This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Gemma Bonham-Carter, 40, a working mother in Ottawa, Canada. It’s been edited for length and clarity.
After having our first baby, my husband and I started dreaming about living in France. Before kids, we’d lived abroad in England and New Zealand, and we wanted our children to grow up with that same sense of adventure.
After the pandemic, I realized life was too short to keep saying “one day.” Sitting on the dock at my parents’ cottage in Ontario, the sun melting into the lake, it hit us: “If not now, when?”
Almost a year later, in September 2023, we packed up our two kids and moved to the South of France for a year.
Preparing for the move
I run an online business teaching entrepreneurs how to grow and scale using marketing and AI tools. Before the trip, our days were fast-paced: getting the kids out the door, diving into calls, squeezing in gym time, juggling school pickups and family commitments.
Uprooting our lives wasn’t shocking — we had traveled widely — but doing it with an 8- and 10-year-old added a layer of anxiety.
To prepare, my husband took a sabbatical from his government consulting job. I cut back my hours. We rented out our home to a single dad who was renovating his house.
Provided by Gemma Bonham-Carter
France made sense for many reasons
We wanted our kids to learn French, and the slower, community-focused rhythm of southern France felt like the right choice. My husband and I both spoke the language.
Aix-en-Provence — sunny, walkable, and bursting with culture and food — seemed perfect. When we found an apartment on SabbaticalHomes.com, it felt like fate.
Of course, fears loomed. Securing visas, enrolling the kids in school, and budgeting our savings — around $75,000 — made my head spin. Could the kids adjust? Could we? With frugal creativity — walking everywhere, cooking at home, renting a car only on weekends — the answer was yes.
Our three-bedroom apartment in an old building had slanted ceilings, stone details, and a stunning view over rooftops. The cathedral bells became our morning soundtrack. A few touches from the local markets and the kids’ artwork made it feel like home.
Our landlord and her husband were warm and welcoming, helping us navigate school enrolment, paperwork, and French life. They felt like surrogate grandparents for the year.
France was eye-opening
Our shy son, just beginning French, struggled at first. I nervously sent a message through the local parents’ WhatsApp group to introduce our family. That same day, he returned home with seven new friends.
Daily life in Aix was blissfully different. Weekdays meant walking the kids to school, grabbing fresh bread, and working from a café. Afternoons were for exploring; evenings for cooking, strolling, or simply watching the world go by.
Provided by Gemma Bonham-Carter
Wednesdays — when many French schools, including ours, close — became our favorite: lingering over coffee while the kids swam and soaking in the slow, communal rhythm.
Weekends brought adventures: wandering Luberon villages, the Calanques in Cassis, and the Provençal countryside. During school holidays, we ventured further — Italy, Malta, Belgium, Greece. Watching our children absorb culture and history with such openness was unforgettable.
Provided by Gemma Bonham-Carter
I also learned a lot about myself
I thrive when life is slower, more intentional, and less cluttered by consumerism and overscheduling. Walking everywhere and embracing minimalism brought a presence and joy I didn’t realize I was missing.
We returned to Ottawa in August 2024. Coming home was bittersweet. I missed the “third spaces” — the lively squares, cafés, and patios where community forms naturally.
Canada felt quieter, more car-dependent, more indoors. But I also became fiercely protective of our time and energy. I now design my work around the life I want, not the other way around. Parenting shifted too: I give my kids more independence, knowing they can thrive outside their comfort zones.
On paper, our days look the same — school drop-offs, work blocks, family time — but they feel entirely different. I’ve made a conscious effort to slow down, reduce calls, and create breathing room in my schedule. My husband made a big shift too: he left government consulting and now works with me full-time, which has been incredible for our family.
Ottawa will always be home. From the beginning, we knew our year in France was an adventure, not a permanent move.
Someday, once the kids are older, we dream of owning a charming fixer-upper in southern France.
Our year abroad transformed us — and we’re already planning our next escape.
Do you have a story about taking a gap year that you want to share? Get in touch with the editor: [email protected].
