So interestingly enough, Oliver had mentioned in the past that he would love to live in this house in Normandie and I thought it was the most ridiculous idea ever! First of all, I had no intention of moving back to France. I had been in Florida for 23 years and didn't want to experience winter again in my lifetime! Also, I thought the school system was so rigid and strict filled with very old paradigms that I never wanted my children to experience. All the rules around politeness and proper manners always made me cringe and I didn't want my children to go through it. Well, little did I know that when we decided to stay none of this came into play. This is what influenced my decision: - after not having a solid "home" for months the kids were asking to stay in that house all summer - we could see a lot of positive changes with Sasha's behavior since being in France which we attributed to the love and support she was receiving from the family and extended family- the sailing trip had been especially hard on her - we were not taking big risks- we knew the house and surroundings and financially it was not a risk and rather an opportunity - we knew we could move if it wasn't the right fit - we had been fooled by the incredibly hot summer in Europe and had forgotten what cold feels like - it was a great opportunity for the kids to be really bilingual I will tell you that if I would have sat on my couch in Florida and planned this move, well it would have never happened and I would have never chosen the local school. Little did I know how great it would turn out! Over the summer I had read the surrender experiment by Michael Alan Singer, and that book was the preparation for this move!