A Jazz Journey from London to the French Riviera: A Creative Career Rebuilt Abroad - Lizzy Parks

What happens to your career when you relocate to the South of France without speaking the language?

In this episode of Living the Dream: Women, Work & Relocation on the French Riviera, Lizzy shares how she rebuilt her professional life after moving from London to Cannes.

Like many women relocating for love or as a trailing spouse, she arrived with no French, no network of her own, and no clear professional plan. What followed was a gradual, creative reinvention, one step at a time.

From teaching music to children she couldn’t yet communicate with, to performing at weddings, luxury events and châteaux across the region, Lizzy built a sustainable and fulfilling career in an environment that initially felt completely foreign.

Her story offers an honest and refreshing perspective on what it really takes to adapt, work, and thrive on the French Riviera.

🎙️  In this episode, we explore:

• Career reinvention after relocating to France
• Working without speaking French in the early stages
• Building a creative business on the French Riviera
• The role of Anglophone communities when starting from scratch
• Cultural differences that impact daily life and work
• The challenges of navigating French administration when growing a business
• The reality behind the “dream” lifestyle

Lizzy’s journey is a powerful example that building a life abroad is rarely linear, but with openness, creativity, and persistence, it can become something unexpectedly rich.

🎧 Living the Dream shares the real stories of women who have relocated to the South of France and rebuilt their professional lives, navigating language, career shifts, and financial realities along the way.

—

📍 Riviera Highlight (Lizzy’s favourite places):
Théoule-sur-Mer, Château de la Napoule, and hidden corners of Provence: where everyday life can feel like a postcard.

—

Follow, share, and connect to help others discover these stories.

This is the full-length episode.
If you would like to listen to a condensed 28-minute version, it is available on Living the Dream – Radio Edition.

🎙️ Living the Dream: Women, Work & Relocation on the French Riviera
Real stories of women building meaningful, sustainable lives in the South of France.

https://livingthedreampodcast.com