The apartment is empty. The keys are turned in. That moment happened back in September, but as we step into 2026, I'm still pinching myself that we actually pulled this off. After 18 years in Los Angeles (Dylan's was there for 8), we're starting the new year in a place that felt impossible just months ago. We're in France.
I'm writing this from our place in the south of France, boxes finally unpacked, Lincoln settled into his routine. The whole thing still feels surreal, like we're playing house in someone else's life. But the reality of daily French life, splitting time between village mornings and city errands, tells me this is home now.
You might have caught a few of our social media posts about this move, but this is where the real story begins.
How the Final Days Went Down
Let me tell you about the chaos. Two days before our September flight, our apartment looked like a bomb went off in a moving truck. We were wrapping our one piece of furniture that made the cut (a custom coffee table my Dad made for our apartment), vacuum sealing clothes like we were preparing for space travel, and making impossible decisions about what makes the cut for international shipping versus what gets left behind.
But between all that packing madness, we squeezed in some final LA moments we knew we'd miss. A quick shopping trip to Century City Mall (yes, we hit Cinnabon because priorities), dinner at El Compadre on Sunset for the kind of Mexican food we know we won't find in France, nights out with the boys, workouts with my StayReady fam, and all those little rituals that make LA home.
The reality of moving your entire life 6,000 miles hits different when you're standing in your living room at 2:00 AM, wondering if you really need that third coffee maker. Spoiler alert: you don't, but you'll pack it anyway because moving makes you question everything you thought you knew about yourself.
The Airport Goodbye
The hardest part wasn't leaving the apartment or even saying goodbye to LA. It was that moment at the airport with our best friend. Years of shared dinners, weekend adventures, and late night conversations condensed into one final hug before security. Moving abroad means leaving people behind, and no amount of FaceTime calls can prepare you for how that feels.
Lincoln's International Debut
For everyone who's been asking about Lincoln, our dog made the journey like the champion he is. Watching him take his last walk through LA, knowing it would be the last time he'd see those familiar streets in our Miracle Mile neighborhood again, was emotional in ways I didn't expect.
The 10 hour flight was stressful for all of us, but especially for him. International pet travel is no joke, and every horror story you've heard about animals and airlines runs through your head during those 12 long hours when you can't check on them. But that moment at baggage claim in France when we were reunited? He looked at Dylan through the grate like he had been waiting his whole life to lock eyes with him. Pure relief and joy. I may have left our bags on the carousel to go find Lincoln before anything else.
Closing the Door
There's something profound about closing the door on an empty apartment for the last time. All those years of life, the dinner dates, the quiet Sunday mornings, the late night dancing, all just echoes in an empty room. We stood there for a minute, just taking it in, before walking away from our old life and toward whatever comes next.
Bienvenue en France (Welcome to France)
Landing in France felt like stepping into Chocolat, but with better luggage and worse French accents. The morning light hitting the countryside as we drove to our new place, Lincoln's nose pressed against the car window taking in all the new smells, the realization that we'd actually done it.
We're here. We made it. The biggest adventure of our lives is officially underway.
What's Coming in 2026
Now that we're settled (well, as settled as you can be with boxes everywhere), here's what you can expect from these newsletters in the coming weeks:
The real adventures begin now. Exploring our new French neighborhood, figuring out how grocery shopping works when you can barely conjugate verbs, and discovering what daily life actually looks like when you trade your LA routine for French countryside rhythms.
I'll share the practical stuff too: moving tips we wish we'd known sooner, the step-by-step reality of bringing pets internationally, and honest comparisons between American and French life. The wins, the losses, and everything in between.
Plus, I'll keep you updated on news from France that might surprise folks back home, or stories that connect our new French life to the Los Angeles we left behind.
This is just the beginning. Thanks for coming along for the ride.
More from France soon,
Andrew
P.S. Watch our first official YouTube video to see the whole moving journey unfold, from packing chaos to Lincoln's first French nap. (Dylan carries the torch of editor now in our little household)
