We spent a year abroad in France and enrolled our kids in a local school. Coming home was bittersweet.

Gemma Bonham-Carter and her husband had lived abroad and wanted the same for their two kids. They rented out their house in Canada, lived in an apartment in France for a year, and sent their kids to a local school. She says it changed her as a parent. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Gemma Bonham-Carter, 40, a working mother in Ottawa, Canada. It's been edited for length and clarity. After having our first baby, my husband and I started dreaming about living in France . Before kids, we'd lived abroad in England and New Zealand, and we wanted our children to grow up with that same sense of adventure. After the pandemic, I realized life was too short to keep saying "one day." Sitting on the dock at my parents' cottage in Ontario, the sun melting into the lake, it hit us: "If not now, when?" Almost a year later, in September 2023, we packed up our two kids and moved to the South of France for a year. Preparing for the move I run an online business teaching entrepreneurs how to grow and scale using marketing and AI tools. Before the trip, our days were fast-paced: getting the kids out the door, diving into calls, squeezing in gym time, juggling school pickups and family commitments. Uprooting our lives wasn't shocking - we had traveled widely - but doing it with an 8- and 10-year-old added a layer of anxiety. To prepare, my husband took a sabbatical from his government consulting job. I cut back my hours. We rented out our home to a single dad who was renovating his house. France made sense for many reasons We wanted our kids to learn French, and the slower, community-focused rhythm of southern France felt like the right choice. My husband and I both spoke the language. Aix-en-Provence - sunny, walkable, and bursting with culture and food - seemed perfect. When we found an apartment on SabbaticalHomes.com, it felt like fate. Of course, fears loomed. Securing visas, enrolling the kids in school , and budgeting our savings - around $75,000 - made my head spin. Could the kids adjust? Could we? With frugal creativity - walking everywhere, cooking at home, renting a car only on weekends - the answer was yes. Our three-bedroom apartment in an old building had slanted ceilings, stone details, and a stunning view over rooftops. The cathedral bells became our morning soundtrack. A few touches from the local markets and the kids' artwork made it feel like home. Our landlord and her husband were warm and welcoming, helping us navigate school enrolment, paperwork, and French life . They felt like surrogate grandparents for the year. France was eye-opening Our shy son, just beginning French, struggled at first. I nervously sent a message through the local parents' WhatsApp group to introduce our family. That same day, he returned home with seven new friends. Daily life in Aix was blissfully different. Weekdays meant walking the kids...

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