5 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT LIVING IN PARIS, AS AN AMERICAN

1. Fresh Food

A tomato is a tomato is a tomato- NOT! I never realized how many different flavors a tomato could have until I tried a French born cherry tomato. The hype is real in French produce. Back home you can tell usually when you have a good piece of fruit or vegetable versus a bad one, but in France the difference is utterly stark. And most of the time, they are all good! My stomach has such a tough time transitioning back and forth when I travel to the US and consume grocery store produce and meats, especially grains! My palate has exploded here and I am absolutely elated to continue the journey of taste!

2. People Watching

Something I absolutely love to do is people watch, and the French are the masters in the game! It does not cease to amaze me to constantly see full and busy cafes with people doing absolutely nothing. Whether sitting alone or with friends, the constant need for discussion to fill the air doesn’t seem to be as prevalent here. People truly don’t mind to sit in silence and observe the world go by. To let their mind wander and take it’s time getting nowhere. I’ve noticed recently that when going out to eat or meet a friend, if I don’t’ have at least two hours to do so, I am not interested in going as to not feel rushed! In the US a 30-60 minute meal is absolutely standard and I am so greatful I do not adhere to that mind set anymore.

3. Cultural activities

Paris is a huge and small city, bursting with sights to see, places to go, and of course plenty of art to take in. There is constantly something going on for any flavor of the week and for any type of person! I love how the youth especially can benefit from all the events. Almost every show, art exhibit, concert, etc has discounted rates or free entry for those under 26 years old. Even if you are of certain economic means or looking for work, there are reduced/free entries. And if you’re part of the 30s club or ++ like me, then I am happy to inform you that entrance fees are still not very expensive! Often, for less than the price of a burger (12-20 euros depending on where you are!) you can visit any cultural opportunity. The big takeaway here is that Paris make art and culture accessible financially. Art is respected and valued here, and we love to see it.

4. Accessibility to other cities via train

Now Paris is not the friendliest handicap accessible place, I will not deny that. It would be a most welcome change to see their public transportation go through a makeover to make the city more accessible for ALL. Until that day comes (hopefully), I would like to say that for those who have access to utilize trains and endless stairs, then the country is well connected for you. I wouldn’t bring my grandmother’s knees through the Paris metro, but for myself, I was impressed with how many lines exist to get you all around the city and through the country. Numerous trains all throughout the day can take you to every end of France and beyond in such a short amount of time. In fact, many people commute into Paris for work and live a good 5-6 hour drive away, but with the train that commute is cut down to 2-3 hours and a much less stressful way to get in and out of work. Of course public transport isn’t perfect, but those qualms are for another day- and another post!

5. The architecture

One of the big reasons I fell in love with Paris was due to the architecture. The preservation of time throughout the centuries is impressive and significant. It feels to me as I am walking through a time portal every time I step outside, and look up. The constant reminder of how old something is (for example the buildings have the name of the architect and the year it was built engraved on the outside), is profound. It keeps me tuned in to the perseverance of the people and the earth. And how we need to care for her more than ever now, so that future generations have something beautiful to look up at.

The list could go on and on, and truthfully be a book at this point. Paris isn’t perfect, but she is perfect for me, and I feel blessed to get to live here. I hope you get to visit one day and order a café on a terrasse and watch the people float on by.