Why I Love Paris (Part I)

My time in Paris so far has been amazing. Waking up each day knowing you are going to experience something new and exciting is invigorating. I wasn't sure how I would take my time abroad, but I now am reassured it will be one of the best experiences of my life.

I have noticed quite a few things that have made me fall in love with this city, but I go over only a few of them now.

1) The kids are abundant and abundantly happy: Someone told me that they read that there are more dogs in Paris than children, but I'm finding that very hard to believe. You see kids at every turn. Not only kids, but extremely happy kids. I believe I've only seen a child crying about 3 times in the week that we have been here, the rest are quite jovial. We have about three parks right by our apartments and they are absolutely brimming with children in the afternoon. The kids are chasing each other (or more often chasing a soccer ball) and giggling, not seeming to have a care in the world. You also see a bunch of kids holding their parents hands walking down the street. They're always chattering away looking at the world with wide eyes. But of all the kid encounters, my favorite are when the children are riding on bicycles. There are little children riding around on bikes with training wheels everywhere, we even saw one in the mall! They just ride alongside their parents zooming in and out of everyone as they ride down the sidewalk.

2) Puppies are part of the populous: Not only are the children seemingly happier here, the puppies seem to be too! There are dogs everywhere and they just sniff about, rarely on leashes. I've only heard a dog bark once, and I've seen lots of dogs. They wait outside buildings for their owners and sit calmly on their owner's laps on the metro. They do not mind those around them, they are seemingly as wide-eyed about the world as the children.

3) Green isn't an option: Here in Paris, and probably the majority of Europe, being "green" isn't something people consider, they just do it. At the Carrafour (a grocery store) they don't give you a bag option, you must bring your own or carry your groceries home without bags. In our apartments all of the hallway lights are sensors, so when you enter the hallway they turn on and when no one moves through them for a while they shut off. Our apartments are super old, but you can tell the system has been in place for a while. The biggest thing I've noticed is packaging. For example, a bag of M&M's is only as big needed (there is no extra space added for just air). Their bags for chips are only as big as needed, not half empty when you open them up.

4) Timing isn't everything: When people comment that America is rushed and fast-paced, they aren't joking. People here aren't slow, but they also aren't rushing to get from place to place. If they are a couple of minutes late, they don't freak out. This has had a huge effect on me, as I am usually huge on planning. If we are a little late getting to the metro, it's no big deal. If we're a couple of minutes late to class, it's rare that someone will notice. Parisians seem to be living for the moment, not trying to catch up to a moment that will never happen.

While there are many more reasons this city has stolen my heart, I will end this now so I can get some shut-eye for class tomorrow. We have been invited to hang out with the EBS students again tomorrow; we will be having a picnic below the Eiffel Tower!