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Josh

@be.neaththesurface

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I shoot, I edit. I love food, travel, poetry, and music.
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Spring in the French countryside — a visual poem. Check out my poem set to beautiful visuals and a musical piece that moved me. Full video: https://tinyurl.com/yrv5p34b.

Spring isn’t just a season, it’s an invitation to be engaged in life. This piece is about that feeling: waking up after stillness and opening up again. It started as a tribute to nature, and became something much more personal. I hope you enjoy it. 🙏

#springinfrance #frenchcountryside #visualpoem #poetryreading #slowliving #mindfulness #selfreflection #springvibes #natureinspiration #seasonalshift #creativejourney by @be.neaththesurface

Check out my latest video! (see link in bio)

“My Complicated Relationship with Staying Healthy... at 60“

Staying healthy after 60 takes real work, and I’ll be honest: I have a complicated relationship with it. In this video I share how I take care of myself as I get older, from eating well (with my wife Cecilia saving the day with her cooking) and managing high LDL cholesterol, to balancing food and travel, working out when I’d rather do anything else, and getting the sleep I love.

It’s an honest look at healthy aging, living in France, and the daily habits that keep my body running well.

I also introduce you to my 84-year-old mom, Lillian, who is my inspiration for longevity and staying engaged in life. She shares, in her own words, what she believes keeps her young, and it’s not what you might expect. Along the way, I share a few secrets of my own for staying on track when life gets in the way.

Good health to me isn’t just about living longer, it’s about living fully: travel, adventure, family, and creativity. If you’re over 50 and trying to stay healthy, active, and vibrant, I think you’ll relate.

#HealthyAging #StayingHealthy #Over60 #Longevity #LivingInFrance by @be.neaththesurface

Been enjoying my new toy, the Olympus OM-1N. 😁

Which do you like best from this batch?

#olympus #streetphotography_color #analogohotography #analogohoto #lifeinfrance by @be.neaththesurface

Is turning 60 the end, or just the beginning?

I’m thinking less about the bucket list than about the things that quietly stop me from doing any of it.

Years of saying I’d paint. Still haven’t picked up a brush.

New video is up. Fear, resistance, money and travel, and how Cecilia and I actually make the big calls.

Link in bio.

#Turning60 #ExpatLife #PersonalGrowth #MovingToFrance #InnerGuidance by @be.neaththesurface

Hey all, next video is up:

“Addressing controversial comments... and answering your questions”

Part two of our French visa Q&A picks up right where part one left off. We start by addressing the comments on our dynamic on camera, including the interruptions, and unpack what Cecilia actually meant calling the US homogeneous. From there we get into the long term plan: are we expats or are we aiming to be permanent residents. We talk through whether we’d ever consider living somewhere other than France, including what we really think about Portugal, Spain, and Italy as alternatives. Then we tackle a question a lot of you asked: does the current political climate factor into where we choose to live.

We close out with the questions that get more personal. How much do our sons’ lives and locations actually influence our decisions, and what are the biggest lessons and highlights we’re walking away with from this entire visa and moving abroad journey, including a moment in Houston neither of us will forget. We also give a quick update on Josh’s Portuguese citizenship process, still grinding on after four years of waiting.

If you’re considering a move abroad to France or anywhere in Europe, or you just enjoy the unfiltered side of expat life, this one’s for you. Catch up on part one if you missed it, and tune into Moving Abroad with Josh & Cecilia next for even deeper dives.

#MovingToFrance #FranceVisa #ExpatLife #ExpatVlog #AmericansInFrance by @be.neaththesurface

Next video is up on Beneath the Surface!

“What we never told you about our Visa Nightmare“

Moving to France as an American expat is harder than anyone tells you, and we are living proof. In this Q&A, Cecilia and I answer your biggest questions as regards our Visa Nightmare series, the French profession liberale working visa process, and what we would have done completely differently if we were starting over. We get honest about the emotional toll of moving abroad, whether uprooting our lives was truly worth it, and where we actually land on the question of expat life in France after everything it has put us through.

Plus, an update on our dog Butter after 11 weeks apart, including a health scare and a very emotional reunion you may have already seen in Part 3 of the series.

We also go deep on the practical side of traveling comfortably while on a budget: how we research and book accommodations across Europe, why we prefer apart hotels over Airbnb, how the Chase Sapphire points system actually works for long-term travelers, and how we manage dollar conversion against euro and pound expenses.

If you are seriously considering visiting or moving to Europe from the US, or anywhere abroad, this is the most candid conversation we have had on the channel. Part 2 is coming, and our channel Moving Abroad with Josh & Cecilia goes even deeper on specific topics. Links below.

#MovingToFrance #ExpatLife #FrenchVisa #MovingAbroad #AmericanExpat by @be.neaththesurface

Latest video is on YouTube!

“Our Visa Nightmare Comes to an End”

After nearly two years of fighting to legally work in France, everything came down to one appointment. In this video, we fly to Houston for our long-stay working visa interview at TLS Contact, and document every chaotic, last-minute detail along the way: failed fingerprints, insurance documents that almost didn’t arrive in time, a consulate power outage on the morning of our appointment, and the agonizing wait to find out if we’d finally be allowed to earn a living on French soil.

If you’re an American expat navigating the French visa process, researching profession liberale applications, or just trying to understand what a TLS Contact appointment actually looks like from the inside, this is the video you’ve been searching for.

We also explore Houston along the way: the hidden gem Japanese Garden at Hermann Park, the world-class Menil Collection, and the serious sticker shock of American grocery prices after years of European living.

But everything in this video builds toward one moment: opening those passports. This is part three of our visa nightmare series, the one where nearly two years of uncertainty and not knowing what comes next finally leads to a single answer.

Whatever happens, our story in France continues, but this moment changes everything about what that looks like.

#FranceVisa #ExpatLife #LongStayVisa #AmericanInFrance #VisaNightmare by @be.neaththesurface

Part 2 of our Visa Saga is up!

“Our Visa Nightmare — Stuck Outside of France”

After weeks of waiting for our French Ministry business viability letters, we’ve been living out of suitcases and moving city to city across the UK with no end in sight. In Part 2 of our French visa nightmare story, we take you day by day through the emotional rollercoaster of chasing a French entrepreneur visa… because moving to France and actually being able to work there are two very different things.

We’ve been dealing with government bureaucracy, a slow-moving immigration consultant, and the very real question hanging over everything: will we end up going home with our tails between our legs, or will we finally make it to the US to file?

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s really like to apply for a long-stay French visa as a self-employed foreigner, or what the profession liberale visa process actually looks like from the inside, this is the video for you. We cover the French prefecture vs. Ministry disconnect, business plan viability letters, and what life really looks like as digital nomads stuck on the road far longer than planned.

Moving to France sounds romantic, until the paperwork hits…

Drop your guess in the comments: how many days do we end up in the UK, and what’s the outcome? Then watch to find out.

#MovingToFrance #FrenchVisa #ExpatLife #DigitalNomads #ExpatFrance by @be.neaththesurface

Check out our next visa saga installment:

“Booted out of France — We didn’t see this coming”

where we talk about the many surprises and lessons learned on this unplanned life adventure.

Some background:

Forced out of France while waiting on our working visa approval, we’ve now spent more than six weeks traveling through the UK with no clear end in sight. In this video, we share the real story behind this unexpected chapter: the stress of French bureaucracy, the financial pressure of life on the road, the emotional ups and downs of uncertainty, and the surprising magic we’ve found along the way.

What started as a France visa nightmare has become a deeper lesson in travel, marriage, discomfort, intuition, and staying grounded when life refuses to go according to plan.

In this video, we talk about slow travel in the UK, learning to book only a few days ahead, navigating budget stress, missing home and our dog, and finding gratitude in the middle of chaos.

We also open up about how we stay connected as a couple while traveling full time under pressure, what this experience is teaching us about relationships and self-awareness, and why this strange season of life may be changing us for the better.

If you’ve been following our France visa saga, love honest travel vlogs, or are interested in slow travel, life abroad, personal growth, spirituality, and real conversations about uncertainty, you’ve come to the right place. :)

#FranceVisa #FrenchVisa #VisaSaga #UKTravel #UKTravelVlog by @be.neaththesurface

Hello everyone,

I hope this finds you all doing well!

I was curious: Are you enjoying the more travel-oriented content these days?

First it was our trip to Lyon, Annecy, and Dijon. Then came the unexpected travels stemming from our visa struggles, which is clearly an ongoing saga.

This is all resulting in some very interesting travel content, no doubt.

Are you liking this direction? Please leave me a yes or no in the comments below.

And thank you for your ongoing, lovely support! 🙏😁

#travelinfrance #traveltheworld #uktravel #traveling #worldtravel by @be.neaththesurface

Latest video is up!

“Our Visa Nightmare — France Kicked Us Out”

After 600+ days of visa chaos in France, the French government finally told us something: if we want our working visa / micro-entrepreneur (self-employed) applications to keep moving, we had to leave France and the Schengen Area while they review our files. Sounds brutal — but after more than a year and a half of silence, confusion, and rejection, it was also the first clear instruction we’d gotten. The big missing piece is the business plan “viability letter” (the approval we need before we can book our US appointment and submit the full visa application from there).

So we did what they asked, sent proof that we’d left both France and the Schengen Area, and began the weirdest waiting game of our lives — which I present as a countdown from June 10, 2024 (Day 628) to February 28, 2026 (Day 0), even though we genuinely don’t know how this story ends yet.

Since we had to wait outside France anyway, we turned the limbo into a journey across the UK. In this episode, I’ll take you through the full timeline: how renewing our visitor status accidentally killed our first visa attempt, the expensive lawyer detours, the business plan rewrites (60 pages down to 15), the sudden demand for proof we’d left France, and what it’s like to live out of hotels and Airbnbs with no idea where you’ll be next week.

If you’re navigating a France visa, French residency (residence permit), micro-entrepreneur visa, business plan viability letter, or the reality of Schengen 90/180 rules, this is our unfiltered, real-time story — including the mental toll, the coping tools, and why we’re committed to this no matter what it takes.

#FranceVisa #FrenchVisa #FrenchResidency #ResidencePermit #MovingtoFrance by @be.neaththesurface

It’s been a while! Just posted my latest YouTube video:

“Life Update — House Projects, Visa Challenges, and Plenty of Travel”

Check it out!

Life in the French countryside hasn’t turned out quite the way we imagined and 2025 has made that clearer than ever.

In this video, I share the real experience of building a life in France later in life. Not just the beauty and charm, but the exhaustion, uncertainty, visa struggles, endless house projects, and the emotional weight that comes with long-term transitions. What we thought would feel settled by now has instead become a mix of the good, the bad, and the uncomfortable.

Along the way, creativity has been our anchor. From Cecilia’s art and jewelry to my return to music and poetry, art has helped us stay grounded while navigating fear, bureaucracy, and the unknown. Travel across Europe has also been a lifeline, offering perspective, inspiration, and moments of joy outside our daily routines.

This video is a personal reflection on resilience, creativity, mental health, and what it really means to start over abroad. If you’re living overseas, dealing with big life changes, or learning how to stay centered when life feels unresolved, I hope this resonates.

Thanks for watching.

#LifeInFrance #MovingToFrance #FrenchCountryside #LivingAbroad #ExpatLife by @be.neaththesurface