She Let ChatGPT Decide Her Future – and Ended Up in Southern France
When burnout hit, Julie Neis did something most people only joke about: she asked ChatGPT to decide her next move in life.
And it sent her to the south of France.
A few months ago, Julie was living in Texas, drained after twenty years in the corporate grind. She had pushed through anxiety, depression, and exhaustion until her body and mind gave out.
What started as stress turned into full burnout. The kind that forces you to question everything.
She wanted to start over. So she opened ChatGPT and wrote a long, honest message about her life. Her stress. Her dreams. Her love for France. Her wish for something slower, quieter, and real.
When AI Becomes a Life Coach
ChatGPT’s first answer was Paris.
But she had already lived there. Too busy. Too familiar. She wanted peace. The AI compared options, listed pros and cons, and suggested something unexpected: a small village in the south of France where she could heal and rebuild.
That’s how she landed in Uzès, in the Gard, just north of Nîmes, a medieval town of honey-colored stone, arcades, and markets shaded by plane trees.
A Leap of Faith
Julie sold her car, quit her job, packed her bags, and boarded a one-way flight. She had never even heard of Uzès before ChatGPT mentioned it.
“I knew I was choosing awe and possibility over fear,” she later wrote on Instagram.
She began sharing her new life online – the early morning markets, the clinking of wine glasses at small cafés, the quiet satisfaction of daily routines without rush.
Her followers could see her rediscovering joy in the slow rhythm of southern France.
From Hustle to Slow Life
Uzès turned out to be everything she needed. The town has long drawn English-speaking expats, praised by the New York Times for its art de vivre and calm beauty. Julie found what she had been craving: time, stillness, and connection.
On her Instagram and YouTube under @frenchjulietravels, she documents the details that fill her days – market stalls, olives and tomatoes, long lunches, and simple afternoons journaling by a café window.
She calls it “slow living,” and it’s become her mission.
How She Made It Work
Starting a new life in France required paperwork and courage. Julie applied for a Talent Passport visa, a residence permit designed for people with creative or cultural projects.
She had the background for it with years of writing about France, hosting a TV show on Paris, and running a food blog dedicated to French cuisine. That history helped her get approved.
Now, she’s turning her experience into a business that helps others plan meaningful time in France through slow living retreats, market tours, and personalized travel planning focused on intention instead of checklists.
The Next Chapter: AWE Retreats
Her biggest project yet is the AWE Retreat, scheduled for April 2026 near Uzès. The name stands for Awaken, Wonder, Enjoy. It’s a week designed to help people reconnect with themselves through the rhythm of French village life.
Guests will stay in a château-style estate surrounded by vineyards. Mornings with espresso and croissants. Market visits and cooking classes. Wine under the stars. Conversations that last long after dinner ends.
The retreat costs around €3,600 per person and spots are limited to keep it intimate.
A Story That Resonates
Julie’s story hits a nerve because it’s not just about France, it’s about finally stopping the noise, admitting you’re exhausted and brave enough to start again.
She laughs about how strange it sounds to say “ChatGPT changed my life,” but that’s exactly what happened. One burnout, one bold question, one AI prompt, and a new life began under the southern sun.