Four weeks in… wow! It feels like I just arrived yesterday. Looking back on the past month, I am so happy that I met everyone in this program as well as being able to travel the country and explore Paris. I have almost visited every “arrondissement”, or neighborhood, in Paris!
My fourth week in France was well-spent. I work from home on Mondays and Fridays, which is especially nice when I travel on the weekends. I can leave on Friday while working remotely and then have a day to recuperate at home after I return. This week, the girls from my group and I went on a trip to Aix en Provence, an older but lovely town in the south of France. We left very early on Friday morning, in fact, I left my apartment for the train at 5 am. Over the weekend, we toured the city and visited many of the restaurants and stores the town has to offer. One of my favorite attributes of Aix is the markets they have every weekend. On both Saturday and Sunday, they set up tables throughout the entire town and sell various goods. They have everything from flowers to fresh fruit to fresh seafood. We found this was a great way to practice our French skills, while indulging in the local produce and goods.
Another wonderful component of Aix en Provence is the weather. The weather in Paris has been very unusual this summer: pretty cold, cloudy, and rainy everyday. In the south, the weather is warm and sunny most, if not all, of the time. This made our trip even more enjoyable, if possible! At the end of every trip, however, I am still excited to come back to Paris, which feels more and more like home everyday.
After being here a month, I have definitely recognized the niche parts of the culture and ways that people act differently here. My favorite attribute of Parisians is that they are generally more quiet in public and metro rides tend to be relatively silent and peaceful. This part has not been extremely difficult to adjust to alone, but in groups it can be harder to keep quiet conversation. The French also tend to eat smaller breakfasts and have dinner later at night, which is another custom I enjoy. This tends to be how I arrange my meals in the United States; therefore, it is easy to fit in, in this regard. Overall, I feel as though I have adapted well to life in Paris, and can see myself living here post-grad.
One part of France’s culture that has been difficult to adapt to as an American is the style. In France, especially in Paris, they take pride in how they present themselves. Although I usually dress in “nicer” outfits in the United States, there are some days I wish to stay in sweatpants and be more comfortable. Particularly, on days when I do not have to go to work, I would stay in my pajamas all day; however, this is not done in Paris, even while staying in the house. The notion of a different style may not be difficult to do on a day-to-day basis, yet it can be frustrating at times.
In terms of work culture, the general structure is rather laid-back. As I mentioned in a previous blog, I do enjoy this structure as it feels less anxiety inducing. One custom of work culture in France that I have struggled to adapt to is longer lunches. Work culture in the United States has trained me to either eat quickly and return to work, or to eat while working. Furthermore, I am still tempted to do this during my lunch breaks in Paris, rather than taking the time to socialize with my coworkers and eat all of my food.
This weekend, a couple of us will be in London! I am very excited not only to explore a new city, but a new country I have never visited. À toute à l’heure!