What 'Simply Annecy' can mean for you...

You're an expat and you've decided to move to Annecy. This is fab! There's nothing like a bit of adventure to get the adrenaline going. However we all know that with this comes all kinds of worries and stress. This short post is just going to explain to you what Simply Annecy is and how I can help you.

2023 Annecy triathlon is about to start.

I did it, I moved from the UK to Annecy! I therefore understand the kind of stress that goes with such a move. To be fair, my family and I were totally unprepared. We muddled our way through and let things happen rather than be in a position where we could action or influence processes. Then there were the French idiosyncrasies of how things actually work, which at times can appear to be completely illogical. Sometimes we felt we were literally going around in circles and the smallest of things, like posting a letter, seemed like a very complicated process. Compounding all of this was our poor level of French.

Unlike other touristic areas in France, workers in administrative offices, schools, even housing agencies here in Annecy, don't like to speak English so you will just have to take the bull by the horns as it were and do your best with whatever level of French you have. Only when the other person either rolls their eyes or gives you a very vacant look, will they try and help you in what turns out to be quite good English, grrrr.

Of course we each have our own way of dealing with difficult times so moving abroad won't feel the same for everyone. What we can do however is look at the shared and common causes of our worries.

There is the actual physical process of having to sort through 'stuff' and packing it up. There are the logistics of working out how we get to where we need to be by a certain time. There is the sense of the unknown; taking up roots and realising that we have nothing to ground ourselves for a while. Are we worried about the fact that we don't speak very good French and that maybe we won't be able to make ourselves understood? Then there is the endless to-do list and the what ifs...what if we don't like it, what if our son hates it, what if, what if........ the doubts always seem to outnumber and be bigger than the positives. Even just writing this I can feel the stress levels going up.

So what do we do? We can take a step back and consider the bigger picture, and as Marc Jacobs said:

“Change is a great and horrible thing, and people love it or hate it at the same time. Without change, however, you just don’t move.”

Sunset with coloured floating spheres on lake Annecy 2019 by Elsa Tomkowiak.

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Simply Annecy provides knowledge, insight, and reassurance.

In hindsight, many of the challenges I faced when moving to Annecy weren’t just due to my very poor French, but because I didn’t yet understand how things work here; where to go, who to speak to or even what questions to ask.

Simply Annecy was born from those early struggles. Over time, I started writing down what I learned about local bureaucracy, daily life, housing, schools and the quirks of French culture, so that others could benefit from my experience and avoid some of the same frustrations.

Giant breathing lotus flower by Choi Jeong Hwa (KR).

Now, Simply Annecy has evolved into a space for sharing everything I’ve discovered about life here, from the practicalities of settling in, to the joy of exploring the region, understanding local traditions and embracing a slower, more French way of life.

Paddle boarding on lake Annecy.

Whether you’re preparing to move, newly arrived or just dreaming of a different pace of life by the lake, Simply Annecy is here to help you feel more informed, connected and inspired.

So, have a browse, learn from my mistakes and discover what makes life in this beautiful corner of France so special.

À bientôt......