This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sandy Adam, 69, who moved from Pittsburgh to Chatou, a suburb of Paris, in 2025. The essay, which also incorporates quotes from emails between Adam and Business Insider, has been edited for length and clarity.
My connection to Europe developed over a lifetime. Like many Americans, it began by studying French in high school. I had pen pals in both France and England, and later, when my children were young, we hosted a French student in our home for six weeks. Europe always felt familiar and aspirational.
Professionally, I spent most of my career working for global companies. But in 2013, I took my first personal trip to Paris and fell completely in love with its architecture and art. While I was there, I took a cooking class to learn how to make macarons and visited Giverny and Versailles.
That experience reshaped how I imagined my future.
I was kind of forced into retirement in 2025. I was laid off from my tech job and started looking around to see what I should do next. But it’s hard to get a job in the US when you’re over 50 — much less at my age — so I decided to retire.
Around that time, moving to Europe started to feel more practical. I was living just outside Pittsburgh in a wealthy tax district, and my property taxes kept rising. I owned a 1,700-square-foot, three-bedroom colonial on about a quarter-acre lot that I bought for about $224,500 in 2017. In 2025, my property taxes were about $6,900.
I asked myself: If I tried to live off Social Security, could I afford to stay in that house? I probably could, but it would be really tight. Long-term, though, the financial predictability felt increasingly uncertain — my everyday living expenses, like groceries, were going up too. I wanted to simplify my life, with fewer fixed costs and fewer surprises.
I also wanted a more purposeful life. To me, moving to France meant being able to do more and learn more about history, architecture, and how people live differently from the way we’re raised in the US.
Moving to Europe wasn’t meant to be a luxurious escape
I wasn’t looking for luxury or escape in France, but for a more grounded and intentional life, one that was rich in experience rather than centered on consumption.
I was also drawn to the European model of daily life: walking as a default, using trains to explore, and having easy access to multiple countries and cultures.
Before I moved to Europe, I sold my home for $365,000. I used some of the equity from the sale to help fund the move. I’m also on Social Security right now, and when I moved, my monthly benefit was $3,608.
I came to this realization not too long ago: not having a paycheck is a big deal. It took me a while to fully accept that Social Security is my paycheck now, and that my 401(k) and investment portfolio stabilize everything.
I landed in Paris with my dog Phoenix in September and live in the western suburbs, in a town called Chatou.
Chatou feels like something out of a Hallmark movie. It’s a cute, charming town with beautiful cobblestone streets. You can walk beneath tall trees that form a canopy of leaves overhead, and I can hop on a train and be in central Paris in about 20 minutes.
The community is a mix of young and older residents, though I’m noticing it skews a bit older. It’s also a very wealthy area; the homes here are stunning, at least from the outside.
The apartment I live in is about 548 square feet. It’s a one-bedroom, and it’s plenty of room for my dog and me. I pay $1,679 a month, and while it’s a little expensive for me, it gives me a soft landing while I figure out where I ultimately want to settle down.
Even if you are prepared, it can be difficult adjusting to a new place
Before moving to France, I was taking French classes through Carnegie Mellon’s online program. I also attended tons of webinars to help establish myself. But I will say this: even if you’re prepared, unexpected things still happen.
When I got here, my first experience was finding a doctor to refill a prescription. I signed up for Doctolib, got a referral from the local pharmacy, and booked an appointment. The people at the pharmacy didn’t speak any English, but fortunately, my French was barely good enough to get by.
The first few months living in a new country can be exhausting. There’s always something new you have to do, another form to file, or another process to start.
For example, I applied to exchange my driver’s license because Pennsylvania has an agreement with France that allows you to do that, but it required a lot of paperwork, like birth certificates, and there were a lot of forms, and I needed translations.
There’s just a lot that keeps you very busy when you move.
Still, I guess I’m lucky that it’s just my dog and me. If I had a family and children, I could only imagine how much more overwhelming it would be.
You have to put yourself out there to make friends
I wondered how I was going to make friends in France.
I told myself I’d join organizations, but I didn’t do that right away. One day, I was in the grocery store and overheard two women speaking English. I said out loud, “Oh, I hear English, it’s music to my ears.” They came over, and it turned out they were au pairs here in Chatou.
One of them and I became friends; she’s 22, and we do a lot together, like running errands and shopping. She has her own social life with other young people, but we still try to get together about once a week.
I also posted in a local Facebook group looking for people to do dog playdates, because I think the move was harder on my dog than it was on me. Through that, I met a nice couple from the UK who are here for three years, and now we hang out and do things together.
I’m also teaching myself urban sketching. I recently found out there’s an Urban Sketchers group that meets in Versailles once a month, and I’m planning to go. I’m sure I’ll meet more people that way.
I can’t see myself moving back to the US
In the US, I felt resolved, though not necessarily excited, about what I thought my life would be.
My lifestyle was about putting money into things. I’d think, “Oh, I’ll buy a new TV,” or “Oh, I’ll buy a new couch.” Here, I’m using my money differently: I bought an annual pass to the Louvre, I’m buying art supplies as I learn to paint, and I just bought a new guitar.
In France, I wake up happy every day. Retiring abroad feels like a natural extension of the interests and values I have been forming for decades, and is exactly how I want to spend this next chapter of my life.
Sometimes, I wonder how long I can afford to live in France. I also imagine what it would be like to move back to the US. I have a son there, and I’m thinking about how to leave him an inheritance.
But honestly, I don’t really see myself moving back. In the US, my life just felt more reactive. It happened around work and obligations. While I still value my ties to the country and its people, I don’t feel the same pull to return to that default rhythm.
Read the full article here
