LIVING LIKE A LOCAL: Stories of Our Life in France

Many dream of living abroad but Shelley and her husband, Mike, did it. They left the security of their careers, the comfort of their home, and the familiarity of their neighborhood and moved to France. For ten months, they made their home in the village of Cotignac in southern France. From their yellow-stucco house with the green shutters perched on the hillside overlooking the village, they lived like a local and soaked up all that life had to offer. 

Join Shelley as she takes you to meet the local people of Cotignac like Frank at the hardware store, Marie at the Brasserie Quatre Saison, and Thomas at the Modern Bar – a local drinking establishment not unlike many small bars in rural towns in the U.S. Experience baking fresh croissants with Monsieur and Madame Pouillard and their son, Donovan at their boulangerie. Shelley and Mike became a part of the small community in Cotignac. They attended every local function like the Coyote Dancers’ performance, the weekly mussels and fries fund raisers for the boule association, the aioli dinner, and the Quince Festival. They helped serve food at a gathering of small publishers organized by Shelley’s French instructor, Catherine. Shelley harvested grapes and olives and bought truffles at the Aups truffle market. While enjoying new adventures at every turn, they lived a regular life doing laundry, searching for plastic wrap, paying bills, and washing the car. They just happened to do them from their home in France. They hosted friends and family all of whom sat together under the large tilleul tree to enjoy meals on their patio overlooking the valley. 

Shelley’s book, Living Like a Local: Stories of Our Life in France, is a compilation of her stories written during their year abroad. Her stories speak to everyday life and feelings from life lived in another country.