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Searching for Home: The European Journey of a Frazzled Mom
In this humorous and endearing journey, a busy mom of five dares to follow a lifelong dream. With a heart full of love for Europe and a desperate need for a reset, Debbie sets out with her family on a bold adventure through France, Italy, and Austria—searching not just for a place to live, but a new way to be.
Craving a slower pace and the magic of everyday moments, she imagines a life steeped in joie de vivre and il dolce far niente—the sweetness of doing nothing. But as the dream unfolds across Parisian cafés, picturesque villages, sun-drenched vineyards, and Alpine peaks, reality throws in twists and wrong language barriers, unexpected mishaps, possible vampires, and family meltdowns.
Told with warmth, wit, and unflinching honesty, Searching for Home is more than a travel memoir. It’s a story of rediscovery—of what matters most, of how travel transforms us, and of how sometimes, searching for a new home leads us right back to ourselves.
With practical travel tips, fascinating historical events, and heartwarming stories, Debbie’s journey invites you to reflect on your own dreams—and the courage it takes to chase them.
Filled with food, inviting interiors, and deep reflection, Searching for Home is a memoir about savoring life’s simple joys and discovering the meaning of home.
Perfect for dreamers, travelers, lovers of Europe, and anyone longing for a life lived more intentionally.
Ideal for fans of Under the Tuscan Sun, A Year in Provence, and anyone who’s ever wondered, “What if I just packed up and left?”
Craving a slower pace and the magic of everyday moments, she imagines a life steeped in joie de vivre and il dolce far niente—the sweetness of doing nothing. But as the dream unfolds across Parisian cafés, picturesque villages, sun-drenched vineyards, and Alpine peaks, reality throws in twists and wrong language barriers, unexpected mishaps, possible vampires, and family meltdowns.
Told with warmth, wit, and unflinching honesty, Searching for Home is more than a travel memoir. It’s a story of rediscovery—of what matters most, of how travel transforms us, and of how sometimes, searching for a new home leads us right back to ourselves.
With practical travel tips, fascinating historical events, and heartwarming stories, Debbie’s journey invites you to reflect on your own dreams—and the courage it takes to chase them.
Filled with food, inviting interiors, and deep reflection, Searching for Home is a memoir about savoring life’s simple joys and discovering the meaning of home.
Perfect for dreamers, travelers, lovers of Europe, and anyone longing for a life lived more intentionally.
Ideal for fans of Under the Tuscan Sun, A Year in Provence, and anyone who’s ever wondered, “What if I just packed up and left?”
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 1, 2025
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2 people want to read
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October 31, 2025
"Fear is the number one killer of dreams."
Debbie Spence dreamed of finding a slower pace of life, a quiet, rural village with an ambience that would nurture and soothe. After reading Frances Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun, Spence was drawn to the rolling green hills of Tuscany, but her frazzled life as a mom, homeschool teacher, and wife ate up any time that would have allowed her to search for her dream home in a tiny European town. Her fear of flying over an ocean (and the later-revealed claustrophobic spaces) didn't help.
After meticulously researching what would become a five-week journey through several European countries, Debbie finally pulled the trigger, taking her family - and some prescriptions "happy pills" - along with her through winding, narrow French roads and pitch-black tunnels cutting through the mountains of the Alps. Their journey begins and ends in Paris, with stops in Italy and Austria in between. "I was here to discover if a location could create an experience so enjoyable that nothing else mattered but being alive."
With humor and an honest self- and cultural-awareness, Debbie brings refreshing insights into her five weeks as a traveler in Europe. "Until now, we had exhibited signs of the rushed American mentality, but on this fresh, dewy morning, we reflected Europe's influence; we were dallying."
For a self-proclaimed frazzled mom seeking a slower pace, it's puzzling that she painstakingly planned an epic five-week journey - complete with travel and language obstacles - that itself seemed rather frazzled, leaving her feeling "exhausted and battered," but perhaps a chaotic, restless trip was what she needed to realize the importance of what - rather, who - home really is: a place where you are surrounded by those you love in an environment that comforts the soul.
Debbie's eye for interior design brings vivid descriptions to the page - oh, how lovely it would have been to see a few photos of what she describes, especially Monet's garden! The visual aesthetic plays a crucial role in Debbie's definition of home, and (as someone who still has yet to paint my drab, white walls in the living room of the house I moved into two years ago), will no doubt have readers looking at their own homes with a fresh set of eyes, envisioning possibilities of complimentary colors, textured throw pillows, and tasteful statement pieces.
Searching for Home is a vicarious romp through Europe, with a dose of history thrown in for added depth, perfect for Francophiles, Italophiles, and anyone who has ever felt that familiar pull to their ancestors' homeland.
(Five stars to Steve for daring to brave narrow, winding European roads behind the wheel of an oversized van! And I thought Roman Gladiators going into battle were brave...)
Debbie Spence dreamed of finding a slower pace of life, a quiet, rural village with an ambience that would nurture and soothe. After reading Frances Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun, Spence was drawn to the rolling green hills of Tuscany, but her frazzled life as a mom, homeschool teacher, and wife ate up any time that would have allowed her to search for her dream home in a tiny European town. Her fear of flying over an ocean (and the later-revealed claustrophobic spaces) didn't help.
After meticulously researching what would become a five-week journey through several European countries, Debbie finally pulled the trigger, taking her family - and some prescriptions "happy pills" - along with her through winding, narrow French roads and pitch-black tunnels cutting through the mountains of the Alps. Their journey begins and ends in Paris, with stops in Italy and Austria in between. "I was here to discover if a location could create an experience so enjoyable that nothing else mattered but being alive."
With humor and an honest self- and cultural-awareness, Debbie brings refreshing insights into her five weeks as a traveler in Europe. "Until now, we had exhibited signs of the rushed American mentality, but on this fresh, dewy morning, we reflected Europe's influence; we were dallying."
For a self-proclaimed frazzled mom seeking a slower pace, it's puzzling that she painstakingly planned an epic five-week journey - complete with travel and language obstacles - that itself seemed rather frazzled, leaving her feeling "exhausted and battered," but perhaps a chaotic, restless trip was what she needed to realize the importance of what - rather, who - home really is: a place where you are surrounded by those you love in an environment that comforts the soul.
Debbie's eye for interior design brings vivid descriptions to the page - oh, how lovely it would have been to see a few photos of what she describes, especially Monet's garden! The visual aesthetic plays a crucial role in Debbie's definition of home, and (as someone who still has yet to paint my drab, white walls in the living room of the house I moved into two years ago), will no doubt have readers looking at their own homes with a fresh set of eyes, envisioning possibilities of complimentary colors, textured throw pillows, and tasteful statement pieces.
Searching for Home is a vicarious romp through Europe, with a dose of history thrown in for added depth, perfect for Francophiles, Italophiles, and anyone who has ever felt that familiar pull to their ancestors' homeland.
(Five stars to Steve for daring to brave narrow, winding European roads behind the wheel of an oversized van! And I thought Roman Gladiators going into battle were brave...)
Displaying 1 of 1 review