What would it take to convince you to give up your life in Houston and move to a medieval French village that even most people in France have never heard of? That’s exactly what the Willick family did when they left H-Town three years ago.

“This started as a kind of long-held dream to spend maybe three, six, nine months abroad,” Jason Willick said. “Just a family experience. Something for our daughter to experience life outside the U.S. There was never really a plan or anything. When COVID hit, we started to rethink, ‘So what are we doing here?'”

Our journey to the Willicks’ new home in Eymet began on a Thursday with an early morning express train ride from Paris to Bordeaux. The further we got from the city, the deeper we got into the beautiful region of southwest France known for its wine. We then drove through the green, beautiful French countryside. It was a 90-minute drive that took us through rolling hills and vineyard after vineyard.

Eymet was founded in 1270 AD. Locals tell us that the Thursday market has been held almost every week since the village was founded. With a population of around 2500, the town square is the heart of the community. Recently, the Willicks – Raina, her husband Jason and 13-year-old Juliana – have become connected to this lifeline.

Raina was able to get a work visa for France and continue her work as a professional coach for business owners and entrepreneurs. Jason left his management position after 15 years in the energy infrastructure industry. Maintaining the family YouTube channel has become almost a full-time job for him in France, however, as so many people have had questions about their new life in France after they started blogging about it. Many of the questions they receive are from people considering a similar move.

KPRC 2 host Keith Garvin asked the Willicks to compare the congestion and traffic on the 610 Loop or I-10 during rush hour in Houston to life in Eymet.

“Of course you see the traffic jams and rush hour, and there are usually traffic jams at the most popular strawberry seller,” says Raina, laughing.

They find many other things that they appreciate about their new life in the French countryside, such as the architecture of the town square.

“A lot of the buildings, some of them are original,” Raina said. “I mean, sometimes we wonder, ‘How can it be that sometimes you buy a house from the ’70s and it’s falling apart?’ And this thing has been here for 800 years.”

The Willicks have also found a classic with their home. It’s just a short five-minute drive from the town square. Their recently purchased home in Eymet was built in the 1790s – during the French Revolution. They spent just over $200,000 on the five-bedroom, nearly 3,000-square-foot structure.

“We always wanted to restore a historic home, but always thought it would be in Garden Oaks or The Heights. It turns out it’s in Eymet, France.”

13-year-old Juliana is also enthusiastic.

“Here I have a huge garden, which means I have a trampoline. That’s one of the things I’ve always wanted,” she said. “I have a swing and I can practice archery without being two feet away.”

“I feel like we have the best of both worlds,” Raina added. “We’ve found space and nature, but I still feel like I can accomplish things.”

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