I’ve lived in large cities my entire life, I’m used to the hustle and bustle of a city atmosphere so when I was placed in a small, rural community in France for my year abroad, I was more than a little nervous. However, now that I’ve lived here for a week, I’ve learnt some very useful and interesting things.
While I’m in a big city I’m always in a hurry. Wherever I’m going or whoever I’m meeting, I never have the time to just stop or slow down. Furthermore, I’m always distracted by other people rushing around me but in a small town I’ve noticed that time works in a different way. Instead of noisy cars and impatient pedestrians in the morning, I can go for a gentle stroll to the bakery, where I say a friendly ‘hello’ to the baker then admire the landscape while I walk back home.
I don’t know if it’s the fresh country air or the panoramic views, but the people in this small town community are clearly less stressed than those in the nearest city, 40 minutes away. While I was exploring, I stopped to sit on a bench in the town square and the next moment an elderly man sat next to me and he started a conversation about the new iPhone 6. This gave me a great opportunity to test my French and I know that if I were in a big city, I wouldn’t have had this experience.
Life in a small town is a brand new environment for me and although I was nervous to begin with I now enjoy my little town and I’m glad to see another aspect of French life that I have never experienced before.
Maybe one day I could live in a small town permanently as it has peace and quiet and some amazing food, however, the only disadvantage is that the internet access is awful!
Do you live in a big city or a small town? Which would you prefer, if you had the choice?
