A French Lens Podcast

Have you ever had great expectations for a part of your business only for it to come crashing down once you witness the reality of what you are planning? That's exactly what we experienced when we recently took a trip to Paris to scout locations for photoshoots. The expectation of the city was not the reality experienced. Join us in Luxembourg Gardens, in Paris, as we discuss this challenging realization.

What is it like to be a client of a new photography business in France? In this episode of A French Lens, we walk through the full experience using a real session: Abbie's first family photoshoot at Château de Chaumont-sur-Loire. We cover how the process works, from the first conversation to choosing a location, rescheduling around overcast weather, and meeting the family at home beforehand so the kids felt comfortable. We also talk honestly about first-session jitters, the camera that wouldn't hold its focus, and the quick call to switch camera bodies rather than stop and troubleshoot. If you're planning a Loire Valley trip and thinking about a photoshoot, or you're curious what it takes to launch a business abroad, this is the unpolished behind-the-scenes.

How much does it actually cost for us to live in France? In this episode of A French Lens, we open up our real spending for September, our first full month living in Blois in the Loire Valley, and compare every category to what we budgeted.

We planned for $4,250. We spent $9,279.16 (oof). In this episode we cover our monthly budget line by line: rent, groceries, restaurants and take-out, transportation, cell phone and internet, utilities, insurance, health, cat expenses, and our “guilt free” fun money. We also break down what’s behind our rent, what’s in our “Other” category, and what it costs to support a kid in college in Europe.

If you’re budgeting for a move to France, researching the cost of living in France as an American, or just curious what an ordinary month looks like after quitting two stable careers, this is the unfiltered version.

Our French lease said "furnished," and we still spent $1,668.58 (in total) setting up the apartment. In this episode of A French Lens, we look at what French law actually requires a landlord to provide, what's missing in real life (sheets, towels, a hair dryer, anything that makes it feel like home), and how a carefully planned IKEA list collided with a salad spinner and a very cute coffee mug. We get into the difference between rational and emotional spending, the "do we really need this?" debates, and how living off savings while building a business changes what we buy. If you're about to sign a furnished lease abroad, we'll tell you where we'd double your budget.

This week, we split up for the first time since moving to France. Abbie traveled to Brussels and Bruges to attend to family matters, while Jeff stayed behind in Blois completely on his own. On paper it sounds like Abbie had the "alone" trip. In practice, she was surrounded by people the whole time, and Jeff was the one facing real solitude. He still doesn’t speak the language fluently and now had no one to lean on if something went sideways. In this episode of A French Lens, we trade places asking the questions: Abbie on what it was actually like managing family and logistics on the road, and Jeff on what a week of true solo living in a foreign country does to your confidence. If you've ever wondered what happens when an expat couple gets separated for a week, this one's for you.

Before we moved, we had a spreadsheet for everything — every category planned, every cost estimated. Now that we've actually been living in France for a while, it's time to check that plan against reality. In this episode of A French Lens, Jeff opens up our real numbers: what we budgeted for, what blew past our estimates, what turned out cheaper than expected, and the honest conversation we had to have with each other to reset our plan. If you're budgeting for your own move to France (or anywhere abroad), this is the unfiltered version.

We spend a lot of time talking about the hard parts of moving abroad — the bureaucracy, the budget, the adjustment. So in this episode of A French Lens, we're doing something different: our real, honest list of favorite things about life here so far. Some we expected. Some genuinely surprised us. Some we still don't fully agree on. If you're curious what actually makes this move worth it — beyond the highlight reel — this is that list.

We quit our jobs, packed up our lives, and moved to France together — which sounded romantic until we realized we’d gone from a normal US routine to being in the same room, all day, every day, with nowhere else to go. In this episode of A French Lens, we get honest about the friction that comes with total togetherness after a big move: the arguments that aren’t about the dishes, thoughts on boundaries, and what we think are the steps moving forward. If you’re planning a move abroad with a partner (or just working from home together more than you used to), this one’s for you.

This podcast episode of A French Lens follows Abbie and Jeff through their first few weeks living in the Loire Valley, recorded during a brutal heat wave in their un-air-conditioned stone apartment. They walk through three real challenges of the move: navigating France's catch-22 bureaucracy to get a cell phone plan without a permanent address, the difficulty of renting an apartment as non-residents (leading them to guarantor services and a very supportive Airbnb host who's helping them find a place), and transitioning their two cats to French food and litter. Throughout, they lean on help from expat friends, online communities, and locals to work through each hurdle.

With over 300 châteaux scattered across the Loire Valley, where do you even start? In this episode, we’re joined by a special guest (my sister Emalei, wrapping up her visit) for our very unscientific and probably-too-early hot takes on the châteaux we’ve explored over the past three weeks.

We go category by category — best rainy day visit, easiest to get to, best place to propose, biggest letdown, best golden hour, best moat, most head-scratching art installation, best value for money, and more — comparing Blois, Chambord, Villandry, Azay-le-Rideau, Fougères-sur-Bièvre, Chaumont-sur-Loire, Chenonceau, and a stop at Château Meunier for good measure. Phew.

Expect strong opinions, a surprise château cat, one very unsettling taxidermy art installation, and a shared soft spot for Chenonceau’s love-triangle history. Whether you’re planning your own Loire Valley trip or just want to live vicariously through our sweaty, château-hopping July, this one’s for you.

Follow along at @AbbieInFrance and @SuhoInFrance, and find more at abbiesmithphotography.com (coming soon).