I’ve had 2 babies in France. As an American, the biggest shock was never getting a hospital bill.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kristen Seitz . It has been edited for length and clarity.

At 25, I was working in Texas at an oil and gas company, feeling like this wasn’t the life I wanted. I decided I’d quit my job and teach English in Europe for a few years, planning to return once I’d had my fill.

My first Christmas in Europe, I was teaching at a school in Poland and was invited to spend the holiday with a colleague’s family. It was there that I met a French man who would become my husband.

We had 2 kids in France

Since the meeting, we’ve moved around, living in Poland and Canada, and since 2019, in France. We wanted…