Reflecting on my Initial Expectations

Bonjour!

I have now been Paris for about four days and I am loving it so far! I have started to get adjusted to hearing French speakers all around me and even managed to communicate by using a few phrases from our survival French class. I've really enjoyed attending Paris American Academy and getting to know everyone in the group. A lot of things I've experienced are similar to my previous expectations, but there have been many surprises as well.

My prediction that I would see beautiful landscapes and elegant architecture was absolutely correct! On Sunday, our group took a bus tour around Paris. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of different parts of the city, both at tourist locations and less famous areas. I'm from a Chicago suburb, so most of the architecture I'm used to seeing is very robust and predictable. In Paris, the buildings date further back than buildings in Chicago, so they have a more established historic, vintage look. The stereotypical French curly, winding pattern I was expecting is evident in many of the railings on balconies. Many places reminded me of the royal aura I experienced when I traveled to London two summers ago. I couldn't stop taking pictures!

 However, the street wear was one of the things that surprised me. Before coming to Paris, we discussed what we should wear to fit in with the French people: no jeans, no bright colors, mostly black clothing, scarves, etc. Our group talked about how the French usually dress up more than we would, and how we would easily be marked as tourists if we did not pack similar clothing. In my experiences so far, though, the French dress very similarly to how we do at home! Although there have been many fashionably dressed people, there are just as many people in jeans, t-shirts, and colors of all kinds. When we traveled to typical tourist locations like the Eiffel Tower there were obviously many tourists dressed casually, but I was shocked when this casual look extended into the Paris American Academy area at the grocery store Dia and surrounding areas where there are less tourists. I have seen just as much variety between the extremely fashionable and the more casual looks that I am used to seeing at home. Maybe this observation will change as I explore more of Paris, but as of right now I'm thinking I could have packed more casual clothes and fit in just fine!