I saw this writing prompt today and immediately knew what quote I’d share, even if it’s not strictly a quote, or at least one attributable to some wise wordsmith. Maybe it’s more of a credo or a mantra. I know for Joan and I during this change in out lives have leaned on this repeatedly.
What if it all works out?
Selling everything, pulling up roots and moving to a new country is not for the faint of heart. The architecture may be charming. The food and wine can be amazing. But the effort required to start anew in a different country, particularly when you don’t speak the language, is non-trivial.
It’s easy to dwell on the enormity of the task — learning a new language, navigation a different culture, working through a bureaucracy that runs (walks) at a pace that demands deep breathes and patience.
It’s easy to worry over what might go wrong. What if our visas aren’t approved? What if we can’t find a suitable apartment? What if we struggle to set up utilities, or buy groceries, or get a haircut?
And so, our mantra during this transition has been a different kind of ‘what if.’
What if it all works out?
The statement doesn’t mean blindly wishing for smooth sailing, but acknowledges that everything working out is a very real option. It may test us and exercise muscles that have been dormant, but (knock on wood) it’s working out.
We got our visas. The dogs made it to France safely and have adjusted nicely to life here. We found a great apartment (with A/C!), and have made friends with other expats. We’re settled into our place, and now building new routines that include which market to visit, and when to get baguettes at our favorite boulangère.
We’re now setting our sights on travel plans, including hiking the Tour du Mont Blanc, our first trip to Estonia and Finland, and some time in western France in a language immersion program. It feels very much like the chapter on moving to France is coming to a close, and we’re starting the next chapter.
What if it all works out?
There’s always the chance that something doesn’t work out. We may have to adjust our plans or correct our course. But this mantra has been really helpful for keeping us moving forward.
This is a question we’ve been asked many times, including this comment from one of the travelers on our Iceland trip last year (and repeat Six-Pack of Peaks challenger) Amy, who wrote:
I’d love to hear more about why/how you chose France vs Spain, Portugal, or Italy and what was your process for figuring out which city to move to within France. Also, did you do all of your own research or did you use a service to help steer you along the way?
First a little background. We have lived overseas once before, when Joan worked for an international school in Seoul, South Korea. It was a great experience and a very easy transition. At the school, we had a built-in community of English-speaking expats from around the world, and Seoul is a modern city with all of the modern conveniences you would expect — a great public transit system, every kind of cuisine you can imagine. It was different, yet familiar.
We’ve always talked about living in Europe at some point, but due to work obligations, it always felt like more of a “someday” dream — more concept than concrete.
That perspective shifted as I looked at retirement and began to think that maybe the time was right.
Initially, we didn’t settle on Dijon or even France. We just loved the idea of living in Europe and the ease of traveling and experiencing so many different countries so easily. I saw a news story of a village on Sardinia offering the infamous 1 euro house deal and imagined what it would be like to refurbish an ancient home in a small, remote village. That seemed a bit too remote and far removed for our tastes, but it did get me thinking about how close other places in Europe are, and how easy it would be to travel to the UK, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands and more.
At this point the algorithm kicked in and started suggesting content. We learned about an expat couple that moved from Missouri to Albania, and followed that rabbit hole. Joan had a friend who moved to Portugal, and so we did some research on that (many of the doors are closing there).
Then on October 26, 2025 we watched this video from Amelia and JP Abroad on their 10 favorite retirement spots. They listed cities across the world, but Dijon, France piqued our interest. It seemed to have the right mixture of history, vibrant culture and modernity
From that, the algorithm suggested Suzi from Fired Up in France. Suzi is an American expat who has been living in Dijon for 17 years, and has a great channel with a lot of content for people curious about moving to France in general, and Dijon in particular.
This kicked off more research, learning about moving to France and getting to know the city of Dijon.
There are many wonderful things about France, and one of the financial elements that tips the scale is their favorable tax treaty with the U.S.. We still file and pay income taxes in the U.S., but don’t get double taxed in France — not true for all countries.
As for where in France, there are many wonderful cities, towns and villages to choose from. For us, we liked the climate of Dijon — very similar to what we experienced in Bend, Oregon, but with slightly warmer winters and slightly cooler summers. We didn’t want hot and sunny, but we also wanted more than a village — something where we could immerse ourselves in French culture, history, food and wine but also enjoy great public transportation, excellent walkability (Dijon has entire sections of centre-ville that are pedestrian-only), and good cost of living (about 30% lower than Bend, Oregon).
Dijon is located roughly 1 hour 40 minutes from Paris by high-speed rail, and we have excellent high-speed rail connections that can get us throughout Europe. Plus, most of the trains allow dogs, which is important for our two labradoodles.
Once we decided on the move, we enlisted help from two companies. Daniel Tostado Avocats helped us with our long-stay visitor visas. These allow us to establish residency in France, but there is a fair amount of paperwork to go through — tax records, bank statements, proof of income — and they were very helpful guiding us through the process. We had to travel to San Francisco to submit our paperwork, and we didn’t want to have to go through that process twice.
We started looking for long term rentals, initially using Seloger.com. Initially, we were getting virtually acquainted with the various neighborhoods and the rental market. About a month before we were scheduled to land in France, we worked with Ibanista to help us focus our search. They were extremely helpful in scheduling (and translating) walkthroughs, ultimately finding the apartment we ended up loving and walking us through the details of the lease agreement (which of course, is in French).
In six months we went from dream to reality. Now we are walking the dogs through centre-ville, stopping for a coffee and a croissant, and slowing down to savor the day.
We’re still setting up the apartment and getting settled in, but Dijon feels like home.
In 21 days, we will be en route to Dijon, France—our new home base for the next chapter of our adventures.
The first order of business will be finding long term housing. We plan to live car-free, relying on public transportation and our own two feet to get around.
Dijon is a little bigger than Bend (160k vs 110k) but still quite manageable. Both high speed rail and regional trains serve Dijon, making it a great base for exploring Europe. We already have two trips planned—Switzerland for a couple days at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and southern England for a workshop and hiking on the coast.
Meanwhile, the house in Bend has been emptied and we are revisiting some of our favorite places one last time before heading to our next stop: San Francisco.
A hearty, smoky pasta with chorizo, bacon, mushrooms, and a rich carbonara sauce with a kick of chili. This is a recipe my friends Sarah and Paul in Follifoot shared with me. Loved it. Found the old card I had written it on, and decided to post it for my own future reference.
INGREDIENTS
4 rashers (strips) of smoky bacon
1 chorizo sausage, sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced finely
4 kinds of mushrooms, sliced
3 small pots carbonara sauce
1 teaspoons chili flakes
400 grams pasta of your choice (penne works well)
STEPS
Fry the bacon & chorizo: Fry 4 rashers of smoky bacon and 1 chorizo sausage, sliced together until the bacon is crispy and the sausage is darker and cooked through.
Cook pasta: While the meat is frying, cook 400 grams pasta of your choice according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Add garlic & mushrooms: Add 2 garlic cloves, sliced finely and 4 kinds of mushrooms, sliced to the pan. Sauté until the mushrooms are softened.
Add sauce & simmer: Stir in 3 small pots carbonara sauce and 1 teaspoons chili flakes. Mix until bubbly, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Combine & serve: Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Serve immediately — eat!
NOTES Feel free to mix up the mushroom varieties — a combination of cremini, shiitake, oyster, and button works great. Adjust chili flakes to taste.
After a lot of conversations, long walks, and asking ourselves what we want the next chapter of our life to look like, we’ve decided it’s time for a change. This May, Joan and I are moving to Dijon, France.
Bend has been our home for the past nine years, though we’ve bounced around between LA and the Bay Area for work, it’s here where we’ve built community, friendships, and a life we’re deeply grateful for. Leaving Bend doesn’t mean we’re closing the book on this place or the people here. We’re just turning the page.
This move isn’t about running from anything. It’s about curiosity, a different pace of life, and choosing new adventures while we still can. Everything that matters most to us — connection, time outside, shared meals and good conversations — all come with us.
We are excited. And more than a little nervous. And very aware of how lucky we are to get to do this.
And yes, our door is always open to friends. Burgundy hikes, bike paths, wine, and long, leisurely French lunches are officially on the menu. ????
Just a brief update. Our group of 13 people from Social Hikers summited Mount Kilimanjaro on January 23rd. We all reached the summit together — a 100% success rate — and made it safely back down the mountain.
It was an epic experience, and one I’ll be replaying for a long time.
In a few weeks, I’ll be traveling to Tanzania. It’s what is technically referred to as a “long-ass” trip, flying from Redmond to San Francisco to Doha and finally to Arusha. But not really finally, because then I hop in a taxi to Moshi, another hour away, where finally… FINALLY… I’ll meet up the other 12 good people climbing with me.
I’ve put together my packing list (your feedback welcomed) and reviewed it with a fellow Six-Pack of Peaks Challenger and Kilimanjaro alums Jason (watch the interview).
Summit Day
I leave for Tanzania in three weeks from today. We begin our 7-day trek on the Machame Route on Sunday, January 18th and our Summit Day starts in the wee hours of the morning on the 23rd, which is in…
I have three weeks to finalize my packing and wrap up my training.
“The word adventure has gotten overused. For me, when everything goes wrong – that’s when adventure starts” – Yvon Chouinard
Planning for Adventure
I don’t know if anyone has stumbled into an adventure up Mount Kilimanjaro. It’s the sort of adventure that requires loads of advance planning; budgeting expenses, booking flights, training, even meeting with my doctor.
Undoubtedly there will be surprises on this adventure. When experiencing anything for the first time, every step unveils something new and often unexpected, no matter how many YouTube videos you’ve watched or trip reports you’ve read.
Taking on an adventure like climbing Kilimanjaro requires a level of planning. It’s mostly a matter of prioritizing what matters to you. While plenty of people claim to love “outdoor adventure” (whatever that means), fewer take the necessary steps to prioritize adventure as part of their month-to-month, week-to-week, and day-to-day lives.
It’s part of why I created the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge. The challenge involves committing yourself to adventure. Planning hikes that may require a full day (or two) up mountains that will test your body and spirit. There will be surprises, but you won’t stumble into completing it without at least a basic plan.
