Landing on Mars

28 janvier 2012

(The view from the of Paris from the Sacre Coeur in Montmartre)

My journey to live in Paris began when I met my partner, Lucas, in Thailand while I was on my 2011 world trip. I always wanted the experience of living in Europe, and possibly Paris, for a year, but I never imagined it would actually happen. Just goes to show you that when your mind holds an intention, you will inevitably attract it into your life. I felt very lucky to have met someone like Lucas and to have the added bonus and opportunity to live not only in Paris, but in my favorite place in Paris, Montmartre!

So after 6 months of traveling abroad, I changed the course of my trip and my life by heading to Paris to live with Lucas, not knowing what my future would hold. My "leap of faith" involved not only living in an entirely different country, in a different continent, but not knowing the language, the area, or anyone except my partner as well. I truly felt like a stranger in a strange land. Luckily, I found myself in a land of beautiful architecture, wonderful food, amazing culture, fun and warm people and of course, a partner who supported me completely in my transition from being American to French (if that's possible).

The subtle and not-so-subtle differences appeared quickly when upon arriving at the apartment for the first time, a neighbor of Lucas said "hello" to us in the traditional French fashion of a kiss on both cheeks. I, of course, in my traditional American fashion, went to shake his hand which caused a bit of an awkward moment where he looked at me strangely and Lucas stood by enjoying the entertainment. After this moment, I never made that mistake again. It's still strange for me to greet people in France in this way, but I'm getting used to it. I've had many discussions about the difference between American and French greeting styles and it's interesting that French people feel the same way about hugging as Americans do about kissing each other to say "hello"-- that it's too personal. For them, hugging someone is having complete body contact which feels very personal to them, whereas for Americans, kissing feels very personal for us. I've argued this point with many French people, but I don't think they're going to change their ways just yet. Darn!

What surprised me next was the size of everything in the apartment. I've traveled to Europe several times before and new this already, but to visit such a different way of living versus living in it day to day is a different story. I actually enjoy a smaller, more cozy living environment, but Americans are also used to a lot of comforts and space that the French, and other Europeans I would imagine, do without. The first being much smaller bathrooms, kitchens, closets, etc. Pretty much everything in France is smaller compared to America-- especially the cars and the food portions! The French are a very creative and ingenious culture because of necessity. It's impressive how in a very small space they can organize and fit everything they need.

I mention this only because I quickly realized that I needed to navigate myself through my new home and surroundings much more carefully so as to not knock things over, as well as, to not kill myself by tripping over something, banging my head, or having something fall on me. The shower was also interesting as I needed to adjust my movements again to not hurt myself in a smaller-sized shower. The refrigerators are interesting too. Many are comparable to a small-sized fridge that a college student would have in their dorm, yet we have everything we need to cook some of the best food I've had. It may seem a bit like I'm complaining, but I have a great respect for people and cultures who live more minimally. I'm fascinated by these differences in lifestyle and I'm coming to enjoy it more and more each day. Just be aware of these differences though if you decide to live in Paris.

Another difference in the home is the washing machine can be in the kitchen and although the washer is also a dryer, many French people don't use it-- they simply hang their clothes to dry. This surprised me greatly since they have the option to dry their clothes quickly with the dryer, yet to save electricity, they still prefer to hang-dry their clothes. I wasn't sure how this was going to work, especially since it can get to freezing temperatures in Paris, but I quickly learned that it's quite effective and more environmentally friendly of course. It also felt like stepping back in time a bit, seeing people hanging their clothes out to dry outside of their homes, but it's something that still makes me smile.

(Outside the front of the apartment and the building across the street)

Despite these adjustments, I absolutely love living in our apartment in Montmartre, with the best part being the constant view from our window of the Sacre Coeur, a beautiful catholic church and popular landmark. I have the wonderful privelege of waking up every morning and seeing this along with the bustling streets filled below with tourists and French people, as well as my morning dilemma of whether to have pain au chocolate or crepes. Tres dificile! It's a burden I know I have to bare, but I will continue to suffer through it.