Why We’re Leaving America for Colmar, France
We’re the Marvel family — just a regular family from Massachusetts. I’m not a millionaire, my wife’s not an Instagram influencer, and our kids aren’t auditioning for Disney Channel. We’re just four people who got tired of being told that endless work, stress, and debt was “normal life.”
Spoiler: it’s not normal. It’s chaos.
What We’re Escaping From
- Food that’s chemicals with a price tag.
- Healthcare that feels more like a ransom note than a lifeline.
- Education that costs so much our kids would need to sign away their futures before they even start them.
- Stress that eats away at our health, our time, and our family.
And here’s the kicker: this isn’t just our problem. It’s America’s problem. The numbers don’t lie — life expectancy is down, burnout is up, and the so-called “American Dream” has been repossessed.
We looked at that and said: no thanks.
Why Colmar?
We’re not chasing Parisian glamour or some Instagram fantasy of sipping wine in Provence. We’re moving from one small city (Taunton, MA) to another small city (Colmar, France).
Because here’s the truth: we like small-city life. We like walking to markets, supporting local businesses, knowing our neighbors. What we don’t like is being crushed under medical bills, paying $800 a month just for insurance, or working ourselves into the ground just to “make it.”
Colmar offers what we already want — but at a price (financial and emotional) we can actually afford.
What We’re Building
This isn’t just a move. It’s a project.
We’re documenting the whole thing — the food, the healthcare, the schools, the everyday life. Not to brag, but to prove it’s possible.
Other families need to see it. To see that escaping the chaos isn’t about being rich or retired, it’s about making different choices.
We want to show you the path we’re carving so you don’t just dream about change — you can follow it.
Join Us
This blog (and our YouTube channel, and our Kickstarter) is where we’re pulling back the curtain. Not every post will be pretty — sometimes it’s stress, sometimes it’s hope, sometimes it’s croissants. But it will always be real.
Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just about us. It’s about showing a way out.
From chaos to croissants.
One Response
Hello Marvel family…My wife and I have been watching your YouTubes…we agree with all you have said and written..we are retired and moved from USA to France on March 7, 2024 and live in Brittainy area. We are not happy where we are now and will move to Colmar area in September/October 2026.
You are well spoken and make great videos. So good to see this level of involvement and willingness to say it/show it like it is. We look forward to more of your videos and meeting up with you after we move to Colmar. If we can help in any way, please let us know.
Michael and Sondra Waggoner
Morlaix, France