Life as an expat in Basque Country

“So, what is life for an expat like living in a small corner of France and Spain?” “Just how difficult is it to integrate into French society?”  “Are there many other expats in the area?”  These are just some of the questions I get on a regular basis as an expat living in the beautiful Basque region of France.  For me and my wife, this lifestyle choice is one of commitment and staying open even when things are not easy.  Moving out of your comfort zone and building a life in another country, no matter where it is, is never an easy undertaking.   However, we have found that the small inconveniences and difficulties in the beginning are far outweighed by the rewards gained by consciously integrating into the local society.

In previous blogs I have written about how we found Biarritz and why we chose the area, but this blog post is more about daily life and being an expat in general. Is it easy to be an expat in Biarritz? I don’t think being an expat is easy anywhere in the world. But I believe it can be less challenging if you have the right attitude and reason for your choices. 

For me, I have always been interested in foreign cultures, travel, and experiencing things out of my comfort zone.  My idea of life is more about living a constant adventure rather than seeking security and reinforcement of my ideas or values. I recognize this is not the case for everyone in their life, but I believe this open mindset is something that has helped me adapt to a new lifestyle.  I think this is key to resisting the eventual hard times and constant confusion that comes when you are foreign to a culture.

Furthermore, I believe one of the first rules of living as an expat, in any country, is about having a respect and appreciation of the local culture in which you live.  In my view, it is your responsibility to learn and adapt to the local traditions, laws, and ways of life.  This does not mean that you are washing away your past culture or forgetting where you have come from.  Instead, it means you are taking your culture and views and adapting them through the lens of the local society. I feel it as a blending of the old with the new. 

I will always be American and will have a different default cultural view because of my past, but that doesn’t mean I can’t adapt and learn to respect the culture that I have chosen to live in. For an area as historic and proud as the Basque Country, it means to learn and appreciate the culture as if it were my own.  To give a few examples about what I mean, my wife and I have done the following:

·      Learned local languages French (given), and a little Basque and Spanish and always try to speak them. Manners in the local language go a long way.

·      Visited both local villages and large cities of the area to meet different types of people.

·      Visited local monuments and the Basque parliament building in Guernica to better understand the Basque people.

·      Understand how local government works and who is involved politically.

·      Participate in the local festivals and traditions (Fêtes de Bayonne, Basque choral concerts, neighborhood parties like fête de Bibi Beaurivage, etc.)

·      And of course, the easiest way to learn…enjoy the local food!

Another important perspective to note is that I chose my life path and to adapt my career around the lifestyle I wanted for myself, not the other way around.  I did not want my career to control my life’s destiny. I wanted my lifestyle to control my career destiny.  That being said, finding a job as an expat in Basque Country is a difficult task for most industries in the area, but it can be done.  You are forced to be creative and explore every aspect of your skill set to see if it can be applied to something useful.  This is how I came to work in real estate and in creating Live in Biarritz.  I took a strong look at my skills and interests, found what was needed in the area and applied this to a business idea.  When there is scarcity, we are forced to be creative.  This is a mindset you must adopt to succeed as an expat here in the job market.

So, with all the mindset and culture out of the way, what is it like to live on a daily basis?  For me, I still feel that small sense of adventure every day.  In Biarritz and the surrounding area, we are so fortunate to have an incredibly varied landscape, lifestyles, and people.  I feel there is always something to discover, learn, taste, or experience. You can feel this in the people that live here as well, they all recognize what a special place they live in the world.  Enjoying the beach one day, the mountains another, or even a trip over to Spain is all within a short distance. Furthermore, there are plenty of direct connections via the local airport and train to all the major cities in Western Europe. 

Living as an expat in Biarritz has been an incredibly rewarding and life-changing experience for both me and my wife.  If you ever have questions about moving to Biarritz, or being and expat in general, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.