On a sunny afternoon in the Dordogne Valley, Debra and Eric Stillwell stroll along a cobblestone street, watching autumn leaves tumble to the ground.
Later they’ll stop at one of the open-air markets found in southwest France’s medieval towns, perhaps plan a trip to Bordeaux to visit Citi de la Vin — Debra’s favorite museum — or wander through the region’s many castles.
It’s a life far removed from the future that once awaited them in California, where they spent three decades before relocating to France five years ago.
“I figured it out,” says Debra, 67. “If we stayed where we were, I would probably have had to work until I was 85.”
The Stillwells — who met at a “Star Trek” convention in 1995 and married a year later — had long dreamed of retiring in Europe. Debra’s mother had retired early and called it “the best thing she ever did.” But in Los Angeles, the numbers didn’t add up.
“The problem was, when we were living in Los Angeles, we couldn’t afford to retire early and still pay off the mortgage and pay off all of the debts,” says Eric, 62, who once worked as a script coordinator for “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” before joining Disney.
Both diabetic, they also worried about the rising cost of American health care. “At the time… it would have cost us more than $500 a month each for medical insurance,” says Debra. “I think it’s more expensive now.”
Dream retirement
They initially considered moving to Italy, but found themselves increasingly drawn to France. Debra had studied French while growing up in Montreal, and one of Eric’s great-grandfathers had emigrated from France to the United States in the 19th century.
A 2013 wine cruise, which stopped in Bordeaux, clinched it. The couple spent the night in Saint-Émilion, close to the border of southwest France’s Dordogne region, and fell in love with the area.
“We decided this is where we wanted to live,” Eric says. The medieval towns, castles and landscapes were all enthralling, he adds.
Eric had been let go from his Disney job around the time Debra retired from her job as a medical center education director, so the couple sold their California home at profit, paid off their mortgage and credit cards, and left debt-free.
They bought a chalet-style house in the Résidence Souillac Golf & Country Club — a leisure community with an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts and swimming pools — in the Dordogne Valley’s Lachapelle-Auzac area, for about 70,000 euros, or roughly $81,000.
“In the beginning, we had the romantic notion of living in a stone cottage with blue shutters, the typical French house,” says Eric. Then they came across the chalet house. Neither Eric nor Debra play golf, but they were won over by the fact the club rents out properties on behalf of owners if they’re absent, allowing them to go traveling. “It was the perfect choice for us.”
They moved in 2020 and quickly settled into the area. Their neighbors include British, Dutch, French and Irish families — many part-time residents — who helped ease the transition.
“We have a built-in community here that’s really great,” says Eric. “Our French neighbors are wonderful. People invite each other to dinner all the time.”
Muddling through
They still struggled with some adjustments. French restaurant opening times left them scrambling for lunch after 1:45pm. Since his US driving licence was only valid for their first year, Eric spent six months preparing for the French driving test, which he passed. Debra has no intention of trying.
The “roads are too narrow here for me,” she says.
Within three months of living in France, the Stillwells were able to access France’s health care system. They now pay no premiums and few related charges.
“We were lucky,” says Debra. “There’s a lot of healthcare deserts in different areas. But in this tiny town there’s probably six primary care medicine doctors.”
They’re far from fluent in French, but say they’re able to muddle through. “My words are all mixed up,” says Debra. But she speaks “enough for them to understand what I’m trying to say 99% of the time, and I understand them most of the time.”
Eric says he can read basic French, but struggles with conversation. “It’s just been very difficult for me to figure out how to hear the French accent,” he says.
Built-in community
Both hold long-stay visas, which permit non-EU nationals to remain in France for over 90 days, and can be renewed each year. Debra initially hoped to apply for French citizenship, but a recent rule change has disqualified retirees earning most of their income from abroad.
The Stillwells live primarily on Social Security, but find their money stretches far further in France than it ever would have in the United States. Utilities and groceries are cheaper, travel is easier and cultural opportunities are abundant.
“Everybody thinks that Americans living in France are all rich, and that’s not true,” says Eric. “Our house cost 70,000 euros… We aren’t rich.”
Their retirement is filled with travel. They have toured France, visiting the Loire Valley, the Riviera coastline, and the Burgundy and Chablis wine regions; attended “Star Trek” conventions in London, Rome, Luxembourg and Zagreb. They even enjoyed a “Star Trek”-themed cruise to Iceland.
One of their favorite activities is an annual December trip to Paris, where they wander around Christmas markets and visit the enormous tree under the glass dome of the Galeries Lafayette department store. Last year, they visited 20 countries, embarked on three cruises and even attended a nephew’s wedding in South Korea.
Asked what their retirement would’ve looked like had they stayed in the US, Debra is unequivocal. “Absolutely broke.”
The couple have gone back to the US a few times for family commitments, but say they have no desire to abandon their new life. “Under the current climate, I would not go back,” says Eric. “But I don’t want to dwell on that, because we love France.”
Debra adds that she hopes they’ll be able to continue to enjoy the country for years to come.
“I lived for 30 years in Canada,” she says. “I lived for 32 years in the States, and my goal is to live another 30 years in France.”
