Transitioning

I hope my post about my first day in Paris was amusing, I was actually laughing while writing it, and every time I tell this story. Even though it wasn’t funny to actually go through that. Looking back at what I went through that day 

I honestly thought that the transition between New York City and Paris was going to be easy, especially since I had done the same move five years ago when I moved to NYC and left everything behind, but you know what? I feel that it was harder; you are probably wondering why. When I moved to NYC I was younger, and despite the fact I was leaving behind my whole life behind, the excitement of moving to NYC and start from zero was quite fascinating. In my heart I always knew I belonged to NYC, when I moved there I felt I was coming home. This time around, even though I was excited, I felt I was leaving a part of me somewhere else, that Paris was not what I actually considered home. 

I may have had high expectations about living in here, possibly due to the stereotype and idea of “grand city” we often hear from people who had visited. Living in two different countries (Dom. Republic and USA) have given me an idea of what “organization and structure” are, here in Paris I am not sure if I could use that word as part of one of their characteristics. Let me start with the educational system. I hope no French gets offended by this, but the university's organization is nonexistent, the fact that you have to wait for the “official classes schedule” the week before classes start; email or go to the international affair office because they haven’t posted the classroom the day that classes start is outrageous. Or that there are four groups for the same class and you don’t know to which group they belong (you have to go to any or all of the classes to see which one you like better). Also, if you don’t speak the language people don’t help you, when you can tell that they understand English or that you are struggling trying to communicate in their language (this one has not happened often).

Being brought up in the Dominican Republic have given me an idea of what lack of structure and organization looks like. The French have amazed me in this by far; my shock led me to tell my parents and close friends that French people are absolutely disorganized, even more than in Dom. Rep. which as a result I have gotten the same “that is not possible” reaction from everybody and their laughs to my frustration.

Instead of not “liking Paris and their system” I started to open my mind and try to understand and see things differently. I realized that I could not compare my life in NYC to my life in Paris, these are two different cities and countries and I am already sentimentally attached to NYC. To me that is the purpose of this post, complain a bit about my transition in Paris. I do promise to post about my adventures while I am here and after, I am working on posts for each place I have visited (Pictures included) :)