A walk down the Seine, a stop for espresso, a glance at the architecture abroad in Paris, all activities I crossed off my bucket list.
The Parisian lifestyle is simple. Focused on comfort and simplicity, the hustle culture of America seems to be easily escaped. Paris, France, known for the development of expatriates in the 1920s, provided a place to study and experience the life of writers and artists. My January term English class discovered texts from writers such as Ernest Hemingway, Langston Hughes, and Zelda Fitzgerald, and artists such as Paul Cézanne and Josephine Baker. Taking classes in the morning, accompanied by café au lait and croissants, followed by fieldwork in the afternoon, taught us the value of hands-on work. Paris is filled with artifacts, both artistic and aged. Oftentimes, you can easily find the beauty in the discarded. The Musee d’Orsay, for example, was once a train station. Now converted into a museum, the architecture of the station highlights the statues beneath it.
The metro of Paris provides accessible transportation to its people. Sixteen lines in every direction allow users to travel across the city. My peers and I took the metro multiple times each day. Whether it was a trip to a restaurant or a taxidermy museum, our class adjusted quickly to this type of travel. The metro soon became a favorite of mine. Each stop was unique with its name, I enjoyed the hustle of the people and the advertisements that lined its walls.
The most noticeable difference between the United States and Paris, to me, was its differential definitions of leisure and work balance. In the United States, lunch breaks are short. You grab food “to go.” You rarely consider the idea of going home for a break, to hang out with friends or family. Parisians value both the work they do and their friends and family. They find ways to do both. Lunch breaks are often offered at midday. Oftentimes, businesses choose to close on a Sunday for workers to have a break. I was shocked to stop by a bakery, only to see it closed on a Sunday. We often take for granted the things we have, and traveling to a different country can help dismantle that.
My trip to Paris was both educational and fun. I learned the importance of learning about a country before traveling there. Getting to know the cultural norms, common phrases, and facts about Paris truly provided me with valuable information. Going outside of your comfort zone, while uncomfortable, can add meaning to your life.