. I have dual citizenship since I was born in Canada. If we stayed there I (and maybe him, not sure how that works??) could get free healthcare and actually AFFORD to have a kid someday! Pretty awesome.
I DO live abroad with family :-) My husband and I moved to New Zealand earlier this month, and so far we love it!
Oh how the world has changed. So many of us can work virtually from anywhere (my husband is in the same boat). Do it while you can – before the kids get in their senior years at school. We have teenagers and it is not as easy to up and go (but only 18 months to go until their schooling is done – but who’s counting!!!). Have fun – dreaming, planning, doing?
I grew up living abroad. We lived in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Spain. I would love to do the same thing with my kids. I hold an EU passport, so working and living wouldn’t be an issue, but convincing my spouse to do it certainly is! For now, I need to be content with possibly spending just summers in Spain. Can’t wait!
p.s. no matter where we lived, my parents put us straight into the local schools–we picked up the language really quickly!
Sounds lovely!
There are so many places I’d love to live. We’ve seriously talked about moving to Belize or Costa Rica but the Mediterranean would be fabulous ,too. All I know is, I’m very tired of NY winters!
I did live abroad with my family! I spent seven years with them in France, and three years with them in Germany :). My parents still live there (for their mission work). I think growing up cross-culturally had a wonderful effect on who I am today :) If you’d like any information on great places to live and visit in France, feel free to contact me!
This sounds like such a treat! I would totally pick Spain. Hands down, no questions asked.
I could live anywhere for a year! But I do think it would be fun to live in an Italian Farmhouse. France would also be nice. I lived in Hawaii for a year and I think any of the Polynesian Islands would be dreamy!
exactly the question we’ve been pondering for a while!
we’ve been hopping around for years and this year is living in Siam Reap, thing is, we hav no idea where to go next year! it’s been a never-ending discussion! New Zealand, Ireland, perhaps exotic Bali … definitely not back to france yet ^_^
That house is amazing! I bet the inside is even better.
My husband and I are actually making tentative plans to move to Spain for a few years for business school. 2 years seems like just the right amount of time to live abroad. Long enough to really experience it without being permanently transplanted. Just thinking about it makes me excited! Where do you begin looking for places to live in Europe?
That’s Awesome! We would come and visit for sure!
oh my god… beautiful!! it’s a dream house!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! I went to Paris twice last year and fell head over heals in love with that city. I would do it, and do it now. Don’t let anyone else take that lovely house. By the way we would love to help you fill it up!
Snap! We’d totally live abroad and my choice would be France! If you need to fill your house – you can count on us!
Oh I hope you do it! I lived in the South of France for a year and would go back in a second. I just need to convince my husband.
saw that your sister wants to do the same things. perfect. i am living abroad but dream of moving back to brazil so that i can be closer to my sisters.
Wow. What an adventure and great story you and the kids would be able to share forever! That home is amazing. I don’t know, the stars are sort of aligning for you to take advantage of this opportunity. It is rare for both parents to actually be able to work from anywhere. Of course it’s much easier said than done, but I say go for it. Especially since it seems like you and your family are the fun, adventurous type:) Let me know when to book our tickets;)
In a word YES!!!!!!!! I’d love this so much, I also would love to go to France period. The ability to take the family for an immersion based experience would be totally radical!
We loved our all-too-brief time in France with our two preschool-aged sons. Two more boys, the gear for all four kids, and their busy lives makes me quake at the thought of moving (and then moving again when the year is over). So glad there are brave ones like you to blaze the way!
I have this plan, too! Because of the kids’ ages, it probably won’t be for a year, but I want to go for summers (or parts of summers) to other places. First up: NYC. I want the kids to see what it’s like to live not only in other cultures, but just other cities that really look different from where we live now. Next: London. I’m conveniently picking places Husband has offices so he doesn’t have to disrupt his work routine too terribly much.
I think that’s mighty kind of me, doncha think? :)
(I’m secretly hoping for an office in Italy)
Our family has chosen to live abroad. We live and work in Mexico. I wouldn’t change a thing! It’s an incredible opportunity that you should definitely take advantage of if you are able.
One suggestion: You may want to consider two years. You’ll just be getting your groove and grasping the language and it’ll be time to pack up if you only stay a year.
I hope you take the plunge!!
Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!! The location sounds fantastic!! We are hoping to live in Germany next summer for a visiting scholar program for my husband…we would definitely visit ;)! We’re also hoping the summer leads to a full sabbatical year (my husband is a professor) in Europe in the future. I’d ADORE France or Spain…
Happy dreaming and planning. I really love and admire so much the way that you and Ben Blair truly turn your dreams into actual plans every day :).
we have moved from the uk to nz – I don’t think you can get further away!!
Yes!!! We lived in the Middle East for 3 years with 3 kids, and we all LOVED it! We could have stayed longer & wish we had now… but we’re looking forward to moving abroad again in the future. We’d love to live in Morocco, Oman, Italy, Portugal, the list could go on and on….
I hope you do it–it’s not easy, but it’s so very worth it!
Oh how exciting! I can’t wait to see if this pans out! :)
ONLY 18 DAYS TO GO!!! – Like you we have always wanted to love abroad and experience life at a different pace so in just over 2 weeks my husband, myself and our 3 small children are moving from Queensland, Australia to Tuscany Italy.
We know no one and can speak only limited Italian. Our children will go to the local school and kindergarten and life will evolve in a new and unforgettable way.
Our trip is fairly unscripted so adventures abound – for us and you too hopefully. So many people say they want to and never do – seize the day and whatever happens you will make family memories that everyone of you will never forget.
WoW! Alex – hats off to you and your family…. hmmmm… sigh! I’m in awe!
DOH! Gabrieeellllleee! (read me stamping my feet!) This is one of my all time dreams. One day to take my family to France and live , breath and experience all it has to offer. My parents are from France and we have relatives there – that we don’t speak with ofcourse! I would love for my family to see all the things / places that my parents speak about – I would love to take my mother back too – so she could see her home again, she could show us around her neighborhood. Awwhhh, If you need help filling that beautiful house we are 6 – we can fill it up quickly Hee hee!!
That sounds so fun! And my husband is fluent in french.
oh, how I dream of living abroad!
and that master’s house looks so lovely how can you resist??????
i grew up in a family who moved alot…and in fact was born in Saudi Arabia while my folks were over there working (dad’s in OIL)…
however growing up we just moved around the U.S. — no overseas homes —
i had such a huge travel bug that i got a job working for an airline and was always on the GO! LOVED IT!
now i’m married to a man who has his own biz…LOCAL…no chance of being transferred…let alone a chance to live abroad… :(
so I dream…and dream…and live vicariously through friends and family who are able to live abroad…and am just a *little* bit jealous! :)
if we could live abroad, it would probably be in Slovenia… My husband served his mission there + his ancestors (mom’s side) are from there + I’ve already been there twice and LOVE it there…
AGH! I need to stop before I get really sad…and refocus myself on HOW BLESSED we are to live in awesome Huntington Beach, CA……
Well….my husband and I did live in france for 1 year from October 08-October 09. We have always had a love affair with france and have travelled to France every year for 10 years. We owned an art studio for children, so we found someone to teach the classes for us and we headed over. Before we moved we visited a very rural region just northeast of Toulouse – the’s where the departments of the Aveyron, Tarn, Tarn-et-garonne and Lot intersect. Stunning and beautiful. We rented a 200 year old stone farmhouse and packed up our dogs and bikes (we are huge cyclists) and 1 piece of luggage each and off we went.
It changed our lives. So much that when we came back in October we sold our business and will be returning for good in the fall. We opened another business where we will offer women’s retreats and summer camps for kids (from the US and all over the world). We took our first group of kids over 3 weeks ago for 18 days.
If you can do a sabbatical I highly recommend it. Life is short and it will change your life and if you have children (they adapt) and it will open their eyes to a whole new world.
One more thing…if you can’t do a year, maybe d0 6 months, even 3 months would be amazing.
that would be absolutely amazing. i lived in rome (trastevere neightborhood) for 5 months and it was truely the expereince of a lifetime. I know for all of your precious children it will be a fabulous opportunity to learn about another culture as well. i am about to move to nyc next week, wish you still lived there i would love to meet up. best of luck with your search on a fun abroad home!
A year ago my family and I moved to Ireland for 9 months -an incredible experience and life changing. I say “go for it!”
I have always dreamed of doing this and am constantly asking my husband if he can get transfered to Europe. I worked in film in Prague for several years when I was younger and have always wanted my kids to experience a different way of life early on so that they may be more accepting an open to things that are new and different. Do it! I hope that we get to one day, too…
I dream of moving oversees too. The scope of it seems overwhelming to me, so if you do it, please post about the details involved to live there as Americans. At this point we’re thinking it will be where we retire. Good luck, or should I say Bonne Chance!
Ulgh, I meant overseas!
what an adventure that would be…I spent 2 of my summers in college abroad, one was living on the Italian Riviera and I would go to Nice and Monaco a lot…but if I could go live somewhere for a year, right now, I think I would choose Venice, Italy… I love it there soooo much.
hands down, whistler, canada. with frequent trips to the islands.
we are in the process of trying to make a whole summer up there work for us. i wish you good luck in pursuing what i like to think of as a gypsy life.
I would love to live abroad. It’s the only way to truly discover what the country is like (ie. culture, everyday life, hidden little spots only locals know about, etc.) My brain would say YES! YES! YES! Let’s do it! But my heart would break in two knowing that I would be so far from my parents and in-laws. Taking away the grandkids while they are small. I don’t think my heart could bear it. Sigh… guess I’ll have to wait until the wee ones are big and hubby is retired. ‘Til then I can dream :).
How very, VERY, exciting to dream about and actually consider… even better. There is nothing more admirable and inspiring than seeing others transform their dreams into realities.
Me? Italy… despite the fact that I’d gain 50 lbs.
I LOVE living in Costa Rica. Has taken some getting used to. I say, don’t dream….plan. It’ll change your kids forever.
Are you kidding me?
YES we would love to oprote the family of four how ever we would love to go overthere to the big apple and then suddenly it becomes somewhat harder for a designer with no NY experience :-D
That house! How could you possibly wake up in that house without a smile on your face? And living in France would be such a fabulous experience for the kids! I can’t wait to take my daughter on a girls only trip to France. I am infatuated with Versaille and I can’t wait to watch her experience it. I hope it all works out for you!
We would DEFINITELY come to visit!!
Oh man, if you guys can do it-I say go! Would be an amazing experience for the kids (and you.) My Dad was in the Army when I was kid and we lived in Germany for three years-it was a great travel base and I’ve always felt so blessed for the experiences. My dream-make that, when I win the lottery-would be to have a flat in London. My favorite place on the planet!
where else but france???
my family and i are spending our second summer here. . . also in the countryside a few hours from paris. can’t get enough of this place.
maybe we’ll be neighbors out here next summer?
best of luck with your making it happen!
AWESOME!!! Go you guys-go for it! Gorgeous home and property! YES I’d move abroad with a family. We’ve talked about it and played with the idea and looked into opportunities but not made the big plunge. Seeing this makes me think we should. I think it would be great for any family! Please do keep us informed!
Oh my gosh – I would even pretend moving to NYC is living abroad! I want to do this so badly, I can taste it. Sadly, my husband works for the University of Phoenix in their IT department managing some of their proprietary software. U of P doesn’t have much of a need in other parts of the world for IT professionals. :(
We’re hoping Sidney or Brussels within the next couple of years will be our home away from home soon.
that’s it. we’re coming too. i’ll be the nanny.
i’ll check out the digs when we are in france in 4 weeks time (yay! gulp!)
x
Absolutely! We in fact have been thinking about London. Go for it Gabrielle! What an awesome experience for your entire family!!
YES! If I had the chance I would move to Spain (Barcelona) anytime now! :)
I just want to say that my dream was also to live abroad. My husband is German and we met in Texas. I have 2 small children, however, not to burst anyones bubble. It can be taxing to be abroad, and the ‘dream’ can sometimes not ‘relate to reality’. Its great to have dreams, but remember even moving to a new country albeit Western just like America, can be very challenging. And with a Family, finding time to learn the language, unless you already know it, can be stressful and tiring…along with watching 2 small kids. It is also a tremendous experience, and you learn to qickly rely on yourself. But all the things one takes for granted that you can get so readily back home, it takes time and months to cultinvate finding.
This is awesome! You should totally do it! I lived in the south of France for two years in several different cities. Carcassonne, Montpellier, Perpignan and St. Raphael which is near Cannes. It was amazing. Where did you find this house? I’m interested in going back and maybe trying to the north. Was it a particular website? Darling blog, btw!
You should go for it! Amazing! I lived in Prague, Los Angeles, now my husband and I are living in Salzburg, Austria and are already planning the next move to Barcelona, Spain.. and maybe in the future somewhere in Asia (probably island of Koh Samui) We are absolutely addicted to traveling and would love to live everywhere! Definitely changes your view of the world!!!!
Your family would surely make the most of that amazing house! And I would very much like too se the kinds of posts you’d come up with while living in France. What fun you’d have if you were there at the same time as Jordan!!
Oh. My. Great. Goodness.
I could live in a basement apartment if it meant being abroad for a year (can’t talk my stateside husband into it – YET). This house…
Gasp.
Count me in as a quasi-perm house guest. :b