3rd January 2021

 A new year is like looking down a long hill, wondering what obstacles I’ll face as I hurtle towards the unknown. When I wrote Pensioners in Paradis in 2017, the idea of living in France was wonderful. All that sunshine and bon appetit living couldn’t go wrong. But then that first whiff of Brexit blew over the Channel. I had a mini epiphany. If I did nothing, as many of our fellow British expats recommended, I’d have hit severe future obstacles which I wouldn’t have had the physical energy to overcome. Fast forward. Was I right to make that reverse journey, the worst, most stressful house move I’ve ever made?  Yes! I’m so relieved to be back in England. In our old French village, hardly any English residents now remain. Just this week I read that English banks, credit/debit cards are now off limits to EU residents, making it more expensive and difficult for oldies to access British pensions. So, my new year resolution:  go with your gut and ignore what other well-meaning friends and family say. Your best advisor is yourself.  Happy New Year!