As to your questions: 1. at 47. I am in the process of making a career change that is absolutely requiring me to tighten my belt. Eeek. And wooooooot! All at once. 2. I don’t know if I find myself more or less courageous only courageous in different ways about different different things. I am more cautious about letting loose whenever the whim calls. I am less cautious about exploring the folds of my heart. 3. if money were no object, I would 100% start my world tour now.
Thank you Mary! I keep thinking of more questions for Kate… for example, does she ever leave Camont? She’s three hours by train from Paris but as she says in the Q&A, “The world comes to me here.” Forgot to ask her!
Right? And how can we get ourselves there for a retreat? She also made reference somewhere to your podcast, which was new to me. I just happily spent a long drive listening to back issues.
Of course I travel- a lot! I love a good road trip both in Europe and abroad, I even drove from here to Bulgaria then on by rail to Istanbul. While Paris is so many’s dream destination, I prefer the sea and a small seaside village with all the anchovies I can eat.
What a lovely interview! Kate is living a dream of mine and I felt all the vicarious thrills reading her words. And your questions are exciting!
I am 52, and more courageous than ever. I have responsibilities to my kids, still, and my parents, so while I might not move to France (I also have a beloved partner who has no interest in that vision), I am always ready to take a step through a door when opportunity presents itself. Just yesterday I said to my partner, The Universe invites us to play big. And we do. If money were no object, I would quit my day job, start an artists' residency here, own and run a cute little curiosity shop with flexible hours, and travel regularly to visit family and beloved places. I would like to divide the seasonal year's cycle between two different places if possible. Even just within the borders of the US.
Sarah, I love the way you spell this out... the artists' residency and the curiosity shop with flexible hours! And yes, dividing the year by seasons is so appealing, especially when you have cold winters.
I enjoyed, then archived, this post but kept thinking about it. I’m so impressed by Kate’s firm and optimistic commitment to a growth mindset. My impression is that many people - of any age and career stage - have already “decided” about their preferences and their own essence. I respect how open Kate is to change and how she’s created what seems like a beautiful community of interdependence. Well done, Kate and thank you for sharing this story, Debbie. 💖
What a great profile. Kate, a fellow French/American expat, is indeed "the real deal" and was a great choice for an interview.
As for making changes, I resigned from an extremely demanding job -- yes, they exist in France -- 5 years ago. I was 60, and was fortunate enough to have an easy out: I became my husband's legal assistant, something he had been urging me to do for years.
Now I'm 65, with retirement planned for 67, and am hoping to revive a past freelance writing career, as a sideline at least.
![[B]OLD AGE with Debbie Weil](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_36,h_36,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fdb1d7636-a0e5-44ef-846d-a6df558eff16_1280x1280.png)
![[B]OLD AGE with Debbie Weil](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/e_trim:10:white/e_trim:10:transparent/h_72,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb939748d-5d80-4d0f-867c-2ed252ac633c_1344x256.png)
Great interview! Thank you, Debi and Kate.
As to your questions: 1. at 47. I am in the process of making a career change that is absolutely requiring me to tighten my belt. Eeek. And wooooooot! All at once. 2. I don’t know if I find myself more or less courageous only courageous in different ways about different different things. I am more cautious about letting loose whenever the whim calls. I am less cautious about exploring the folds of my heart. 3. if money were no object, I would 100% start my world tour now.
Loved the questions too. ❤️🌏
Love, love, love reading the take of long-time US expat in France (as a French expat in the US)!
JR, ooo the mirror image expat experience! we should dig into that! ❤️🙏
This is a really fun interview! Thanks so much to you and Kate.
Thank you Mary! I keep thinking of more questions for Kate… for example, does she ever leave Camont? She’s three hours by train from Paris but as she says in the Q&A, “The world comes to me here.” Forgot to ask her!
Right? And how can we get ourselves there for a retreat? She also made reference somewhere to your podcast, which was new to me. I just happily spent a long drive listening to back issues.
Mary, I was curious myself. It looks like she’s ready for applications!
https://relaisdecamont.com/
I feel a little silly for only now realizing that the links with Kate’s name would take me to her Substack! See you there!
Of course I travel- a lot! I love a good road trip both in Europe and abroad, I even drove from here to Bulgaria then on by rail to Istanbul. While Paris is so many’s dream destination, I prefer the sea and a small seaside village with all the anchovies I can eat.
What a lovely interview! Kate is living a dream of mine and I felt all the vicarious thrills reading her words. And your questions are exciting!
I am 52, and more courageous than ever. I have responsibilities to my kids, still, and my parents, so while I might not move to France (I also have a beloved partner who has no interest in that vision), I am always ready to take a step through a door when opportunity presents itself. Just yesterday I said to my partner, The Universe invites us to play big. And we do. If money were no object, I would quit my day job, start an artists' residency here, own and run a cute little curiosity shop with flexible hours, and travel regularly to visit family and beloved places. I would like to divide the seasonal year's cycle between two different places if possible. Even just within the borders of the US.
Sarah, I love the way you spell this out... the artists' residency and the curiosity shop with flexible hours! And yes, dividing the year by seasons is so appealing, especially when you have cold winters.
I enjoyed, then archived, this post but kept thinking about it. I’m so impressed by Kate’s firm and optimistic commitment to a growth mindset. My impression is that many people - of any age and career stage - have already “decided” about their preferences and their own essence. I respect how open Kate is to change and how she’s created what seems like a beautiful community of interdependence. Well done, Kate and thank you for sharing this story, Debbie. 💖
A terrific read. Thanks so much.
What a great profile. Kate, a fellow French/American expat, is indeed "the real deal" and was a great choice for an interview.
As for making changes, I resigned from an extremely demanding job -- yes, they exist in France -- 5 years ago. I was 60, and was fortunate enough to have an easy out: I became my husband's legal assistant, something he had been urging me to do for years.
Now I'm 65, with retirement planned for 67, and am hoping to revive a past freelance writing career, as a sideline at least.
Thank you for your inspiration!
Thank you Betty; I look forward to reading more from you!
Love this interview! Especially the bit about what you stayed Kate. And here's to more explorations in our own ways :)
I loved this interview. Thank you Debbie and Kate.