They celebrated their 25th anniversary in Paris and bought a house in the countryside for $100,000. They dream of retiring there.

California,boughtstonehouseinFrancefor about $108,000 in 2022.Housewas fully furnished and had over 1.6 acres of rural land.

This Gen X generation couple is now considering retiring there in the future. Their love story withFrancebegan after traveling to the country five years ago to celebrate a wedding anniversary.

“I wanted to surprise April with something, and I knew she loved art, but had never been to Europe much,”- Michael, 56, told Business Insider.

The couple, who hail from Sacramento, was fascinated by every part of the city - the culture, the food, the people. “It was a transformation, and we drove back almost immediately, about six months later,” Michael said.

They liked the idea of spending more time in France, but only decided they were ready for a new adventure when Michael retired from engineering.

The couple had recently downsized their home and their children had already moved out, “We thought, what could our plans be?”

Seekinghome they in the center or northern part of France, as they felt their dollar was worth more here. They organized a six-week trip through the French countryside, exploring thehousesthat were for sale in Burgundy,Bordeauxand the Loire Valley.

On their list of properties they were interested in was a house in a small village north of Limoges, in the center of France, which they loved. Since the story of buying the house, the Meyer family has continued to live their dream and enjoy French life, putting their energy and commitment into this exciting adventure.