Nearly there

The first few days of the rest of your life feel pretty much like most other days, but just without going to work. I had a lovely day today - walked the dogs, ran some intervals (not so lovely tbh), did some customs admin (even less lovely) and then watched the Giro d'Italia. 

I was able to do this because as of Mon 15 May I am no longer in gainful employment; nearly 15 years of working in central government Departments as a UK civil servant are over and things are looking to the future. x

We’re still ensconced in Devon as we plot our future but things are moving on apace.

We now have a simple rental property agreed in the Tarn Department, just outside Castres, from which we will take the final step of buying a place and starting our business - predicated on food, courses but most importantly on community and connections. We’re focusing our search in the Tarn but also in the Aude and perhaps slightly wider too.

We’re going to be making the initial trip on 1 June to drop off our possessions for use in the rented place, before returning to the UK to drop off the van and then coming to France proper on 9 June. Our first priority is to finalise our house/business purchase. The most recent house hunting trip for us was in April; it was very close but no cigar in terms of finding the right place, so I think we’re confident we can get it done in the summer months - there’s no doubt that being on the ground and not restricted in terms of days will help. Being able to say a broader range of properties rather than just a shortlisted selection is going to be a lovely novelty. We know what we want - it’s now just a case of finding the right place in the right location at the right price (easy right?!).

Then it will be all the other life admin that moving to a new country entails, and of course really immersing ourselves in French culture for a prolonged period. And of course enjoying the summer weather!

One of the things we’re both looking forward to most is the intellectual challenge of improving our language and hopefully making the step to real confidence and facility in that regard.

More prosaically the most pressing current issue in the UK is sorting out the customs arrangements for moving our possessions in the van (and then by extension for our removal company who are storing the rest of all our stuff) - which of course due to the unfathomable decision the UK made to hoist up the drawbridge - is much more complicated than it otherwise would be. I think I have the measure of it but we shall wait and see on 1 June!