Fast-forwarding a bit to the move. I’ll circle back to the lead-up on another day, but I wanted to put this down while it’s still semi-fresh… because honestly, this past week has been a BLUR.
To give some context to the insanity, here’s a quick timeline of our last month and a half before the move:
- France | May 10–24 (just me)
Preparation for the Customer Advisory Board and then the 3-day event itself - Houston | May 25–29
Packed all our belongings and prepped the house for our lease ending - Costa Rica | May 30–June 7
An amazing vacation with the Granstaff family - Wisconsin | June 7–14
Remote work and visiting my grandmother, dad, and sister - San Antonio | June 14–21
- Depart America | June 21
Five cities across three countries before one of the biggest events of our lives. A whirlwind before we even got started. More on that in another post… but I think it’s relevant, because we were already pretty scattered before this journey began.
On Saturday morning, we loaded up our nine fully packed bags and two car seats (all with freshly numbered AirTags just in case!) – luckily we had a truck. We said goodbye to Hailey’s family, which was very emotional and hard on everyone. I did not anticipate how sad it would feel to say good bye, to family, friends, and America. And off we went to the airport with Hailey’s Dad giving us a ride. From there, we checked in and ended up with a baggage tag list longer than a CVS receipt.
The airport was almost empty, and — true to form — I made sure we were there with plenty of time (minimum two hours!). We flew United from San Antonio to Dulles International, then Dulles to CDG in Paris.
The flights were smooth and uneventful. It was the kids’ and Hailey’s first international flight so there was some palpable excitement. We rode on a Boeing 777-200 and were lucky to have four seats across all together. There was an issue in the galley, so we had about a one-hour delay before pushing back from the gate, which meant more iPad for Emery! The kids were happy with movies, we had some snacks, and eventually we were off.
Sleep was nonexistent, and the food was…meh. I had lasagna, Hailey had some form of chicken, and the kids were given “kids meals” they didn’t touch (but nice gesture from United). We’d bought seat extenders for the kids — not sure I’d recommend them, but at least they made a decent footrest for Hailey!
We arrived at CDG around 9 a.m. Customs was a breeze, and we got our passports stamped with 90-day extended visas. (Next step: applying for our resident cards.) We collected our bags — three trolleys’ worth — and met our drivers.
The driver was great. We chatted about the rise of basketball in France. He even said he once drove Tony Parker, which made Hailey’s day.
As we took the 45-minute drive from CDG to our Airbnb, we were amazed by the Eiffel Tower and the energy of the city, even on a Sunday morning.
The Airbnb was nice — small, very very small. The elevator was basically big enough for a single person yet we all 4 jumped in. The ride up to the 7th floor was…an experience. Hailey immediately pledged she’d be taking the stairs from then on – even with kids and groceries in tow. There was AC which we would come to appreciate later on. Oddly enough though, no toilet paper or soap… luckily there was a super market next door to pick up the essentials. (was that foreshadowing the s**t storm about to come?!?)
From there, it was go-time/slow time. The kids napped along with Hailey. I fueled up with four or five espressos and chilled on the couch, bracing for jet lag and a long week of work and settling in. For dinner, we had ravioli and butter noodles from the supermarket next door and enjoyed the Eiffel Tower view from the balcony. The fun was about to begin.
Monday morning, I headed to work. Hailey and the kids slept in and planned for an easy day. At work, I contacted our agent about the status of our apartment, and…we were not surprised, but very frustrated.
We’d been pushing for a beautiful terrace apartment in Vanves. We’d applied back on May 23, hoping to move in by June 16th, but the property management was completely unresponsive. The move date was pushed to the 23rd and then the 30th, not a good start!
We decided we needed to implement plan b and set up a viewing for a wonderful place in the 15th arrondissement. This had actually been our front-runner until we saw the terrace in Vanves. That said, the 15th was closer to school, work, and everyday living in Paris. So, we applied…and waited.
In the meantime, we needed an Airbnb for nearly a month to hold us over. We found a place in the 15th. It left a lot to be desired, but given the price and our budget, it was the only option left on such short notice. We booked it, and…well, you’ll see.
The rest of the week was up and down.
Hailey and the kids were excited to visit a water park on Tuesday, but when they arrived, they realized you had to be three years old. That was a big letdown and kind of sucked the wind out of everyone’s sails. They tried to rally with Lilo & Stitch (only catch: it was entirely in French).
On a brighter note, the kids came to meet me after work, and I was super impressed they navigated the metro alone and found the right stop (my first time alone was not as successful last year and was “stuck” having bought the wrong pass!). We strolled over to the Eiffel Tower and even got to see what Emery called the “tippy tippy bottom.” We topped the night off with great pizza and little Häagen-Dazs ice cream cups.
Wednesday brought more “fun.”
We had to move some of our bags from Airbnb #1 to Airbnb #2. I took an Uber with four bags, and as I stepped outside, I knew I’d made a mistake — a summer storm was rolling in. I made it to the new Airbnb just in time, but as I got inside, the rain came down in buckets. So much so that I decided to wait it out and ultimately called an Uber back. Good call — the streets were flooded.
Back to the Airbnb (which we’re in now)…what a letdown.
There are three rooms, but they’re laid out in such an odd configuration that there’s no convenient place to congregate. No airflow. It smells funny. And overall, it’s hot.
We arrived early summer, right into a small heat wave. Today was okay, but the place just doesn’t cool down. (Which is why I’m proud to say I bought a portable AC unit for the bedroom — how American of me, right?)
Needless to say this was not the five-star place Hailey and the kids deserved!
Thursday — which feels like forever ago but was just yesterday — we moved apartments and tried to survive. It was a balmy 32°C (mid-80s Fahrenheit). The mood was low, and we were all just trying to get through it.
And maybe, if you’ve made it this far, it doesn’t sound so bad. And don’t get me wrong — there have been plenty of laughs, smiles, bonjours, and “oui oui’s” to go around. But it’s also been draining.
Moving to France is crazy. Bank accounts, resident cards, forms, paperwork, waiting…so coming back to a hot apartment at the end of each day has felt a little defeating.
So, we did what any tourist in this city does: we booked a trip to Disneyland and decided to get a hotel. An instant morale booster and a chance to beat the heat with AC and a pool.
Which brings us to today: more metros, more work, more coffee…and McDonald’s — because again, why not?
Oh, and that portable AC unit? That was a whole adventure getting it home without the F150…but we made it and hope to sleep a bit better tonight.
So week 1 came and went fast. We still have so much to do in preparation for the move, somewhere there is a checklist that I need to get to but that is for next week.
Now please don’t get me wrong, it is not all bad. Like I said we have had plenty of fun, this is just a big adjustment we are still working on. We know we must continue to find the joy in the little things, laugh at the chaos (although usually not at the time), and enjoy the process…
To wrap, Ill leave with some of the highlights
- the kids actually like McDonald’s here – won’t touch it at home. And it is not half bad in Paris
- we are learning a very little bit of French
- We’ve had some croissants – unbeatable
- we learned to use the metro
- I got a French phone number
- We saw the Eiffel Tower
- Ate pizza – and it was awesome, so we got it again the next night
- We walk a TON
- kids and Hailey went to an amazing park and raced sail boats
- had ice cream, gelato, and some fun French desserts (even though it was breakfast)
- tomorrow we go to Disneyland
- probably quite a bit more I cannot remember!
French Dad Joke-
What do you get when you drop a hand grenade into a French kitchen?
Linoleum blown apart.
Hunter u and ur family amazing. All the ups and downs make ur trip remarkable!! Love love the blog. U r an amazing son. We love u and ur family so very much. Say hi to Mickey 👍🥰