As our Paris experience came to a close, we were all distraught about leaving this wonderful city behind! Whether we were visiting art museums, exploring the historic streets of Paris, or scouring through vintage thrift shops by the river, we all had allowed the city to occupy a small place in our hearts. New York will always be home, but we had learned so much from this amazing European city!
For all who have not been able to travel to Europe, I highly recommend it! Not only did we learn a great deal in our fashion and French classes, but we also expanded our world perspective simply by observing the locals.
I have curated a short list of a few things that stood out to us while we were studying in Paris, so now you can incorporate a little bit of Parisian flair into your life too!
How to be Parisian 101:
Don’t worry about scheduling out every minute of your life! Take time to linger and smell the croissants.
Take the time to stay up to date on both national and international news. Parisians are not only chic, but they are also sharp! They were very knowledgeable about global events and cultures.
Never stop learning. Whether we were going to art exhibits, museums, or discussing French culture with a waiter, Parisian culture is all about appreciating and continually learning more about life.
Stop worrying about indulging in food. Paris definitely taught us to appreciate our cravings and sweets, however it also taught us to enjoy it in small portions (no more pints of ice cream at midnight ladies and gents).
Explore your surroundings! Instead of taking the subway or a car directly to your destination, spend an extra five minutes walking through the new streets. Not only is this amazing for your health, but you might also discover a new shop or café you want to come back too.
Invest in quality clothing over fast fashion items. This definitely stood out to us the most. Parisians truly dressed to impress whether they were grocery shopping or out to eat. By buying a few quality clothes that they loved instead of pounds of cheap trendy items, they cultivated a wardrobe to put their best foot forward at all times.
Enjoy the little things in life! We constantly observed the locals lingering at café tables over a deep conversation, taking long walks through the parks, or simply enjoying a cone of gelato in the sun. Don’t be afraid to hit pause for a bit and take a breather.
Of course the list could go on for miles, but these are definitely the top things we observed while studying abroad. Hopefully we can make it back to the gorgeous city of lights one day, but it has changed our outlook on life regardless.
Topics: study abroad, Paris