Couple plans to return to US after dream life in France became a 'nightmare'

> Back in the US, Joanna, who describes herself as a “chatty box” had an active social life, but she hasn’t been able to replicate this, or anything close to it, in France thus far.

Surprise one: your friends stay in America.

Surprise two: you don‘t speak any French and that hinders your social life.

> “And then when you want to drink, you have to have a drink that’s on a little menu that they make,” she says. “So if I want to have a martini, ‘Oh, it’s not on the menu.’”

The horror!

Stories like this need to be understood. It’s tiring hearing people in the U.S. say things like, “If you don’t love America then move elsewhere.” Moving elsewhere is an option for only a few people. It’s also necessary for most people to find a community of fellow immigrants. Locals won’t accept you (depending on where you go).

What a bizarre article. It could be an Onion article: "American couple move to France and find out it's not the same." Moving to a different state involves a lot of work, money, and bureaucracy; of course moving to a foreign country will be far more challenging.

So they don't want to hang out with expats but they also can't be bothered to learn the local language? Not surprising they aren't doing well socially.