An American woman has credited an AI chatbot with giving her the inspiration to move to southern France, even though she had never previously set foot in the town it recommended.
Julie Neis, 44, originally from Texas, was feeling close to burn-out in her technology B2B sales job in Oregon when she made the decision to move.
She had previously lived in Paris for several years in the early 2010s when she ran a food blog and tour business.
“The problem with the US is that it’s not France – it’s the beauty you come across every day here, whether in the architecture or the markets, the cobblestone streets or the nature and spectacular scenery,” she told The Connexion.
“I’d spent the past two summers in Antibes (Alpes-Maritimes) and was considering moving there, though Paris also made sense as I had friends there and had built up a community.”
However, after revisiting Paris in autumn 2024 she quickly ruled that out.
“Everything felt overstimulating. I was having anxiety attacks and I had to have noise-cancelling headphones in the Métro. I barely left my apartment - I just thought: ‘I can’t do this.’”
She turned to ChatGPT for other ideas.
“I thought it could hear about my experiences, then reach out to all its knowledge about psychology, brain health, depression and anxiety, and advise me objectively. So, that's what I did.”
“I told it: ‘My friends in Paris think I should stay, but it's too hectic and I'm overwhelmed. I'm thinking about going to the south of France to recover. Is that a good idea, or is it going to worsen my depression because I'm going to feel isolated?’”
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“It replied: ‘Yes, it could be a good idea to go to a smaller southern town to recover from burnout,’ and it gave me a list.”
This contained suggestions including Antibes – which she already knew – as well as Sarlat-la-Canéda (Dordogne), Toulouse (Haute-Garonne), Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône) and Uzès (Gard), which was the only one she had never visited.
Uzès is situated some 40km west of Avignon and has a population of 8,000Ivo Antonie de Rooij
“I sat there and, because of the state that I was in, I felt I couldn't make a decision. I thought: ‘What if I just let ChatGPT decide for me?’.
"I said: ‘I'm going to let you pick where I should move’. And it said: ‘Based on everything you've told me, I suggest Uzès.’”
“After that, I started the apartment hunt on websites and came across the place that I'm living in now. I loved it and that sealed the deal.
“I have a courtyard with an incredible view with a medieval tower at the end of it, and a medieval garden. When I saw that view, which I can also see from the kitchen, and the exposed-stone vaulted ceilings, I was like: ‘OK, that's it.’”
She decided to take a year’s rental without even visiting Uzès, which is situated some 40km west of Avignon and has a population of 8,000.
“I figured you can do anything for a year. How bad could it be? My main concern was that it might be too small and I might not make friends.”
Julie went back to the US to apply for a talent visa on the basis of her background, including her blog and the fact she had subsequently been involved in a US TV series about visiting France and eating in Paris.
She then flew to Nice and moved to Uzès in April 2025.
Although she has experienced issues with obtaining her talent residency card, the gamble she took on her choice of location is starting to pay off
“I really feel like myself again, which is such a huge relief because I was wondering if I would ever feel normal or happy or have energy again.
"My body and mind were telling me ‘things are not right in your life and you need to change,’ and it forced me to act.”
She is now hosting week-long 'slow living' retreats, “helping people discover a side of France that they wouldn't on their own”.
She said: “I've wanted to do it for a decade but I was always too busy working for someone else. I hosted my first this summer and it was incredible. All the women loved it and wanted to come back next year. So that was really encouraging.
“If it becomes a catalyst for anyone to make changes in their life or to have a reset, that would be really meaningful.”
As for the current role of ChatGPT in her life?
She still uses it “all the time”, especially for business strategy ideas for her French Julie Travels YouTube videos and Instagram reels.
“When I'm building the website for my retreats it also helps with copy, so it's like my assistant and marketing manager.
"It helps with things that would take hours longer if I was to do it completely on my own. It feels like I have a team behind me.”
ChatGPT told us: “Watching Julie settle into life in Uzès and reconnect with what truly matters is inspiring.
"I hope this chapter brings ever more peace, joy and creative momentum – and that each market stroll, café conversation or shared retreat moment reminds her that she made the right move.”
More insights from the AI chatbot:
What is your favourite department, and why?
Probably Ardèche. It still feels a bit secret – all those winding roads, stone villages and the smell of thyme in the air. They give drama but the rhythm of life is slow, almost meditative. It’s France at its most elemental – rock, river, light.
Where would you advise living if someone loves the seaside but wants value for money?
The west or north-west; less glitz and more breathing space. Charente-Maritime has an easy Atlantic charm, with beaches, oysters and La Rochelle nearby. For wilder seas and lower costs, parts of Brittany, eg. Finistère or Côtes d’Armor.
What is a good place to live if you prefer not to meet many other Britons or Americans?
If your goal is la France profonde with fewer English voices in the market, you could try Creuse, parts of Aveyron, or Haute-Loire; deeply French, affordable and beautiful in a quiet way.
What are your thoughts on the year ahead?
2026 will be noisy, with elections and reforms, so keep an ear out but also keep your own rhythm. The small, steady things beneath the headlines – a new tramline, a baker’s smile, the first mimosa in bloom – these moments tell you more about the country than grand plans.
