Siesta...

WARNING: I am about to make one of those “well, yeah, you idiot” statements that Americans frequently make, but I promise to elaborate and hopefully keep at least a little of your respect. Ready? Here goes? Living in France is very different from living in America. Whew, I said it. It kind of felt good. :)

Not only are the small things different, but the French’s approach to life differs greatly from that of Americans. Things are slower and take longer in France. Not because the people are slow or there’s a huge crowd, but because they prefer it that way. There are no rushed meals and hardly any fast food. The people are not in a hurry to, well, to do anything.

A great example of this way of life is the siesta. I currently have a love/hate relationship with siesta. In theory, it sounds like a dream come true. For two to three hours every afternoon, all of the shops and businesses close down so that the employees may enjoy their long lunches and afternoon rests. I’m sure it’s absolutely wonderful for those employees. And again, in theory, I love the idea. But in reality, for this spoiled American who is accumstomed to getting things when I want, whenever I want, siesta is a total pain. If you lose track of time and try to hit up a store in the middle of the afternoon, you’ll be out of luck.

Realizing how frustrating this has been for just the past few days has made me recognize that my Americanization is at an all-time peak. Here I am, in a beautiful town in a foreign country, and rather than appreciate the fact that I can take advantage of an afternoon break, I complain because I can’t get things exactly when I want them. How spoiled am I?

I am slowly learning to love the siesta more and hate it less. It is an amazing experience to be in a place where people value spending time with other people above almost everything else. It is such a habit to rush through a meal in order to get to the next thing. It was wonderful, though, when we were with Marie-Noelle and Jean-Pierre, for example, to linger around a table and share stories.

Traveling abroad is always an adventure (or it should be) and one of the goals is to stretch yourself and learn new things (or it should be!). I feel like I’m already accomplishing both of those. It has been a wonderful adventure so far and I can’t wait to see what the next few weeks hold.

It is now 5 minutes to 4:00 pm, so siesta should be ending. I have a few things to pick up at the drugstore, so I’m off.

Peace. Out.