This week has been eventful, a real mix of highs and lows! We started with a significant milestone—finally completing our UK to France money transfer—but then, as life often does, threw in a few unexpected curveballs. But as I’ve come to learn, every challenge presents an opportunity, and even the most frustrating situations can offer valuable lessons.

Personal

Following on last week, we’ve officially moved our funds from the UK to France to purchase our new home! This was a huge step for us, and after few stressful days I’m so relieved it’s finally done. We used Revolut for the transfer, and I have to say, the experience was remarkably smooth and cost-effective. Upgrading to their Premium plan (£8 per month, no commitment) gave us access to near-perfect exchange rates, no limit on the amount to convert and transfer, and no fees. It was significantly better than traditional bank transfers, which often come with more charges and less favourable rates (I’ll put together a more detailed comparison of currency exchange services and costs in a future post). From there, our French bank transferred our fresh Euros to a blocked “Caisse des Dépôts” account that will then be used by the notary to process the transaction.

With this financial milestone achieved, we can now fully focus on selling our flat in the UK and signing the contract for our new French property next week!

On a different note, our van had a hiccup, adding some excitement to the week. The alternator belts (it has a twin belt system) broke! Thankfully, it happened close to home and running a diesel engine minimized the impact -not draining the batteries. I spent a good few hours across Saturday and Sunday replacing them.

All went well until I was refilling the cooling system and managed to damage the bleed bolt. It’s one of those nasty M12 bolts made of fragile plastic disguised as steel. I’ve ordered some stainless steel replacements, which should arrive next Thursday. Luckily, we are travelling so it’s not like I am in a hurry to fix the car!

On a more positive note, I’ve had a little win on the financial literacy front. I discovered I can claim back additional tax relief on my workplace pension contributions as I’m in the higher tax bracket (40%). It’s astonishing how many people in the UK miss out on this – reportedly hundreds of millions go unclaimed each year! (I’ll find the source and link it here). On a related note, for 2024/25 and 2025/26, I’ve discovered the threshold for high income charge on child benefit has been moved from £50,000 to £60,000!

And finally, a bit of drama unfolded in our estate. Someone managed to sneak into our supposedly secure underground car park and stole Anna’s bike. It was the least convenient bike to steal, as it had Nelly’s child seat attached! The thief even had to partially dismantle it to make off. The inconvenience is more bothersome than the loss itself. We rely on our bikes for errands, nursery runs, commuting, and staying active. We’ve reported it to the police, and the culprit was captured on CCTV, though we hold little hope for recovering the bike.

Professional

On the professional front, I applied for roles around Tarbes. I’ve also started reviewing applications for my current role’s replacement and have shortlisted five candidates for interviews.

To better showcase some of my professional experience, I’ve added a menu in the footer of this website linking to my other online projects (a live portfolio of sorts). I’ve also streamlined my business operations, focusing on my core ventures: The Knowledgeable Frenchman, Consulting and Vanellylife. My other websites remain active but with a narrow product focus.

An insightful conversation with a consultant revealed my expertise in managing compliance with environmental regulations (REACH, RoHS, TSCA), which I had not emphasized in my CV. So I’ve updated both the French and English versions, which I’ll make available for download soon.

I also reconnected with a former colleague from Zodiac Aerospace who’s now a successful leadership business coach in North America – always great to catch up and see how people are thriving.

Inner

My sleep hasn’t been great at the start of the week (Monday and Tuesday), averaging about 5 hours a night with a quality of around 2.5/5. Thankfully, it improved from Wednesday onwards, with 7 hours of sleep and a quality of 4/5.

I’ve also been making more of an effort with mindfulness meditation this week, which has definitely helped.

What’s on the plate for next week?

It’s budgeting and resource planning time at work, typical for January.

But the week will be short – and exciting! – as we’re flying from London Stansted to Lourdes on Wednesday! Time to pack, fly, pick up the keys to our new property, and enjoy some well-deserved relaxation!

Final words

Life is a balancing act!

From the high of completing our international transfer to the low of van troubles and a bike theft, there have been ups and downs for sure. But through it all, that does remind of the importance of resilience, adaptability, and a positive mindset. Even the most frustrating situations, like the van repairs, have presented opportunities for learning and problem-solving.

It reinforces the idea that we can design our lives to be more fulfilling, even amidst the challenges. We can choose how we react to these challenges, and we can always find solutions.

What about you? What challenges have you faced this week, and how have you overcome them? Share your reflections in the comments below!