How moving to France led me to become an expat life coach

My current working life is worlds away from the one I imagined as a teenager.

Back then, I was living in the US and my ambition was to work for the FBI. As a junior in college, I studied sociology, psychology and criminal justice and spent time on my fitness, setting my sights on a job in law enforcement. But life had other ideas.

In 1995, aged 19, I was involved in a car accident. While I recovered, my injuries made it hard for me to run and left me unsuited to the job I had always set my sights on. I was devastated.

However, after coming to terms with my limitations, I decided to pursue a career in medicine. One of the main reasons I had wanted to join the FBI had been to help people. Being a doctor would fulfil the same desire to help, albeit in a very different way.

I subsequently enrolled in a pre-med curriculum at university and began to study hard. But once again, life had other plans.

This time, it was love that changed my course. In 1998, I met Christophe, the man who would become my husband, in an Internet chatroom.

We connected and used to talk for hours. Eventually, we fell in love and instead of studying to become a doctor, I found myself taking a flight to Paris to be with Christophe in September 2000.

Adapting to life in France

I enrolled on a French course at the Sorbonne and headed in a new direction.

I loved my life in France, although, like many immigrants, it took some adjustment moving to a brand-new place. 

Once I graduated with a degree in linguistics, I took a job as a bilingual assistant at an international law firm in Paris. The work was fast-paced but interesting, and over time I was able to work my way up to becoming the manager of the bilingual training programme within the company.

In 2009, I left the law firm and began studying again to get certified in copywriting. Once qualified, I got a job at an international ad agency in their Paris office. My days were spent working on campaigns and meeting clients, and once again I thrived.

2018 was the start of a few tumultuous years. I had an operation, separated from my husband, the Covid pandemic followed, then my divorce was finalised in 2022.

In 2023, I decided to take a sabbatical to figure out what I wanted to do next with my life. 

I had been at the top of my game in the advertising world, but something was missing. I realised I still had the desire to help people and it was this that sparked my new direction.

Drawing on what I had learned from moving to a completely different country and culture 25 years ago, I enrolled in the Integrative Wellness Academy and qualified as an integrative wellness and life transition coach.

In April 2025, I launched my own business, Thrive on Through. I help expatriates adjust emotionally to life abroad. Transitioning to a new culture is not always easy and, while exciting, it comes with its share of stress and self-doubt.

I help clients make sense of the feelings they are experiencing and find clarity on what they need to truly feel at home.