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Home Countries France

Back In Paris: This Is What “Retirement” Looks Like To Us

One Of My Favorite Things About Paris

Kathleen Peddicord by Kathleen Peddicord
Jun 28, 2017
in France, Lifestyle, Paris
0
A man walking down a building-lined, cobblestone street in Paris.
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I laid still with my eyes closed wondering if there were any chance I’d be able to fall back asleep.

Outside my window, in our courtyard, buzz saws were buzzing, hammers were pounding, and workmen called to each other in French.

I gave up on the idea of slumber and dragged my still-on-Panama-time body out of bed. Here in Paris, it was a bright new sunny summer’s day.

The workers are at it still, and the sounds of their labor distract me as I try to focus. As much as I enjoy writing to you each day, dear reader, I find the scene of men at saw horses and mixing plaster outside my window irresistible.

Our apartment is in the heart of old Paris, where the classic-style buildings, including ours, are more than 300 years old at least and in need of constant attention. This summer the apartment across the courtyard from ours is being restored. I’ve undertaken the restoration of four centuries-old apartments in Paris over the years. I’m enjoying watching the progress of the work on this one, but I have to admit I’m glad I’m not the one living amidst the dust.

This city’s architectural traditions are one of the things I appreciate most about it. Paris has long boasted some of the world’s most experienced tradesmen. Carpenters, parquetiers, stonemasons, ironworkers, and painters have sought out central Paris since the Middle Ages. Here they’ve known they’d find work and their talents would be respected.

These trades have been passed down generation to generation for centuries, and, thanks to the skill of those who practice them, this city is like a museum whose exhibits enjoy continual facelifts. Historic Paris is at once always the same and forever renewing itself.

Each time we return after a long absence, we’re suspicious of any changes.

“There’s a new restaurant on our street. It’s Japanese.” Jackson remarked yesterday afternoon, a few hours after our arrival.

“I liked the Italian restaurant that used to be there.”

Kathleen picking up take-out from a local chinese restaurant in Paris

We were glad to find that our favorite local Chinese carryout remains open for business as it’s been the past 13 years we’ve been spending time in this neighborhood. The owner greeted us with a big smile, a warm welcome back, and a beer on the house for Jackson when we explained that the young man has just completed his Bac exams.

We’ve traveled to Paris the past nine summers we’ve been living in Panama. However, this summer we aren’t in town for a hurried visit. This summer, we’re returning home.

At least that’s how it feels. We’re settling back into the apartment where we lived when our children were young together, where Jackson, now graduating, started school.

After spending decades getting to know this town, we feel no urge to rush out to see the sights. Eventually we’ll make our way across the river to the Tuileries, where we like to walk, and down to the Île de la Cité, our favorite spot for summer Sunday picnics.

For now we’re occupied keeping up with our work. From back in Panama City, our team sends email reminders—don’t forget to review Simon Letter issue copy… send your feedback on the preliminary research for this year’s Retire Overseas Index… remember our conference call today at 9 a.m. Panama time…

They seem to fear that if they don’t stay in touch with us in real time, they might lose us to the lures of summer in Paris.

Lief and I have been working toward this day for nearly 20 years. Year by year, working organically, as ideas, options, and opportunities have presented themselves, we’ve pieced together a plan for our lives post the kids.

You could call this our retirement plan, but it doesn’t have anything to do with pulling back from working. It’s not work we object to but routine.

This week we walk away from the routine that has been our lives for decades and embrace a future lived according to a schedule imagined not imposed. From here on out, we’re all about life outside any box.

Should we take a walk through the Tuileries then spend the rest of the afternoon browsing in the bookstore? Should we meet friends for a glass of wine at the café on the corner?

Should we hop a quick flight to Portugal to take a look at the investment prospect our Lisbon attorney has identified for us or plan a trip to Thailand to check in on progress of our investment in Chiang Mai…

After years of daily commuting and being where we needed to be when we needed to be there, we’re taking our first steps free of those encumbrances.

Maybe our staff back in Panama should be worried.

Kathleen Peddicord

 

 

Tags: apartment parisarchitecture of parisile de la cite parisliving parispicnics in parisrenovation parissights of parissummer travel paristuileries gardens paris
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Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord

Kathleen Peddicord has covered the live, retire, and do business overseas beat for more than 30 years and is considered the world's foremost authority on these subjects. She has traveled to more than 75 countries, invested in real estate in 21, established businesses in 7, renovated historic properties in 6, and educated her children in 4.

Kathleen has moved children, staff, enterprises, household goods, and pets across three continents, from the East Coast of the United States to Waterford, Ireland... then to Paris, France... next to Panama City, where she has based her Live and Invest Overseas business. Most recently, Kathleen and her husband Lief Simon are dividing their time between Panama and Paris.

Kathleen was a partner with Agora Publishing’s International Living group for 23 years. In that capacity, she opened her first office overseas, in Waterford, Ireland, where she managed a staff of up to 30 employees for more than 10 years. Kathleen also opened, staffed, and operated International Living publishing and real estate marketing offices in Panama City, Panama; Granada, Nicaragua; Roatan, Honduras; San Miguel de Allende, Mexico; Quito, Ecuador; and Paris, France.

Kathleen moved on from her role with Agora in 2007 and launched her Live and Invest Overseas group in 2008. In the years since, she has built Live and Invest Overseas into a successful, recognized, and respected multi-million-dollar business that employs a staff of 35 in Panama City and dozens of writers and other resources around the world.

Kathleen has been quoted by The New York Times, Money magazine, MSNBC, Yahoo Finance, the AARP, and beyond. She has appeared often on radio and television (including Bloomberg and CNBC) and speaks regularly on topics to do with living, retiring, investing, and doing business around the world.

In addition to her own daily e-letter, the Overseas Opportunity Letter, with a circulation of more than 300,000 readers, Kathleen writes regularly for U.S. News & World Report and Forbes.

Her newest book, "How to Retire Overseas: Everything You Need to Know to Live Well (for Less) Abroad," published by Penguin Random House, is the culmination of decades of personal experience living and investing around the world.

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