The sound of my alarm pulls me into existence as I spring out of my college dorm bed. Within the next ten minutes I will have brushed my teeth, put in my contacts, and slung my backpack over my shoulder only to race down the streets riddled with buses and hurried students whose stress infects me. My mind is fixated on whatever assignment awaits me that day, and I pray I have enough time to rush to a Starbucks to chug just enough coffee to keep my eyes from shutting in class- again. As the same alarm tone awakens me here, a different world awaits for me out on the street below. Brushing my teeth and getting ready for the day doesn’t feel like a chore but a pleasure, and as I walk through the sliding doors I move at a leisurely pace. I swing by Juan Les Pain for my usual cappuccino, and take in the calm nature that permeates. Walking down the quaint street filled with people, a different feeling is contagious. A feeling of lighthearted laughter and the organic joy of another’s company fills the air as I tread down the cobblestone street - a street that that has character built into it with each stone felt underfoot, as opposed to the mechanically paved sidewalks that my feet have grown accustomed to. Reflective of the mindsets of both cultures, the French appreciate what they are given without tainting their life with the emphasis of perfection and efficiency that has been woven into mine from a young age. A line I was told by a Nice native while in a cramped French car was “we take what we need and no more.” This driver was a fellow friend of another study abroad student, and our weak attempt at a French picnic collected from the aisles of Casino laid on our laps as we zoomed towards Nice. After arriving, we were led to the supposed best gelato shop in Nice from someone who has had many memories in all of them. As we questioned him about his life, it was eye opening to hear about the interests and outlooks of someone your age yet 4,730 miles away. We led our way to the pebble covered beach of Nice and were serenaded by the sound of the tide pulling the pebbles up from the shore and pushing them back out once again as the waves crashed before our eyes. Our grocery store picnic consisting of a baguette, salami, cheeses (ranging from cheese stick-esque to smelly), fresh fruit, jam, merengues, and tropezienne was assembled on our beach towel like a 4 course meal ready to be served. Our personal guide to French cuisine sliced cheeses and handed us baguettes, laughed at some of our attempts at buying what we deemed as “French Food,” and made a life in Nice seem a lot more tangible then the passing unrecognizable strangers of the street. The joy that a group of once strangers now brings me and the happiness that was felt that day break through cultural boundaries and have pulled me out of my comfort zone to experience a different pace of life I have fallen in love with.
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