After “50” I moved from the USA to Europe. “I wouldn't be able to live there on savings”

At first we traveled along the Italian coast. I spent a few months in Florence and a few weeks in Rome. I loved both cities, but I got there concluded that Italy is not the best place for a single woman with a small dog. After some time in Spain, I ended up in France – on the coast of the Gulf of Arcachon, near Bordeaux.

Navigating new cities, shops, new languages ​​and people was very interesting. This is definitely not an experience for the faint of heart. But my parents were immigrants from France and my grandparents were from Russia, so the feeling of not quite fitting in is no stranger to me. Maybe that's why this experience is a little easier for me.

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I loved Florence, but I couldn't afford it

When we moved to Italy, Enzo and I traveled almost the entire coast looking for that dream place – but we never found it. While it was a great adventure, the only places I felt truly happy were Rome and Florence.

Florence has a wonderful mix of people; it is a very friendly and lively city. I met a friend there via Facebook who had an apartment on the other side of the Arno River, away from the tourist areas, and she rented it to me for $2,400. per month (approx. PLN 8,600).

Enzo and I walked around Florence every day – at all hours of the day and night. It was an extremely safe place. My favorite part of living there was being a “regular customer” of the local shops and cafes. At one point people were shouting, “Ciao, Enzo!” as we entered.

However, I knew that Florence would be too expensive in the long term. I don't work and I live on savings, so even living there “at cost” would be difficult.

I really wanted to live by the sea and couldn't imagine growing old in Florence or Rome, so I packed up and moved to France. Still, I was very sad to leave Italy.

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I'm building a life in France

The dream of being “French” and riding a bike with a baguette in the basket was never my goal. My dream is to meet friendly people, live on a promenade lined with palm trees, ride a bike with Enzo in the basket and breathe the sea air.

Throughout my stay in France, I rented a car, which allowed me to have several bases and visit many nearby towns.

When Enzo got sick in September, I decided to rent an apartment in a small, mostly French town on the Bay of Arcachon. It's good to finally settle down – we've lived in over 30 different places over the last year, constantly pushing me and my poor dog out of our comfort zone.

I am renting a fully furnished duplex apartment in Audenge. I pay about $1,400. per month (approx. PLN 5,000), including utilities. The apartment is very quiet, has a garden and I share it with a nice French couple.

We will have to move out in July for the summer season, when rental prices skyrocket. I don't know where we'll move yet, but I know it will be a base where I can finally move the rest of my stuff from California and build a sense of stability.

Last week I finally bought a car for about $21,800. (approx. PLN 78,000). This is a huge relief, because throughout my stay in France I spent a fortune on car rentals.

I'm also studying for my French driving test – the test is in French and I only speak the language at a very basic level. Still, I know I can do it because I have already overcome many other challenges.

I don't plan to return to the US

While traveling around Europe, I saw many beautiful places and met wonderful, kind and funny people. Enzo's presence has helped me a lot with this – he's the best traveling companion I've ever had.

I also learned a lot about myself: how to adapt and cope with new situations. I am not afraid of living in new places, eating alone, going to offices, making appointments in a foreign language or asking strangers for help. I drive in a new country, take trains, make eye contact and start conversations.

I have never once been so frustrated that I gave up. Every day I remind myself how lucky I am that I don't work – it gives me time to accomplish what I'm trying to do.

I'm still getting used to being away from home and friends. I never had any illusions that I would become the best friend of an Italian or French person or that I would be invited to Sunday dinners. You can't move to another country and expect to fully blend into its culture.

Still, I plan to stay in Europe. Returning to the States would mean starting everything from scratch. I wouldn't be able to live there on savingsand in Europe I can function on a budget of about $3,000. per month (approx. PLN 10,700).

While I don't feel like I'm living my best life here, it's better than the one I had in California – so I'm moving in the right direction. I still don't have everything figured out, but the slower pace of life, no daily grind of running a business, and getting out of the rat race have been a huge gift.

The above text is a translation from American edition of Business Insider