Advantages of Living somewhere other than your home town.
Especially if it’s a wonderful destination like Paris!
One of the biggest advantages of living here in Paris for 6 months is that we have the luxury of time. I’m blessed with the luxury of going slow, something we can almost never do when we’re regular travelers on a regular trip. I feel enormously privileged to be able to return somewhere if I wish, not necessarily the next day, but perhaps in the next week or so. If I arrive at a certain destination—say, Sainte Chapelle— and it’s too crowded, or it’s unexpectedly closed (“fermature exceptionelle”), or if I plan a visit to an outdoor place—such as Luxembourg Gardens—and it begins to rain, I know I can return. And I do.
Another plus. Because I can take my time, I don’t feel rushed and have the benefit of learning about places in depth, and have the chance of absorbing more, especially if I can return again…and again. This is allowing me to see many of the fantastic places in Paris from a different perspective, more like an insider, as each time I return I learn a bit more, see a different angle, and feel more knowledgeable. It’s also great to experience these places at different times of the year, to see how (or if) they change with the seasons—this has been especially lovely with the parks and gardens.
“Un autre plus” is that if I wander around a new district and get lost, it doesn’t really matter. I have a good map, a metro or train station will be close by, and I have time to explore. Ditto, if I get on the wrong bus or metro train, or get off at the wrong stop for what I’ve planned. In the end, I learn this city much better this way.
(Luxembourg Gardens in summer and summer rain)
(Luxembourg Gardens in early fall)
Exactly the way we feel when we are there. Plus, Paris never ceases to offer up lots of different places to go and things to do, no matter how many times we have been there. Enjoy!