Vanessa Couchman
Midi-Pyrénées, France
I’m a refugee from corporate life. I read History at Oxford University longer ago than I care to remember. At the beginning of my career, I worked in publishing for 10 years. I then took a masters degree in business administration at Warwick Business School, went into public sector audit and research and finally decided there was more to life than the four walls of an office. My husband and I moved to an 18th-century farmhouse in SW France in 1997.
My day job is running my own business writing serious stuff for clients. I also write about life in France and about writing and literary history for magazines and journals. In my spare time, I’m trying to become a published writer of fiction (and am beginning to have a few successes). To see my writing site and find out more about what I do, please click here.
When I’m not doing any of those things I like food and wine; yoga and walking (antidote to the first interest); music – anything by Mozart, especially Don Giovanni, or Chopin; creating a garden out of a rocky wilderness; and annoying French bureaurats (oops Freudian slip, of course I meant ‘-crats’), especially by hanging onto my maiden name, which completely bewilders them.
Help Vanessa. My husband and I moved out to France in 1989 and quite by chance on holiday, found St Antonin Noble VAL and Septfonds having come from Lot et Garonne. We happened on the Fete de Battages and have been coming to the area several times a year since. We have also been members of the aeroclub of Septfonds and have landed there on several occasions. We too have tried to find the dolmens having taken that same track to get to the airfield. Today is May22nd and we were in St A last week! I found your comments while trying to get info on the monument at the side of the road from St A to Montricoux. A fascinating area and one we really love.
Hi Alison, nice to meet you and I see you are following, for which many thanks. This is a beautiful area with plenty to see. I found one dolmen but have no idea where the other 14 are at Septfonds! I expect you found my post about the French Resistance, which included the Maquis d’Ornano monument on that road between Saint-Antonin and Montricoux. Worth a look when you are next over this way.
Best wishes,
Vanessa
Thank you Vanessa for your message. Would like to wish you all the best with your current project on WordPress.
Regards
Michael
Hi Vanessa
I just read your blog and found it interesting. Please let me tell you something about myself: My name is Michael and I run a small company offering international relocation services for people moving around Europe. What we are looking for is a blogger like you who can write an article (kind of a guide) based on your experiences while living in a foreign country for those who are planning to move to the same as you country.
If your article (s), if helpful, unique and interesting it will be published on our website http://www.europeanrelocations.co.uk .
The information we would like to be included in the article are:
• information about local culture and customs
• practical information about finding accommodation and jobs
• and possibly some information about local officialdom and immigration policy
You might like to write it in English or other European language. You can also support your article with links to the third party sources of information.
Ps: If you already own a collection of interesting articles we would like you link them to our website. We will obviously pay for it.
Hope you can help
I look forward hearing from you.
Michael
Thanks, Michael, but this is not the sort of thing I do. Best of luck with other bloggers and with your site.
Vanessa
Ravie de trouver votre blog ! Ancienne habitante américaine de la Bretagne, repatriée aux USA depuis peu, je trouve que la vie compagnarde en France me manque énormément. Mais je crois que votre blog m’aidera avec ça ! Merci de prendre le temps de l’écrire.
Merci de votre gentil message. La France doit vous manquer. Je sais qu’elle me manquérait si je revenais en Angleterre – quoique pour le moment nous grelottions de froid! Cela ne peut pas durer.
Hi Vanessa, I’ve nominated you for my Forget me not Award. I enjoy reading your blog, and love your photos. Keep writing, reading, enjohying music and food and life, and most of all recording your memories. Here you go…
http://kateswaffer.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/the-forget-me-not-award/
Cheers, Kate
Thanks so much, Kate, that’s really kind of you. I’ll come over and get it when I have a moment. I have another award as well that I have to pass on to 5 other people – you are on my list. Will be in touch soon.
Hi Vanessa,
I read your response to the Kick Off 2012 with Project 365… I am quite new to blogging, but have posted 135 blogs since starting on 27 August 2012, 134 of them since I set myself the challenge to blog every day since 2 September 2011 (I didn’t know about the WordPress challenge). My life goal is to blog something worthwhile and interesting for others, for the rest of my life, as I am following my own journey of dementia.
I agree there are lots of bloggers out there who use blogging as their medium, but who perhaps would be better served to use a social networking site instead.
I’ve enjoyed finding and reading your blog via the Daily Digest.
Cheers,
Kate
Hi Kate,
Thanks for your comment. I perhaps expressed myself a little harshly in my response to the WordPress post about Project 365. However, I was rather cross with them for encouraging people to blog when, as you say, they have other ways of expressing themselves. I really felt that some blogs deteriorated when people followed the challenge to post every day without having something to say. You have set yourself a worthwhile goal and fall into my category of people who do have something to say; and I wish you all the best on your own journey.
Best wishes,
Vanessa
I can’t seem to find your contact email. Basically I wonder if I could tap into your local knowledge, as I’m looking to locate a large quantity wooden wine boxes. Obviously the supermarkets would be a first port of call, but I wonder if the high-end vineyards would have a surplus.
Any pointers would be gratefully appreciated.
Seasonal greetings
Ross McCulloch
rossmcculloch@hotmail.com
Have sent you a reply by email, Ross. Not sure I can help you greatly but I wish you all the best for Christmas and New Year.
Hi Vanessa,
I could not find your email address hence my note in comments – please can you contact me regarding an Expat Focus Recommended Website Award.
carole@expatfocus.com
Kind regards,
Carole
Hi Carole,
Have responded by email.
Kind regards,
Vanessa
Hi Vanessa,
Our blogs appear at ‘ A taste of Garlic’, and I would like to send you an email about our new online magazine, but feel that this is not the place to get in touch with you about it. Could you please send me your mail address?
Thanking you in advance,
Kind regards,
Caroline
Dear Vanessa
I’ve just read an interesting article you wrote for Expatica which has lead me here. I thought you might be interested in joining our network at http://www.survivefrance.com Hope to see you there!
Kind regards
James
Hi James,
Thanks for telling me about your network. In fact Catharine had already asked me and I haven’t yet had time to do anything about it!
Regards,
Vanessa
Hi Vanessa,
I would be interested in “chatting” with you about a project I am developing; Global Expats. Pls. go to http://www.global-expats.com and About Company which explains the entire project in detail.
One of the first products of the company/association is a series of travel guides, and thought you might be of assistance. I can send you the book proposal that I have prepared, which explains the project in detail.
I have already written the “skeleton” guide book, but am looking for someone with experience in the writing/publishing field to help develop the entire project.
I look forward to hearing from you.
PS If you think bureaurats are bad, try dealing with the Spanish ones during a divorce from a Spaniard!! See the article on http://www.quotidiandissent.com/post/876761269/of-exes-and-expatriates
Pingback: Welcome to my blog about life in France « A writer's lot in France
Hi Vanessa: I just finished reading your Top 10 Survival Tips article and really liked the “tone”. I am writing because I am hoping to get information on an affordable tax preparer who could give me an estimate on what my taxes would be after I (hopefully) retire in France. (I am a resident of the USA.) I also would like to know if it is possible (e.g. after living in France for 5 yrs) to get onto their health system.
I am learning the language and doing gobs of research, but objective and accurate info. can be hard to come by.
Many thanks for your consideration and time.
A
Hi A, thanks for reading my blog and I hope you found the Top 10 Tips helpful. I can’t really help you directly on either of your questions (taxation and health system) since I am an EU citizen and the rules are probably different for US residents. However, as a first off, there are a couple of websites you might find useful:
www[dot]internationalliving[dot]com – is aimed specifically at US citizens looking to live abroad and there is a lot of helpful info on the site. They also publish a monthly magazine.
www[dot]expat-blog[dot]com – a forum for expats of all nationalities. If you go to the France section you’ll find blogs by Americans living in France. Some of them might be able to help.
You don’t say what region you hope to move to, but you could see if there is an American Expats Association there(there certainly is in Paris, but I can’t remember the exact name). Try Googling it.
I hope this helps and good luck.
Vanessa