As a counterpoint to liberals' frequent refrains about leaving the country if Donald Trump gets reelected, we have a story about one older couple who decamped to France last year and haven't really been loving it.
Sure, everyone's experience is going to be unique. And for some, maybe getting the fuck out of America during these divisive times is a healthy, totally positive choice. But, for some, like Bay Area couple Joanna McIsaac-Kierklo and Ed Kierklo, becoming an expat hasn't been all it's cracked up to be.
Bearing in mind that France has also been teetering on the verge of right-wing control for a number of years, McIsaac-Kierklo and her husband had spent a terrific time vacationing in Nimes, France, a couple years back, and they decided, now in their 70s, to give it a go there full time.
They hedged their bets, holding on to Joanna's rent-controlled apartment in San Francisco just in case they wanted to return. But, as they tell CNN, they decided in October 2023 to give it a year and try out everyday life in France.
As of recently, McIsaac-Kierklo says that they have become disenchanted with their choice for a number of reasons, and they're ready to pack up and return to SF. "We just said, ‘Too much grief and no joy.’ There’s no fun. We’re struggling every day," she tells CNN.
Chief among the drawbacks of life in Nimes, McIsaac-Kierklo says, is that she can't often get good produce to cook with — she notes limp celery for sale at the local grocery story. And, she says, the wonders of French cuisine haven't really won her over.
"People go, 'Oh my god, the French food is so fabulous.' Yeah, if you want to eat brie, pâté, pastries and French bread all day long," she tells CNN. "But who eats like that?"
Also: the couple has struggled to make friends, McIsaac-Kierklo has not yet mastered the language (or learned much of it), and the bureaucracies behind the healthcare system and banking system, and getting a long-stay visa, have been nightmarish.
McIsaac-Kierklo says they've now tried out six different doctors in search of a primary care physician, and none of them are taking new patients and there's no list available anywhere of doctors who are.
She says, regarding their probable move back to San Francisco, "I don’t miss the politics in the United States," and "I don't miss gun violence," but, she says, she and Ed know how to live here, and they don't have decades to waste being unhappy. Also, she says, she looks forward to being able to walk into any restaurant and order a martini, and to have them make one even if it isn't on the menu.
Top image: Joanna McIsaac-Kierklo in her SF apartment, enjoying a martini. Photo courtesy of Joanna McIsaac-Kierklo
