Bonjour!
Over the past two weeks, I’ve been sharing stories from our trip to France. But today, I’d like to shift gears a little and talk about a dream my wife and I share: moving to France.
Even before our trip, my wife often talked about wanting to move to France, influenced in part by the drama Emily in Paris. And after just two weeks there, she came away with such a strong impression that she says, “I absolutely want to live there!”
When I asked her what exactly she found so appealing, she gave me three reasons:
- French people seem to live true to themselves.
- It looks like a good place to raise children.
- There are many kind people.
For the first point, she noticed this in the way people dressed and carried themselves in confidence. She felt that French people wore what they wanted with confidence, living authentically without worrying about others’ opinions. (Of course, not everyone is like this, but it was her impression.)
For the second, she saw many families with three or more children, which made her think that perhaps France is family-friendly. Since she hopes to have at least three children herself, this struck her as especially appealing. We’ll definitely need to research French childcare policies more thoroughly.
As for the third, perhaps we felt this more strongly as tourists, but many people helped us when we were in need. For example, at train stations, strangers helped us carry heavy suitcases up the stairs, and when we were confused about bus ticket prices, nearby people kindly explained. We experienced these small acts of kindness many times.
Of course, there are also concerns, but I’ll save those for another time.
Since we returned from the trip, France has been on my wife’s mind constantly. She’s even started studying French seriously! So together, we began asking ourselves in earnest: “How could moving to France actually be possible?”
First Step Toward Relocation: Overcoming the Language Barrier
The very first obstacle to living abroad is, of course, the language. Without being able to speak the local language fluently, daily life and job-hunting would be extremely difficult.
As for me, my most recent language scores are TOEIC 885 and IELTS 6.5 about three years ago. I’ve kept up my English study by watching movies, and recently started studying for the TOEIC again because one of my students said they wanted to take it. Honestly, my English still has a long way to go. During the trip, most of my communication in France was in English, but there were definitely times when I couldn’t understand. Ideally, I’d like to reach at least IELTS 7.5.
And then the problem is French. About six months ago, I passed the 4th grade of the French Proficiency Test. During the trip, I tried using some simple phrases, but I quickly realized I was unable to speak well. (People spoke so fast that I could barely catch anything…) To live comfortably in France, I feel I’ll need at least 2nd grade of the French Proficiency Test. My wife and I will need to keep studying steadily together.
The Key to Moving: Qualifications? Considering Work Options
But language alone isn’t enough. France is often described as a “qualification-based society,” and without specific skills or certifications, finding work can be extremely difficult.
So, my wife and I began discussing what skills we might be able to use. She has an interest in fermentation cooking and has been learning how to use koji. On the other hand, I am from Hiroshima and skilled at making okonomiyaki, and I also hold a Soy Food Meister certification. We thought we could open a Japanese restaurant together someday?
The idea would be to acquire culinary-related qualifications, work in that field, and pursue immigration through that path. It may actually be a realistic option. Of course, opening a restaurant would require much more than just cooking skills—we’d also need to research management, laws, visa types, and many other factors.
A Challenge Toward an Unseen Future
Our plan to move to France is still just in the conceptual stage, and we don’t know whether it will ever become reality. But having such a big goal has already boosted our motivation for studying languages and working harder every day!
I plan to continue researching the possibilities of relocation, considering new options, and sharing our progress on this blog. Hopefully, one day, I’ll be writing these posts from France!
Au revoir!
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