How Paris has Changed Me

I came to Paris armed with two suitcases, my backpack, and an unprecedented amount of excitement for this adventure that I was about to embark on. I knew that I would be challenged in ways that I would never expect, but I never once expected the French, particularly the Parisian, way of life would impact me as darastially that it did. Of course there were adjustments to be made, and there certainly were, but never in a million years did I think I would go through life lessons and even likely bring some lifestyle points from here home with me. 

The first less that Paris has taught me is to enjoy the little things. The locals here are rarely in a rush. The only times you will see someone hustling is to catch the metro before the doors snap shut or if he/she is on a run. Parisians take their time, even if it is drinking a Starbucks! "To-go" is rarely an option here. People like to sit, sip, and enjoy. This practice applies to eating as well. I have went from being in-and-out at a restaurant to sitting there for two to almost three hours. I have come to appreciate my glass of wine, my walk to class or elsewhere, and my coffee in the morning. Paris has taught me to slow down; I do not always have to be in a rush!

Furthermore, Paris has given me a "sixth-sense" for navigation. Having grown up in the same town since I was one year old, to getting quickly acclimated to Loyola and Baltimore - Paris was a whole new ball game. Even though I have been here before this time, it was for strictly tourist reasons. This time, I am a resident, and relying on travel books and the itinerary for the 96 hour trip will not cut it. 

Every day I have to take the metro and if not the metro then bus, or I walk. I had to learn how to navigate the metro immediately upon my arrival. The metro has become my "car" for these months and I needed to be comfortable with it and understand the lines, schedule, and protocol of the passengers. Since I never grew up being completely reliant on public transportation, I will not lie, this was a daunting feat in the beginning. I did not want to get off at the wrong stop or catch the wrong train and end up in who knows where in a city that I barely knew myself! Fortunately with no other choice but to get used to it, I conquered this task. If someone told me in January that I would be able to recognize train lines, know where the stops were, know the stops on each line, and do all of this without using Apple Maps - I would think they were crazy! Yet, here I am! 

The final lesson, and in my opinion by far the most important, that Paris has taught me is what it is like to be the odd one out. Again, I grew up in the same town since I was a baby. Although I changed high schools I went to an all-girl school where 90% of the girls started out as freshmen and we were all so similar that it was not really a good example of experience being the "other one."

Paris is totally different. Despite having taken French for seven years, I am by no means fluent. Can I get along communication wise? Yes, but the second I open my mouth it is obvious that I am not a native speaker. I did not only stick out for my intermediate level of French nor my American accent either, I stood out for the way that I dressed and even how I interacted with people. For instance, French people have a very eccentric style. Don't get me wrong, it is so effortless and chic, but it is not American by any means. Even the clothing brands found all over the states like Urban Outfitters and Top Shop are completely different here just because the French have different tastes. My athletic-leisure style made me stick out like a sore thumb and it took time to adjust to the effortless style here. 

Overall, this lesson taught me how to have sympathy for immigrants and those who come to the Staes without any knowledge of the culture or the language. Since this is truly the first time that I am the minority, I never completely understood how much of a challenge it truly is and I have really grown to appreciate those who have patience with me as I try to construct a grammatically-flawless sentence and I hope I can bring that patience back with me.