A month into my stay in Paris, I’ve hit about a million sights– and I still have about a million to go. After the initial fawning over the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre with other American students, I’ve taken to going sightseeing by myself. From riding the metro to visiting museums, sightseeing alone allows me to blend in a little more easily without looking (so) easily. I like people watching and subtly eavesdropping on people’s conversations to practice my French and see how much I understand (The verdict? Actual French people don’t talk as slowly as my French professor does and mostly I just pick out a few words of the conversation).
Of course, sightseeing has allowed me to see more of Paris’ art and history, from the catacombs to the Musée D’Orsay to Napoleon’s tomb at the Musée de L’Armée, but what I enjoy even more is the opportunity to observe French people and their habits. For example, I’ve noticed that Parisians tend to walk more slowly, and sometimes even stop in the middle of the street to look at a window display. I find that I get so used to my surroundings in Evanston and Chicago that I just plug in my ear buds and let things pass me by. So far, I’m glad I’ve made the effort to unplug and pay attention on my way to class or the grocery store or my latest excursion in Paris.
The only con of sightseeing solo? I take terrible selfies.