Goodbye, Friends, Family, Prada Bag. Bonjour, New Life! ; Unfulfilled by Her High-Flying Lifestyle, Crista Cloutier Decided to Sell Her Prized Possessions -- From Her Designer Wardrobe to Her Pots and Pans -- To Fund a Fresh Start in Rural France

Summary

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Three years ago I fled an enviable career in the USA as a dealer in the high-powered international art world. Some called it a midlife crisis, but I prefer to think of it as a midlife correction. I simply couldn't bear the idea of one more gallery opening, museum gala, or cocktail party. I wanted something different; to kick off my Jimmy Choos, run away and find something more authentic. And so I did.

I am not the first person to re-create her life. Indeed, as the world suffers from financial meltdowns, women everywhere are being forced to redefine themselves. Change can be frightening, especially if it's not of one's own making. But change can also bring opportunity, with the deepest rewards found in the effort.

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Extract

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Goodbye, Friends, Family, Prada Bag. Bonjour, New Life! ; Unfulfilled by Her High-Flying Lifestyle, Crista Cloutier Decided to Sell Her Prized Possessions -- From Her Designer Wardrobe to Her Pots and Pans -- To Fund a Fresh Start in Rural France

On the surface, I had the perfect life: a gorgeous bungalow in sunny Arizona, frequent first-class travel, a stellar career in the glamorous art world. Parties peppered my diary, while shopping filled my weekends and my wardrobes.

This life came about by accident. I had studied photography at university. But somehow my sideline selling art to pay my way through college developed into my professi...

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