“I found my balance in Bar-le-Duc”… They moved to a medium-sized town

Thierry, from Lyon to Bar-le-Duc

“In 2020, I was offered to become the director of the Bar-le-Duc theater and this professional offer led to a real life choice. After having lived twenty-five years in Lyon and its outskirts, we had need to go green, but moving with three children is heavy!

We were especially worried about our 14 year old son. We wondered how much leaving his childhood friends would prevent him from moving forward, but in the end, he adapted very quickly. Before, he saw his classmates at school and during activities, but apart from these times, it took 15 phone calls to organize the slightest meeting and he ended up finding them… online.

Urban environments, which are very secure, leave little room for the unexpected and for fantasy: the inhabitants fall back on private sociability and make little use of public space. Today, my son goes out all the time, and sometimes for unlikely occasions. Last March, after losing a bet, he bathed in a nearby river! Here, it is easier for us to get used to being outside, we meet at the market or in town, and social life regains spontaneity. In October, I went to the book fair as much for literature as to meet new people.

I take great pleasure in telling our story because in the Meuse there are many elements considered luxurious in large cities: a rich urban, social and cultural life; nature of exceptional quality just a stone’s throw away and very accessible land. After selling our house in Lyon, we understood that, for the first time, we would not have financial difficulties buying a house in the city center. Even better: thanks to this move, my wife, an art restorer, finally has the chance to have a comfortable studio, and I have the chance to direct a national stage.

“I have experienced a change in every sense of the word. Is it generational? I don’t know. In any case, I am one of those people concerned about their involvement in the workings of the world. After searching for good balance, I found it. Here, there is room to build your project while remaining curious about others and the future of the planet. The department is located near Nancy, Paris, Brussels and at the heart of the major regions of Europe, which is another significant asset for me, who am often on the move. The Meuse, it is true, is a territory in difficulty, particularly in demographic and economic terms, but , paradoxically, this gives it a tremendous spirit of solidarity. I find a lot of meaning in it! It’s not the “far west”, but the “far east”: a place of possibilities!”

Mathilde, from Paris to Angoulême

“During confinement, my husband was ‘hunted’ for his dream job in Angoulême. Pure Parisian, I followed him a year and a half ago with dizzying fear. I am a clinical psychologist specializing in perinatal and I was afraid of losing everything.

In fact, anchoring in Angoulême was difficult, but my dream was to live in a house, to slow down. Today, we are no longer subjected to the rhythm of the big city and our environment leaves time for children to discover themselves internally. Culturally, the offer is of high quality. Admittedly, there is less choice, but we enjoy it a lot more!”

Isabelle, from Evry to Chaumont

“With my daughter, I managed a home for childminders in Essonne. When my granddaughter was born a year ago, I realized that my life was all about constant running. At the same time, I saw an advertisement for Haute-Marne and I said to myself: ‘Why not?’ With my spouse and my daughter, we were invited by the Laou association to a discovery weekend. I felt that Chaumont would allow me to get back to basics. We met the deputy mayor for early childhood who accompanied to create our house of maternal assistants.

Today, my spouse has become a childminder, I work fifteen hours less a week and, above all, we have a beautiful house of 250 square meters paid for 200,000 euros. When our families come, the long stays allow richer exchanges. Maybe one day they will also want to settle here?