Two years after moving to France: What I wish I’d known before leaving

52min | 02/10/2026

Description

Two years ago, I moved from Switzerland to France, leaving a life and starting over in a new country with new routines, new rules, and a very real fear: What if I regret it?

In this honest two-year check-in, I’m answering the questions I carried long before the move: Will France ever feel like home? Will I miss Switzerland? Will I find community and make friends in a place where I’m not a native speaker? And what happens when the reality of moving abroad doesn’t match the dream?

You’ll hear the messy beginning (moving chaos, doubts, culture shock, feeling overwhelmed) and the quiet turning point when daily life in France started to soften. We’ll talk about grief and change, rebuilding confidence, and choosing a creative life after infertility.

If you’re dreaming of moving abroad, or you’re already living far from your old life and trying to find your footing, this episode is for the in-between: for the part of you that wants reassurance, and the part of you that’s ready to grow.

So glad you are here with me,

with a heart full of dreams

Bettina

✨ Subscribe on your favorite podcast app and join me on this magical journey of dreaming big and finding joy.

✉️ Join my Newsletter now Her Heart full of Dreams for heartfelt stories, creative sparks, and real-life insights that nourish your soul and fuel your dreams— one inspiring email at a time. Your journey starts here.

For other personal joyful sparkles, join me on Instagram: Bettina In The Clouds (@bettinaintheclouds)

Of dreams, hopes and all the struggles we can find in between.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Her Heart full of Dreams

Her Heart Full of Dreams is the space I created for the parts of us that still believe in quiet magic, even when life feels heavy, uncertain, or unresolved. In this cozy storytelling podcast, I weave together dreamy fiction, healing stories, poetic fragments, and gentle narration to invite you into a world where emotions can become landscapes and inner questions are given room to breathe. Some episodes feel like soft, fictional fairytales. Others feel more like sitting across from a friend in a café, speaking honestly about longing, fear, hope, and the courage it takes to keep dreaming when the path ahead is unclear.

I am not here to fix you.

I am not here to tell you who you should become.

I tell stories.

Stories rooted in cozy fantasy fiction and inner worlds. Stories about feeling stuck, about fearing that your dreams might be childish or unrealistic, and about that quiet knowing inside you that there must still be more. These stories move gently and slowly, allowing space for reflection rather than pressure.

This podcast is a blend of storytelling in audio, soft podcast fiction, cozy storytelling, and subtle audio drama elements, created without noise or urgency. You can listen while journaling in a coffee shop, painting, walking through the city, or resting at the end of a long day. It is not a place for productivity or self improvement, but a place simply to be.

I speak openly, imperfectly, and from the heart. English is not my mother tongue, but storytelling is my language. What matters most to me is that you feel less alone here. That you feel seen, understood, and gently encouraged to listen to your inner world again.

Her Heart Full of Dreams is for you if you love cozy fiction, dreamy fiction, fantasy fiction, and healing storytelling podcasts that feel safe rather than loud. It is for you if you are living in a between space, wanting more while trying to stay grateful, carrying creative longing without always knowing where it belongs.

You do not have to change anything.

You do not have to be ready.

You can simply arrive, listen, and rest for a while.

This is a cozy fantasy fiction podcast, a quiet place for dreamers, sensitive hearts, and anyone who still believes that stories can hold us. Softly, honestly, and without haste.

A place, where I share about hopes, dreams and all the struggles we can find in between.

You are so welcomed here,

Bettina

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Her Heart full of Dreams

Her Heart Full of Dreams is the space I created for the parts of us that still believe in quiet magic, even when life feels heavy, uncertain, or unresolved. In this cozy storytelling podcast, I weave together dreamy fiction, healing stories, poetic fragments, and gentle narration to invite you into a world where emotions can become landscapes and inner questions are given room to breathe. Some episodes feel like soft, fictional fairytales. Others feel more like sitting across from a friend in a café, speaking honestly about longing, fear, hope, and the courage it takes to keep dreaming when the path ahead is unclear.

I am not here to fix you.

I am not here to tell you who you should become.

I tell stories.

Stories rooted in cozy fantasy fiction and inner worlds. Stories about feeling stuck, about fearing that your dreams might be childish or unrealistic, and about that quiet knowing inside you that there must still be more. These stories move gently and slowly, allowing space for reflection rather than pressure.

This podcast is a blend of storytelling in audio, soft podcast fiction, cozy storytelling, and subtle audio drama elements, created without noise or urgency. You can listen while journaling in a coffee shop, painting, walking through the city, or resting at the end of a long day. It is not a place for productivity or self improvement, but a place simply to be.

I speak openly, imperfectly, and from the heart. English is not my mother tongue, but storytelling is my language. What matters most to me is that you feel less alone here. That you feel seen, understood, and gently encouraged to listen to your inner world again.

Her Heart Full of Dreams is for you if you love cozy fiction, dreamy fiction, fantasy fiction, and healing storytelling podcasts that feel safe rather than loud. It is for you if you are living in a between space, wanting more while trying to stay grateful, carrying creative longing without always knowing where it belongs.

You do not have to change anything.

You do not have to be ready.

You can simply arrive, listen, and rest for a while.

This is a cozy fantasy fiction podcast, a quiet place for dreamers, sensitive hearts, and anyone who still believes that stories can hold us. Softly, honestly, and without haste.

A place, where I share about hopes, dreams and all the struggles we can find in between.

You are so welcomed here,

Bettina

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Description

Two years ago, I moved from Switzerland to France, leaving a life and starting over in a new country with new routines, new rules, and a very real fear: What if I regret it?

In this honest two-year check-in, I’m answering the questions I carried long before the move: Will France ever feel like home? Will I miss Switzerland? Will I find community and make friends in a place where I’m not a native speaker? And what happens when the reality of moving abroad doesn’t match the dream?

You’ll hear the messy beginning (moving chaos, doubts, culture shock, feeling overwhelmed) and the quiet turning point when daily life in France started to soften. We’ll talk about grief and change, rebuilding confidence, and choosing a creative life after infertility.

If you’re dreaming of moving abroad, or you’re already living far from your old life and trying to find your footing, this episode is for the in-between: for the part of you that wants reassurance, and the part of you that’s ready to grow.

So glad you are here with me,

with a heart full of dreams

Bettina

✨ Subscribe on your favorite podcast app and join me on this magical journey of dreaming big and finding joy.

✉️ Join my Newsletter now Her Heart full of Dreams for heartfelt stories, creative sparks, and real-life insights that nourish your soul and fuel your dreams— one inspiring email at a time. Your journey starts here.

For other personal joyful sparkles, join me on Instagram: Bettina In The Clouds (@bettinaintheclouds)

Of dreams, hopes and all the struggles we can find in between.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Her Heart full of Dreams

Her Heart Full of Dreams is the space I created for the parts of us that still believe in quiet magic, even when life feels heavy, uncertain, or unresolved. In this cozy storytelling podcast, I weave together dreamy fiction, healing stories, poetic fragments, and gentle narration to invite you into a world where emotions can become landscapes and inner questions are given room to breathe. Some episodes feel like soft, fictional fairytales. Others feel more like sitting across from a friend in a café, speaking honestly about longing, fear, hope, and the courage it takes to keep dreaming when the path ahead is unclear.

I am not here to fix you.

I am not here to tell you who you should become.

I tell stories.

Stories rooted in cozy fantasy fiction and inner worlds. Stories about feeling stuck, about fearing that your dreams might be childish or unrealistic, and about that quiet knowing inside you that there must still be more. These stories move gently and slowly, allowing space for reflection rather than pressure.

This podcast is a blend of storytelling in audio, soft podcast fiction, cozy storytelling, and subtle audio drama elements, created without noise or urgency. You can listen while journaling in a coffee shop, painting, walking through the city, or resting at the end of a long day. It is not a place for productivity or self improvement, but a place simply to be.

I speak openly, imperfectly, and from the heart. English is not my mother tongue, but storytelling is my language. What matters most to me is that you feel less alone here. That you feel seen, understood, and gently encouraged to listen to your inner world again.

Her Heart Full of Dreams is for you if you love cozy fiction, dreamy fiction, fantasy fiction, and healing storytelling podcasts that feel safe rather than loud. It is for you if you are living in a between space, wanting more while trying to stay grateful, carrying creative longing without always knowing where it belongs.

You do not have to change anything.

You do not have to be ready.

You can simply arrive, listen, and rest for a while.

This is a cozy fantasy fiction podcast, a quiet place for dreamers, sensitive hearts, and anyone who still believes that stories can hold us. Softly, honestly, and without haste.

A place, where I share about hopes, dreams and all the struggles we can find in between.

You are so welcomed here,

Bettina

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About Her Heart full of Dreams

Her Heart Full of Dreams is the space I created for the parts of us that still believe in quiet magic, even when life feels heavy, uncertain, or unresolved. In this cozy storytelling podcast, I weave together dreamy fiction, healing stories, poetic fragments, and gentle narration to invite you into a world where emotions can become landscapes and inner questions are given room to breathe. Some episodes feel like soft, fictional fairytales. Others feel more like sitting across from a friend in a café, speaking honestly about longing, fear, hope, and the courage it takes to keep dreaming when the path ahead is unclear.

I am not here to fix you.

I am not here to tell you who you should become.

I tell stories.

Stories rooted in cozy fantasy fiction and inner worlds. Stories about feeling stuck, about fearing that your dreams might be childish or unrealistic, and about that quiet knowing inside you that there must still be more. These stories move gently and slowly, allowing space for reflection rather than pressure.

This podcast is a blend of storytelling in audio, soft podcast fiction, cozy storytelling, and subtle audio drama elements, created without noise or urgency. You can listen while journaling in a coffee shop, painting, walking through the city, or resting at the end of a long day. It is not a place for productivity or self improvement, but a place simply to be.

I speak openly, imperfectly, and from the heart. English is not my mother tongue, but storytelling is my language. What matters most to me is that you feel less alone here. That you feel seen, understood, and gently encouraged to listen to your inner world again.

Her Heart Full of Dreams is for you if you love cozy fiction, dreamy fiction, fantasy fiction, and healing storytelling podcasts that feel safe rather than loud. It is for you if you are living in a between space, wanting more while trying to stay grateful, carrying creative longing without always knowing where it belongs.

You do not have to change anything.

You do not have to be ready.

You can simply arrive, listen, and rest for a while.

This is a cozy fantasy fiction podcast, a quiet place for dreamers, sensitive hearts, and anyone who still believes that stories can hold us. Softly, honestly, and without haste.

A place, where I share about hopes, dreams and all the struggles we can find in between.

You are so welcomed here,

Bettina

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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