Life Update — House Projects, Visa Challenges, and Plenty of Travel

Relationships come with questions, therapy comes with answers. Find them with my sponsor BetterHelp. Click https://betterhelp.com/beneaththesurface for a discount on your first month of therapy.

Cecilia's channel "An Artist's Life":    / @anartistslifeyt  

Morgan's channel "GoGo Chateau":    / @gogochateau  

Life in the French countryside hasn’t turned out quite the way we imagined and 2025 has made that clearer than ever.

In this video, I share the real experience of building a life in France later in life. Not just the beauty and charm, but the exhaustion, uncertainty, visa struggles, endless house projects, and the emotional weight that comes with long-term transitions. What we thought would feel settled by now has instead become a mix of the good, the bad, and the uncomfortable.

Along the way, creativity has been our anchor. From Cecilia’s art and jewelry to my return to music and poetry, art has helped us stay grounded while navigating fear, bureaucracy, and the unknown. Travel across Europe has also been a lifeline, offering perspective, inspiration, and moments of joy outside our daily routines.

This video is a personal reflection on resilience, creativity, mental health, and what it really means to start over abroad. If you’re living overseas, dealing with big life changes, or learning how to stay centered when life feels unresolved, I hope this resonates.

Thanks for watching.

#LifeInFrance #MovingToFrance #FrenchCountryside #LivingAbroad #ExpatLife #LifeAbroad #StartingOverAbroad #SlowLiving #CreativeLife #ArtistLife #PoetryFilm #MentalHealthJourney #TherapyJourney #Resilience #PersonalGrowth #MidlifeReset #HouseRenovation #VisaStruggles #TravelEurope #CreativeProcess #LifeTransitions #EmotionalHealing #BeneathTheSurface