I’ve been living abroad now for three months, studying at NYU in Paris. Since I started this journey, I have received countless messages and comments about “my amazing life.” How did you do it? What is it like? At times, I almost feel as if it’s all a show -- the experience becomes an alluring concept in the eyes of my followers on social media rather than a reality I'm living.
People tend to romanticize the life of the expatriate or frequent traveler. Coming from (and pardon the pun) an American in Paris: yes, it’s cool but it doesn’t come without its downsides. Since I’ve settled down, I’ve realized that life is life, no matter where you are living.
It’s time to get real about living abroad. Here are a few realities of life across the pond:
1. Everything is closed, all the time.
Many museums are closed on specific weekdays, some shops on Mondays and Sundays you might as well sleep the whole day because the city is a ghost town. I don't know how many times I've walked all the way to the Louvre on a Tuesday, dying to visit the exhibits, only to remember upon arrival that it's closed to the public. It really brings you back to reality: the people that run corner boutiques and neighborhood bakeries have lives too -- families to spend time with and activities they would rather be doing. While it may inhibit me from shopping or spending time in a museum on certain days, c'est la vie dans Paris. In short: this is Europe, not Disneyland.
2. Food is… different.
Sure, it’s magnifique if you can buy all of your produce from local markets and go out to nice restaurants frequently. But I’m normal, and I get lazy when it comes to cooking. I begin to think about all of my favorite food items that I don't have access to here: Lara bars, (affordable) mixed nuts and California avocados. The selection is simply different here; while grocery stores lack some of my favorite foods, they have others that I've never tried. It's a give-and-take. While smoothies and kale were a way of life for me in America, crêpes and flaky pain au chocholat have taken their place in France. Even if the tomatoes don't taste like those back home, it's easy to find something to replace them.
3. The language barrier is real.
Even if you have confidence in your abilities, understand different dialects and decoding informal speech is difficult. If you’re staying in the south of Europe, the speed at which most people speak is often incomprehensible. Even in other parts of the continent, native speed and proficiency is intimidating, especially when, like me, you have an irrational fear of sounding like a blabbering fool.
4. People will inevitably notice you're American, and it's not a big deal.
There are things about Americans that simply make us stick out -- just like with any other nationality. When I came to France, I wanted to become French. Wear all black every day. Be simple but classic. Faire la bise (the European cheek kisses) with everyone I met. I quickly came to realize that becoming totally French simply isn't possible. Sometimes I forget to say bonjour and au revoir. Other times I speak too loudly on the metro or convert back to English when I feel like someone doesn't understand my French. And this is entirely OK. The study abroad experience is the chance to immerse yourself in a foreign culture, but that doesn't mean you have to let the other half go.
5. Wi-Fi isn't a given.
Going into a café or restaurant, maybe they'll have it or maybe they'll say they have it and then it won't work. At NYU Paris, I've learned that European broadband simply cannot support the needs of 80 American students under one roof. As a whole, the freshman in Paris have ironically been able to bond over Wi-Fi issues. Nevertheless, I think this difference in itself encompasses the essence of life abroad: It's not always comfortable. Sometimes it's really frustrating and makes you wish you were back home, but it teaches you to be independent and solve problems.
All in all, life in Europe is pretty normal. Reality is reality, and in France it's not always Ratatouille. Cultural differences aside, it's "American life" with more native French speakers and gloriously cheap bread.
