- France has a great education system. About 80 percent of French students attend public universities, which are funded by the national government. There are also the renowned grandes ecoles, which train students for specific careers, especially in engineering and management.
- French companies follow a 35-hour work week, leaving plenty of time for socializing, quality time with family, and those infamous late dinners at the sidewalk café.
- The policy for maternity leave is one of the best in the world. New moms get 16 weeks of paid leave and 26 weeks paid leave for the third child (probably because having a newborn as well as two young children sounds a little difficult, to say the least). By law, a job must be kept available to the pregnant employee, and dads are allowed paternity leave to bond with their kids as well.
- From France, it's easy to visit other European countries. Many nations are smaller than the average state here in the US, so with a quick train ride you could be in London, Spain or near the Mediterranean Sea. A weekend getaway never sounded so exotic.
- There's a reason the French are so relaxed: their national cuisine is a treat for the senses. From the simple pleasure of a freshly-baked baguette and hunk of creamy cheese, to the complex flavors of a saffron-tinged Bouillabaisse seafood stew, there's no shortage of amazing eats in France. Make sure to finish off your meal with a flaky, buttery pastry or profiteroles, cream puffs filled with vanilla ice cream and topped with hot chocolate sauce. Our mouths are watering already.
If you can't find the time to move to France (there are so many TV shows waiting in your queue, etc.), you can still dream of biking the cobblestone streets with a latte in your hand, enjoying the spring breeze and going home to no work emails. Voila, the perfect life.
