The one with the Run

I fell in love with Paris today. Now, you might be surprised that I am saying this halfway through my study abroad experience when I've been here for 2 months already. But today something was different.

On the days that I'm in Paris and not traveling or in class, I have a lot of time on my hands. I really want to spend time outside so over the past few weeks I've been running. Now for the past few weeks, I've been a spectator of Paris as I ran down the prairie path, but today I wasn't a spectator anymore; I was finally part of it. Everyday when I run, I admire the Paris rooftops peering over the many trees, bushes, and flowers finally in bloom along the path. Each day I venture farther and farther down the path, passing more and more people.

They're my favorite part, the people. When I first arrived in Paris, we were told that the people were very family oriented and that is why no one works on Sundays because they want to spend time with their families. Anyone who knows anything about me knows that I'm obsessed with my family and the idea of family in general. So the people have become my favorite part of my runs each day. The paths are full of families jogging together, walking the family dog together, or simply out for an afternoon stroll together. These are families and people of every age and size: the elderly couple moving along like turtles but holding hands and smiling none the less, the newlyweds pushing a stroller with their newborn, young couples sitting on benches and sharing a sandwich or leisurely strolling, groups of serious runners, groups of overweight runners trying to get in shape; these are real people. I also pass by many playgrounds on my runs filled with children accompanied by both parents, not just the mothers. Paris isn't "the city" to these people. The residential parts of Paris are mixed in with everything else so to these people, Paris is truly "home."

So on my run today, while admiring the budding trees, blooming flowers, and romantic rooftops like I always do, I finally felt a part of the overall community that passes everyday on that prairie path. I'm not sure what it was exactly. It might have been the smiles and laughs on the kids faces, or the slight waves and nods from passing joggers, or even the fact that I simply knew exactly where I was and where I was going. Whatever the reason, Paris felt like home today. I wish I could show others how I see Paris but I don't think you can get this feeling from visiting, but only from living here.