Today, to me, was the first official day in Paris. The first day we woke up in the hotel with the energy to explore and wander. The plan was to meet the group at La Closerie des Lilas, one of Hemingway’s favorite cafes near his home. We were told the area had changed little since then, with buildings being almost the exact same as they were in the 1920s.

As we followed the professor, we went to some of the other cafes and locations that inspired and gave comfort to some of America’s greatest writers. Of course, I felt an odd feeling about it, a weird sensation that people of importance have been in my exact location. It’s hard to describe, but it’s felt all throughout Paris. After the cafes, we were led to Montparnasse Cemetery, and that feeling persisted as we were informed on the history of Simone de Beauvoir. For the first time in my life, I am experiencing what it’s like to feel the historical significance of a city so similar to where I’m from.

We were then told that we were free to go out and roam at our own will, and as an anxious person with indecision, I didn’t know where to go. So I listened to my roommate, who wanted to go to the Panthéon. Unfortunately it was closed, so we aimlessly wandered south, soon coming across a small book, painting, and record store owned by a man named Daniel. The shop pinup uz was tiny, but packed full of old timeless art. My roommate is obsessed with poetry, so she of course asked to view their collection. He happily showed us some of the rare and cool French and American poetry he has, first edition, even offering us a discount on a few! So we took one of his offers. 15 euros for a nice book from a small local store? Who would pass that up?

Our conversation with him lasted longer than expected and helped me learn a lot more about French society from a real living perspective. The conversations varied from talking about old memories of bookstores and our favorite authors, to how France has changed over the years following his graduation in the 1970s. I specifically remember him saying how he finds it so sad that kids these days don’t read anymore; they’re all on their phones now reading instead of picking up something physical. Being there with him and seeing how beautiful of a store he had, I felt really bad for him. It opened my eyes to the problem. We’ve all heard of studies about the literacy rate falling in the United States and how people are on their phones more than ever, and that sounds scary to hear, but it’s not something you actively feel in your life enough to think about. But here I did; we did. Through my conversations with Daniel today, I have a new appreciation for not just physical media, but the art of literature as a whole. I also have a new view of Paris and its history.

He recalled when there were bookstores everywhere and how most of them have gone out of business. People stopped caring, people stopped reading, and he also said people stopped speaking English. Paris is incredibly historical and progressive, being a leading force towards the betterment of humanity through the French Revolution, World War II, and the inspiration it gives the world. However, looking at the future with bias of the past is no way to move forward. The feeling is that not just France, but the world, is socially and mentally regressing through the betterment of technology, and it is something to be aware of and try to fight off because we as a society may be better for it.

I came with an unspoken, unlisted bucket list of things to do. One of them was making a French friend. I’m happy to say Daniel was the first. His conversation has truly transformed the way I view the world, and especially Paris. Beauty is down every corner, with a dark and beautiful path built on top of hundreds of years of work. That is something we can appreciate as tourists. We’ve never experienced this. It may be overwhelming for some, like it was for me, but it may also come out as excitement in others, or potentially other things. But when you look at French citizens, they tend to not think about all of it that much, and as someone who’s lived in Lowell my whole life, I spent 18 years not truly appreciating its history that I walked on every day. Our negligence of the beauty around us stops us from appreciating what is in front of us. That is not just a cobblestone road; it’s the one people marched in protest. That’s not just a statue of a guy; it’s a symbol of freedom and rebellion. That’s not just scribbles on paper; that’s a piece of riveting storytelling. This trip, and Daniel, have transformed my brain to notice and appreciate the value in objects around me more than I ever have in my life. And I am so grateful to have been a part of this experience.

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