When Janice Deerwester says “Bonjour!” on her YouTube channel, her Texas accent still peeks through.
“Well, I have to say it correct though — bonjour,” she laughs, “but in my videos, it’s always BON-joooor!”
That mix — part Southern drawl, part French enthusiasm — has made Janice in France one of the most charming expat channels on YouTube. But behind the cheerful bonjours is a story of courage, loss, reinvention, and an unexpected new life in Fontainebleau.
Why Fontainebleau? How France Chose Janice
In 2018, Janice had already scouted five countries: Austria, Scotland, the Czech Republic, Poland, and France.
“When I got off the bus in Fontainebleau, there was this carousel,” she remembers. “I said, this is where I want to live. It wasn’t that I chose it — it chose me.”
At the time, she was living on a horse farm in Georgia — tutoring children, working retail, and coming home exhausted.
“I just remember lying across the bed one day and thinking, ‘Good Lord, is this it? Is this all my life’s going to be?’”
So she set a date. February 1st, 2022. Two pets, one plane ticket, and a new life.
Moving to Fontainebleau from the USA
Janice’s move was planned like a classroom lesson.
“I was a teacher for 25 years. You can’t teach without planning,” she says.
“I started doing all the paperwork — visa, pet travel, tickets for my daughter to help me. That gave me my structure.”
She sold nearly everything.
“I didn’t want to hold on to anything. The only things I kept were my daughter’s baby pictures and my china. Everything else, I let go.”
Her first apartment — not love at first sight.
“I wanted a French one — with rock walls and character,” she laughs. “But the one I found was simple, quiet, and had room for my cat to go outside. I learned that was more important.”
Slow Living in Fontainebleau: Janice’s French Rhythm
In Fontainebleau, Janice walks everywhere — to the market, to her favorite café, to Monoprix and Biocoop.
“I don’t have a car here, and I don’t miss it. I walk to my doctor, my vet, even to the bus. In the States, everything was in the car. Here, I live.”
She shops for the day, not the week.
“At home, I’d go to Costco and buy six months of paper towels,” she says. “Here, I buy milk for two days. My fridge is almost empty, but it feels right.”
Her new rhythm is slow but full: morning walks with her dog Max, lipstick before leaving the house (“I never did that before!”), and café breaks where people know her by name.
“The waiter sees me coming and says, ‘Un déca?’ I just smile and say, ‘Oui, merci.’ It’s a little ritual.”
Life as Janice in France on YouTube
Janice started her YouTube channel in late 2021 — before she moved.
“My first video was just me sitting down and talking. I look back now and think, wow, I’ve changed so much.”
Her channel grew quickly because of her voice — soft but direct, with the authority of a teacher and the warmth of a friend.
“People tell me, ‘Your voice is grounding.’ I guess it’s my southern accent — it sings a little.”
One day, a woman recognized her on the street.
“She said, ‘Janice in France? I moved here because of you.’ And I thought, my gosh — I was so glad I had lipstick on!”
Now Janice films two videos a week, Thursdays and Sundays. Her content covers everything from fashion to philosophy — “what it’s really like to age with independence in France.”
“I think I’ve become Janice in France,” she says. “It’s who I always wanted to be.”
Everyday Life in Fontainebleau
Fontainebleau is known for its royal château, leafy forest, and small-town elegance — an hour south of Paris, yet a world away.
Janice lives quietly, in a back street far from tourists.
“It’s peaceful. I can let my cat out in the morning, she takes the elevator back up when she’s done. It’s perfect.”
She buys her clothes from In Blue, a boutique that sells Italian and Belgian designs.
“I can’t afford to pay all at once,” she admits, “but they let me pay in installments. That’s how I buy my dresses.”
Even her daily habits have changed.
“Every time I go out, I put on cologne. No one else will smell it — it’s just for me. It makes me feel alive.”
Living in France Without Speaking French
“I have a level? No,” she jokes. “I can order coffee, that’s about it.”
Still, she takes lessons, reads French children’s books, and practices with locals.
“The pharmacist helps me, the woman at Paul encourages me. They say, ‘You’re getting better!’ and that keeps me going.”
She loves how polite and formal the French can be.
“You always say bonjour when you walk in. You wait in line. Nobody’s rushing. It’s respect.”
That slower, more deliberate way of life changed her.
“I’m never lonely here,” she says. “I live alone, but I’m never lonely.”
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Lessons from Janice in France: Make It Happen
Janice knows many women follow her channel dreaming of doing the same.
Her advice is simple:
“Don’t move because you’re angry or escaping something. Move because you’re called.
If you feel it — make it happen.
You can always go back, but you might not want to.”
At 70, she doesn’t see herself as brave.
“I’m just hard-headed,” she says, laughing. “I do what I think I should do. That’s all.”
But thousands disagree. To them, she’s proof that reinvention has no expiration date.
Janice in France – FAQs
Who is Janice in France?
Janice Deerwester is a retired teacher from Texas who moved to Fontainebleau in 2022 and started a YouTube channel about expat life, style, and slow living in France.
Where is Fontainebleau?
Fontainebleau is a charming town located about 55 kilometers (34 miles) southeast of Paris, France. Nestled on the edge of the magnificent Forêt de Fontainebleau, it’s best known for its royal château — once home to kings, emperors, and now a UNESCO World Heritage site. But beyond the palace walls, Fontainebleau is a living, breathing French town that blends history, elegance, and authenticity in equal measure.
Janice describes it beautifully: “When I got off the bus, there was this carousel, and I was in the middle of town. I said, ‘This is where I want to live.’ It wasn’t that I chose it — it chose me.”
Unlike the constant buzz of Paris, Fontainebleau offers a slower rhythm — café terraces where locals linger over their espresso, cobbled streets lined with boutiques and bakeries, and a welcoming expat community. It’s also home to one of Europe’s top business schools, INSEAD, which adds an international flavor to the town.
For Janice, who wanted a place with soul but without the chaos of the capital, Fontainebleau was the perfect fit: “I didn’t want to live in Paris because my cat is an outdoor cat,” she laughs. “Here, she can go outside every morning, and I can hear the church bells. It’s peaceful — but still close enough to hop on the train and be in Paris in under an hour.”
With its proximity to Paris, walkable center, lush forest trails, and vibrant weekly market, Fontainebleau has become a magnet for artists, retirees, and dreamers who crave that elusive mix of French culture and country calm.
Does Janice speak French?
She’s learning — slowly. “Enough to order coffee and smile,” she says.
What kind of videos does she make?
Fashion, lifestyle, expat life, confidence, and authentic living after 60.
What’s her message?
“Make it happen.” Follow the call, not the fear.
Watch the Full ITV Interview
To hear Janice tell her story in her own voice — from Texas classrooms to the cobbled streets of Fontainebleau — watch the full ITV feature on Janice in France here:
A Final Word
When Janice hears French spoken around her, she says it feels like coming home.
“The last time I flew back to Paris, I heard people speaking French on the plane, and I thought, I’m home. I didn’t understand a word, but it didn’t matter.”
Her story — moving to Fontainebleau, becoming Janice in France — isn’t about escape. It’s about belonging.
She came to live, not to run away. And she’s still teaching, just differently now — one bonjour at a time.
Moving to Fontainebleau: The Real Story of Janice in France
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