Along with Malta, I just got back from Paris. It was such a great feeling to be back. If you didn't know, I lived there for most of 2005 in the city center by Notre Dame. Quite a wonderful European experience. Going back is so nostalgic for me. Cafés with the chairs and tables facing the street is true Parisen style. I found it rather amusing to see Starbucks gone Parisen...
Paris is wonderful as a visitor. You get to hang out in cafe's all afternoon, take 3 hour dinners with your friends and stay out till 5am. Somehow the city just does that to you. You can wander the streets and get lost on the buildings that are hundreds of years old.
So, the point of this post is the topic Balance of Lifestyle. A common conversation I find myself in when I'm in Paris is exactly this topic. The thing I love most about Paris and Europe is that people take time to enjoy life. People enjoy conversation, food and wine. They know how to not work so much. Which on the flip side comes down to the fact that you can't get anything done in Paris, which is one of the reasons I left. It's all fine and dandy until you have to make money there. Between laziness and bureaucracy you can't get anything done.
In contrast, us Americans especially in cities like LA or New York work way too much and don't know how to enjoy life. I never find myself taking the time to enjoy a 3 hour meal with people here. It's always when I travel. The nice thing is, we have the opportunity to make decent money here.
Which place is best? It's really hard to live in Paris and make enough money to survive. Maybe it's a personal decision of what is important to you and what type of lifestyle you want to live.
Do you balance your lifestyle between work, relationships, and play? What do you value?
Great post, Nick! I've noticed this when going to other places outside the U.S., even as close as Tijuana. I think other countries have it down in the community realm - it seems like everywhere else I go there's more of a focus on relationships and just taking time to stop and be with people. I think that's an important aspect of making work feel like play, but we don't often take the time to do it here because we're so busy doing rather than being.
Posted by: Katie | October 13, 2007 at 02:15 AM
Great post, Nick! I've noticed this when going to other places outside the U.S., even as close as Tijuana. I think other countries have it down in the community realm - it seems like everywhere else I go there's more of a focus on relationships and just taking time to stop and be with people. I think that's an important aspect of making work feel like play, but we don't often take the time to do it here because we're so busy doing rather than being.
Posted by: Cheap Air Max | January 11, 2012 at 08:56 PM