France: A Place That Allows Me To Feel Free
I’ve been living in NYC for the past 6 years of my life. I came with excitement and anticipation for what I felt life would hold for me here. Now I feel my time spent in NYC has been spent well. What I used to feel, the hustle and bustle, the fast-pace lifestyle has become something I loathe. I used to drink in the energy the city poured into me. The action packed lifestyle quenched my thirst. But now I have become tired and drained of it. I am weak on the insensitivity and aloofness. I long for the place I fell in love with years ago and swore to return to again. France. I went on a 3-week trip to France in 1994 when I was in high school with my French class. I was barely 17 years old and although it was more than 20 years ago, I still feel the experience to this day. We spent one week with a French family and two weeks travelling the French countryside. How freeing it was to observe how the French people lived their daily lives, the easiness and simplicity was refreshing. Of course being in high school back then I had yet to know what “real life” was like, but I remember the feelings of tranquility. The air was light and humorous.
Every moment in France was to be enjoyed, savored and cherished. Lunch hour was a midday break – purposefully long enough to stroll home and enjoy lunch with loved ones or take a nap. A long walk home easily included observing the gorgeous rainbow of wildflowers lining the sidewalks while inhaling their earthy scent.
Family time is cherished and life revered. It was typical to stop by the local bakery on the way home after work to grab a baguette for the evening’s dinner. And every night during my stay we ate dinner at the table as a family. I never once felt like an “American.” I had an interest in the French culture and their way of life. I was simply an observer, on the outside looking in. The feelings of being free and independent in a world so foreign to my own, was a resplendent experience.
As I observed the French people, I found their bodies to be lithe and agile, similar to ballerinas. Their clothing was light and free-flowing. My French “mom” donned a slight form-fitting dress accompanied with simple flats for a day of visiting the Chateau de Versailles Gardens. And we lounged on the grounds laughing as I practiced communicating in French. The Gardens were beautiful – perfectly manicured landscapes enclosing statues and luxurious water fountains. It was peaceful, even time slowed down to take a break. I likened it to a scene in Alice in Wonderland – a beautiful place full of mysterious adventure.
In the morning we would sit in street cafes feasting on croissants with preserves, des pains au chocolats, fruit and coffee or tea watching pedestrians walk by. By mid-afternoon we were on a boat heading down La Seine river. The day had grown cool and the sky was gray but the ride was amazing. How therapeutic it was to be miles and miles away from home in the most romantic city in the world, Paris!
Thank you for reading and commenting. Please enter the Independence Travel Writing competition and tell your story.
Very nice article. Her love for France is deep and romantic.
GREAT ARTICLE!!! I LOOOVE PARIS TOO! 😉
I so love France. Can’t wait to be back.