Thinking of Moving to France? One couple's experience

A friend sent me this link earlier. I have to say my jaw dropped at these statements!

"Joanna says she isn't a fan of the food in France and finds it hard to find good produce."

"I miss frozen yogurt — because they don’t have it here."

My word...is all I can say.

I hope they are happy back in San Francisco.

Several quotes come to mind….”You’re not in Kansas anymore” and “There’s no place like home”…..

When I read this earlier today, I had a few key thoughts:

1) underscores the need to learn the language of the place to which one is moving....BEFORE one moves there.
2) the wife missed socializing, but did not want to hang out with expats (but had not learn how to speak French; busy unpacking, etc.)
3) She had issues with produce available, etc. Wise to sort of do a "recon" of where one might choose to move first. Or if she spoke the language and could interface with others, she may have been able to get recommendations for better places to shop for certain items.
Edited to add item # 4)
4) Earlier today when I read to my husband the challenge she was having finding a doctor who would take new patients, BOTH of us said at the same time "Sounds like the United States." Lots of long-time doctors retiring and lots of practices full.

I think the article serves as a good warning for people who might uproot and move to another country BEFORE doing their homework and BEFORE learning how to speak the language of said country.

The couple was "brave" to tell their story. When I read it on cnn.com this morning, there were no reader comments (yet)....I will have to take a look to see what readers may have posted since then.

interesting is right

I haven’t really found time to hunker down and start learning French,” she admits.

‘I haven’t talked to one person here in three months…’ I just miss interacting,” As time went on, Joanna found that this lack of socialization was having a huge impact on her.

Joanna hoped to interact and socialize without learning a word of French and wanted to find Martini on all the menus Obviously she is disappointed...

Especially since in a supermarket a piece of celery fell over :))

And she says she considers herself an "adaptable" person. And yet...

Yikes.
They “lived “ in Nimes previously…….did they forget that everyone speaks French? In France?
No sympathy, sorry.

A couple of dreamers for sure. I'm always fascinated by comments on this forum about wanting to go and vacation and avoid touristy areas or think nobody will recognize them as a tourist if they dress a certain way. We are tourists. Or in their case, expats. People in other countries also have to go to work, take kids to school, figure out dinner, go to the doctor. Yet the fantasy is we will go to a foreign country and just be absorbed in with the locals. That is just isn't reality.

I'm not sure I would call them brave. She kept her rent controlled San Francisco apartment; so was it really a risk to go to France? They had a long visit/vacation to France and came home.

"...miss frozen yogurt." Then do without it. What's more important, being in France or this frozen yogurt. ?