Things I've learned to love about France

Now that I'm firmly in my second semester, I can tell you for sure that I don't hate everything. Watching all the new people here try to find their way through this country has really shown me what I've gotten used to.

Bread, cheese, coffee and wine.
The French do all of these fabulously well, and I’m terribly spoiled because of it. When I get back to the States, I foresee myself paying extra to obtain a higher quality of all of these things. I recently purchased a little stovetop moka pot for myself, and it was the greatest idea ever. I can make myself café strength espresso in like three minutes in the comfort of my home. Quality>quantity.

They care about students and young people.
These kids don’t know how good they have it. Their university education costs only a few hundred euro in tuition for the whole year. My European friends are being paid by the EU to leave home for a year and study in another member state. If they take out loans, they pay them back when they reach a certain annual income level, not starting six months after graduation. Their student ID gets them a discount so many places. Just being under the age of 24 brings so, so, so many discounts. Museums. Travel. Other things. I was telling a foreigner the other day that it’s hard to travel around the US because it’s so expensive, and that there are no student discounts for rail/bus…and her jaw hit the floor. They can’t imagine life without it. France and Europe understand that young people are our future and deserve an affordable education, and that they’re poor and should be treated by society accordingly. It’s the best.

I think I like having things closed Sunday.
At first it seemed a little weird, but now I approve. Everyone makes sure to get all of their things done beforehand, and all is well. It’s just really nice to have a day that is so chill. I went from DC where if you’re standing on the left side of the escalator you get run over, to the south of France where people could care less when things get done. That attitude might be annoying sometimes (like when I was waiting for internet) but now I think I like it. And I know I’ll like it more once I get back to America.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT. SO MUCH PUBLIC TRANSPORT.
I love love love love this so much. There’s an impressive network of high speed trains all over the country, and then each region has a network that services many smaller towns that the TGV misses. And if the train station isn’t in the center of town, there’s a bus that will take you to the station. And did I mention the student discounts? UGH it’s just so awesome. I understand it’s different for America because France’s population density is more or less three times that of the US along with a huge size difference…but still. It’s just a really great system.

Oh, the places you'll go!

I’ll add more to this as they come to me…