Today I had a thought, why does the word "tourist" have such a negative connotation?
When we hear the word tourist, we are immediately flooded with images of overweight 40 year olds, complete with fanny packs and tennis shoes, who travel while leaving their respect for other cultures behind them at home. In honor of Les Journées du Patrimone this weekend in Paris, I ventured to the studio of Yves Saint Laurent with Meghan and Ashley and waited in an enormous line for an incredible opportunirty. As we were standing there, a loud American woman gazed at the line before her and loudly belted "they must all be tourists!"
Since I've arrived in Paris, I've tried my hardest to blend in. There was nothing more worrisome than being associated with the term "tourist." I avoided typical "touristy" locations, and I did my best to hide my American nationality. I even scoffed at the crowds of people, intensely following a French tour guide. I would refer to them by saying, "oh look at all of those TOURISTS" as if they did something completely socially unacceptable.
But why?
I decided to look up the definition of the word Tourist on dictionary.com:
Tourist: (n) a person who is traveling, especially for pleasure.
When we hear the word tourist, we are immediately flooded with images of overweight 40 year olds, complete with fanny packs and tennis shoes, who travel while leaving their respect for other cultures behind them at home. In honor of Les Journées du Patrimone this weekend in Paris, I ventured to the studio of Yves Saint Laurent with Meghan and Ashley and waited in an enormous line for an incredible opportunirty. As we were standing there, a loud American woman gazed at the line before her and loudly belted "they must all be tourists!"
Since I've arrived in Paris, I've tried my hardest to blend in. There was nothing more worrisome than being associated with the term "tourist." I avoided typical "touristy" locations, and I did my best to hide my American nationality. I even scoffed at the crowds of people, intensely following a French tour guide. I would refer to them by saying, "oh look at all of those TOURISTS" as if they did something completely socially unacceptable.
But why?
I decided to look up the definition of the word Tourist on dictionary.com:
Tourist: (n) a person who is traveling, especially for pleasure.
For so long, we have criticized people who fall into the category of a "tourist", while they only hope to grow and expand their knowledge of the world. Tourists leave the comfort and safety of their own home to travel to unfamiliar places and to better understand the world around them. Instead of applauding these people for the brave risk they take and their desire to learn, we criticize them. So all of the tourists go to the Eiffel Tower? Well the Eiffel Tower is an incredible historical landmark for architecture and symbolizes the beautiful city of Paris. I feel sorry for the people who will never have the chance to see this beautiful image because it is forever engrained into my memory. Tourists have the opportunity to experience something that everyone wishes they could do. All of those places we read about, research about, and dream about, the tourists are the ones going out and discovering and experiencing them in real life.
So, I've come to this conclusion. I am a tourist. I hope I can be a tourist for the rest of my life because traveling the world is something I will always want to do. There's so much to learn and just being in Paris has exposed me to a world that I never even knew existed (or maybe just didn't fully understand - and still don't). The next time you see a tourist, ask them about their adventures. Learn from their experiences. Use them as motivation to create your own adventures!
OKAY now on to my life updates (sorry for the rant)
As I was saying before, this weekend was the Journées du Patrimone which is a special event in Paris where private or expensive exhibits and monuments are FREE and OPEN to the public. There are hundreds of different sites to see between the Hotel de Ville, the military academy, and the Senate building. So many different opportunities between music, government, art, school, that it made it extremely difficult to decide which to go to. Naturally, I decided to tag along with friends who had passionately selected locations among the plethora of options.
So, I've come to this conclusion. I am a tourist. I hope I can be a tourist for the rest of my life because traveling the world is something I will always want to do. There's so much to learn and just being in Paris has exposed me to a world that I never even knew existed (or maybe just didn't fully understand - and still don't). The next time you see a tourist, ask them about their adventures. Learn from their experiences. Use them as motivation to create your own adventures!
OKAY now on to my life updates (sorry for the rant)
As I was saying before, this weekend was the Journées du Patrimone which is a special event in Paris where private or expensive exhibits and monuments are FREE and OPEN to the public. There are hundreds of different sites to see between the Hotel de Ville, the military academy, and the Senate building. So many different opportunities between music, government, art, school, that it made it extremely difficult to decide which to go to. Naturally, I decided to tag along with friends who had passionately selected locations among the plethora of options.
L'Opera Comique
Haley chose the first place which was the L'Opera Comique. Paris has so many amazing theaters that involve a lot of intricate decorating and impressive architecture. This visit was particularly fun because we got to go up on stage. We also "accidentally" went back stage and to the top floor, which we quickly learned wasn't allowed as some staff asked us to head back downstairs. Oh well, guess that's the fun of exploring!
Hopital de la Salpetriere
Haley also chose a Hospital that was featured in the event. The main entrance to the building was extremely impressive and had little rows of flowers that lined the walkways. Behind the buildings were a beautiful park that looked incredible with all of the leaves turning for fall. One interesting thing I noticed was that all of the rooms had curtains on the outside of the windows. We also got to see the medical school that was on the property. Although... the entire property was also slightly creepy. |
The Studio of Yves Saint Laurent
I can't deny that I lack the whole fashion thing. Growing up with three older brothers definitely delayed my feminine development, and to this day I still struggle to make a perfect outfit without the help of my mom. I've learned to accept it, but that doesn't mean that I can't appreciate some great style. Ashley suggested that we visit the original studio of Yves Saint Laurent, the designer who completely revolutionized women's fashion. After waiting in line for 2.5 hours, we realized this trip was definitely going to be worth it. His studio was nestled in one of the most lavish neighborhoods in Paris, the 16th arrondissement. The streets were beautifully lined with trees and every high end fashion store who could possibly imagine. When we finally got inside, we were guided to the offices of Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent by a beautiful French woman. Although she spoke softly, it was fun deciphering what she was saying and testing my french skills. Each of their offices was filled with incredible artwork from artists such as Picasso, Jean Cocteau and Andy Warhol. We also had the chance to see Yves Saint Laurent's original sketches up close and personal. It was an absolutely incredible visit and completely changes my view on fashion. Maybe Paris can give me some sense of style??
As I'm sitting here writing this, I should be starting my 3-5 single spaced paper that is due on Thursday, but I couldn't wait to reflect on all of the incredible things I got to do this weekend. On Saturday night, Meghan, Marykate and I decided to see a film in a French cinema. Although it was in English with french subtitles, it was still a really cool experience to see how different things as simple as movie theaters can be in another country. There weren't more than 50 seats in the theater and the screen was much smaller than any you would find in the states. We saw "Les Recettes du Bonheur" which is also called "The Hundred Foot Journey" in English (although don't be fooled, the direct translation is "The recipe for happiness"). It was a great movie and it was a nice evening with some girls I love.
This weekend, we have an organized trip to the Loire Valley to see Chambord, Amboise, and the Chenonceau castles. Can't wait to see more of this beautiful country!
Until next time....AR!
This weekend, we have an organized trip to the Loire Valley to see Chambord, Amboise, and the Chenonceau castles. Can't wait to see more of this beautiful country!
Until next time....AR!