A Long-Cherished Dream

A long-cherished dream, one that would sometimes flare up and then fade into the background again, is finally becoming a reality.

Several years ago, before my mum’s cancer had spread, the four of us (dad, mum, Danny and I) made plans to move abroad and start something like a B&B. We spent hours browsing houses and renovation projects online, imagining how we would make it all work.

But during that same period, we received the devastating news that the cancer had spread. Shortly after, the pandemic broke out. Our plans were put on hold, this simply wasn’t the right time.

More than five years later, on July 16, 2025, my mum sadly passed away.

It’s an emotional time, one where you find yourself searching for direction. You’re confronted with the reality that life is finite. It makes you realize that you need to make the most of it and not just let life drift by.

The dream of a different life abroad started to resurface. Carefully, we began to explore again, looking at houses online. After all, you have to start somewhere.

By early November, we had a great list of properties in France that we wanted to see in person. We scheduled appointments with estate agents and planned a busy week of viewings. Dad came along too, he wasn’t sure yet if living abroad was for him, but he was definitely up for a week in France.

The first house we viewed was an old school in Riguepeu, in the Gers region. It was on a Monday afternoon. It was the furthest from the Netherlands, and the plan was to work our way back north from there.

We were immediately charmed by the house and its surroundings. The property needed a complete renovation, but it had incredible potential. We could already picture it. The area also made a strong impression, there’s a reason it’s often called the Tuscany of France.

In the days that followed, we viewed around ten more properties in the Dordogne: beautiful homes, properties with more land, move-in ready houses, even an estate among the vineyards. But nothing compared to that very first house.

On Thursday afternoon, we decided to cancel the two viewings scheduled for Friday and drive back to Riguepeu for a second visit.

By Friday morning, we were there again. It was typical autumn weather: grey and drizzly. But just as we stepped out of the car, the sun briefly broke through the clouds, almost like a sign of approval.

Our feeling hadn’t changed. If anything, it had grown stronger. We were still enthusiastic… and maybe even a little in love.

Back in the car, we talked everything through once more. We all agreed that we needed to let it sink in.

Dad, too, had become enthusiastic. After giving it a lot of thought, he decided that he would eventually join us. In the first few years, he plans to divide his time between the Netherlands and France,

if we go through with this adventure.