After spending four months in Aix-en-Provence I noticed that free-time is a highly valued part of the French culture. Everyone is given a two-hour lunch break to leave school or work and enjoy a relaxing meal with friends and family, there are frequent two-week holiday vacations, and many shops and restaurants are closed on Sundays and Mondays for a day of rest. In Aix I noticed that people were very relaxed and moved at a more leisurely pace than people in other parts of the world. Slowing down and taking time to enjoy life is an essential part of the French culture that I greatly appreciated coming from a fast-paced American lifestyle. Seeing other people stop to sit on a sidewalk bench and just watch passersby and take a moment for themselves made me stop and think about how little time I spend sitting alone and observing the world around me in busy, public places. Even something as seemingly unimportant as grabbing a cup of coffee became an event where I could sit outside a cafe for hours people watching, chatting with friends, drawing, and just enjoying the little things in life.
After speaking with many locals, I learned that they do not see the amount of free-time built into their lives as a luxury, it is simply how their society operates. I told them that back home in the States we are constantly on the move, rushing to get things done, and we rarely take any time for ourselves. They were absolutely appalled. They did not understand why at a restaurant we are pressured to order our drinks and food immediately upon being seated, or that children spend eight consecutive hours in school each day, or why we work 40 to 60 hour weeks just for two weeks of vacation. French people see free-time as an essential part of everyday life and it is something that should not be compromised.
Writing about and reflecting on my time abroad has helped me gain a deeper appreciation of my experience living in a different culture. Being able to fully immerse myself in a new culture has given me a new perspective on life and made me extremely grateful for the life I have and the path I am on. I feel that after this experience I am much more inclined to live in other parts of the world and immerse myself in other cultures. It is truly incredible to be part of a community that is seemingly so different from your own, but you learn that people all over the world are more similar than you think. I am now able to share my newfound knowledge of French culture with my peers in America and infuse my current lifestyle with new practices I picked up along the way. I went into my semester abroad with preconceived notions about French people and the French lifestyle told to me by friends, family, and mostly social media. I soon realized that I needed to clear all of those ideas from my mind and experience everything myself and truly soak it all in. Now that I realize that, I think I am more open-minded and excited to continue travelling throughout my life. I am eternally grateful for this experience and the knowledge I have gained throughout the last four months.