13 Transitions From Loveland, Colorado to Paris, France

Moving from a small town in Colorado to Paris wasn’t easy. Ok, well the moving part wasn’t really all that difficult. But after arriving in France, there have been some things that I’ve had to learn to get used to…

1. The French language. Learning a 2nd language comes easily to young children, but to an adult over 30, it takes a little more effort. Trying to read, write, speak & understand a language that is more complex than English takes a lot of time…& patience.

2. Public transportation. The burden of owning a car is gone, along with the expenses caused by the need for insurance, gas & maintenance. However, so is the freedom of being able to just go for a drive for the fun of it, or the independence that comes with owning your own transportation.

3. No dishwasher. An apartment in Paris is generally a lot smaller & much older than one that you can find in Colorado – there just isn’t anywhere to put a dishwasher.

4. No storage space. Again – small, old apartments don’t usually allow extra storage closets, cupboards & drawers. One has to be more creative in finding places to hide the bodies.

5. No air conditioning. Granted, there isn’t a great need for it here, but occasionally, in the summer there is a heat wave. Sweating in the train with a bunch of strangers rubbing against you who are also sopping messes of sweat is…well, it’s just gross.

6. The food. Of course, the food in France is incredible & there is nothing like it. However, on occasion, I get cravings for things that don’t exist in France. Especially Arby’s.

7. The view from my window. Before I moved to Paris, when I looked out my window, I mostly saw trees. I used to watch the squirrels chasing each other up & down the branches. Sometimes, I would catch a fox, a rabbit or some raccoons scampering around. At night, I could see the stars. Now when I take a gander out my window, I see the windows of other people’s apartments…usually the nosy old lady across the street that always has her head hanging out, peering around to keep an eye on everyone. If I want to see the stars, I have to go out of town.

8. The toilet is separated from the rest of the bathroom. Really, I got lucky – our toilet is in the bathroom, but is in it’s own little room, which I call “The Pooping Closet”. In some houses & apartments in France, the toilet is nowhere near the bathroom – it might be down the hall, or *gasp* on another floor. You don’t often see a toilet, sink & tub all in one room.

9. Smaller things. Many cars, beds, refrigerators, sinks & ovens are smaller. It makes sense, since things in Paris are condensed…or, as I say “smooshed together”. It really isn’t too difficult to live with smaller things, but I don’t envision myself cooking up a 22-pound Thanksgiving turkey in this oven.

10. Different holidays. No Thanksgiving – obviously. No Halloween. It’s true that Halloween has recently made it over here, but it isn’t very popular & you don’t see any grown ups with crazy, creative costumes. I actually forgot that Monday was Labor Day until the day was half over.

11. August. During the month of August, many people go on vacation for the entire month. Last month, our favorite bakery, fresh produce market & Chinese restaurant were all closed for the entire month. This happens all over the city – businesses close, the traffic dies down a little bit & things get a little quieter.

12. The showers. Again, I got lucky on this one – our showerhead has a little hook in which to hang it from the wall, but often, that is not the case. The shower is never mounted to the wall & often, there is no way to hang it from the wall. So, how do you take a shower when you have to hold the damn thing over yourself? Evidently, people here are used to it, but I like to stand under the water with my hands free. Maybe it’s an American thing.

13. The humbling realization that my beloved cat, who made the move from Colorado with me has not only picked up the language much more quickly than me, but has adjusted just fine. I’ve learned from her that a sunbeam is still a sunbeam & that no matter where you are, or how different it is, there’s nothing that can’t be made better by just finding a good place to snuggle & take a nap.

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[tags]Loveland, Colorado, Paris, France, French language, food, holidays, Thanksgiving, Halloween, Labor Day, August[/tags]