It’s like living on another planet where time passes differently.
Time and energy drains during commutes like a sieve.
I remember when we first arrived with stars in our eyes, we would look at the map and be like, “Hey, why don’t we go to the world famous flea market, it’s only 3.7 miles away.” Little did we know the metro commute would take nearly an hour and 20 flights of stairs before even reaching the location we anticipated taking a leisurely stroll.
Over the years the phenomenon persisted. Our hopeless optimism would lead us to over schedule our days and we would come home weak wondering where our energy went. We’ve often heard Parisian friends saying the key to thriving in Paris is scheduling breaks from Paris. Today with twenty years of experience I can identify with confidence the ingredients that contribute to the energy drain and time warp.
Physical effort — Crossing the city is a workout. An average day in Paris I’ll walk 6-10 miles (10-16 km) and climb 50 flights, and that’s taking the public transportation.
Crowds — Navigating the public transport means pushing your way into a mosh pit accosting you with body odors, bad breath and an overall stickiness.
Toxic negativity — The sea of the masses is not still waters. During the trip you will be bumped into, scowled at and sometimes worse.
You’re on high alert — You know there are pickpockets and you don’t let that stop you from living. Instead you learn to be smarter than the pickpockets but your sensors are always on alert clutching your belongings and scanning the horizons and all of this requires energy.
Language immersion — Chang one thing. Don’t change the house you live in. Don’t change your routine. But change only one thing: that everyone in town spoke a foreign language. Science says you’ll be exhausted. The simple fact that you’re immersed in a foreign language taxes your brain as if you have just run a marathon, every day.
Depressing weather — You’ve heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder which by definition gets people sad during the fall and winter months when light is shorter and skies are overcast. Do you know what the term is for you if you live in a place where you have gloomy weather wreaking havoc on your neurochemicals all year long? Just plain depression. Sounds bleak, but those who are resilient will make rejuvenating a way of life.
Delays — Unexpected interruptions to travel plans accumulate and compound on top of the typical amount of disappointments in life that newcomers are accustomed to coping with smoothly.