A woman born and raised in New York discovered a way to live happier after moving to Paris, France in 2018. She decided to leave her entire life behind to start a new one with the boy she met on vacation. From there, she found notable differences between the American and European continents.
After five years of living in France and having her first daughter, many things have surprised her, as she told Insider. At first he believed that his life was going to be similar to the one he had in the city of lights, however, as time went by he realized that everything would be totally different. These are the main positive contrasts that he found, in favor of Europe:
Medical service
Giving birth in the private system in Paris and after an extended 10-day hospital stay, the hospital bill did not compare to what Americans have, she said. The price was 1,500 euros, about US$1,585: “I can’t imagine what this number would have been like if I had given birth in New York.”
feeding
Parisians find joy in what they eat, the places they go, the conversations they have, and how they spend their time. Therefore, French children are exposed to a wide variety of foods when they start eating at daycare and school. Meanwhile, one of the first viral videos that the woman shared on her TikTok account was about the menu of the public daycare that her daughter has in Paris.
This included organic fruits, vegetables and grains, as well as meat and fish several times a week. “Lunches in US public schools aren’t exactly known for being healthy or varied“, considered. On the other hand, beyond the menu, what surprised him most was that “French children don’t eat snacks after school.” He highlighted that in that country they only eat four meals a day.
Leisure
Finally, the American stated that free and relaxing time is of utmost importance in Paris. While paid vacations are not a legal requirement in the United States, In France paid time off is five weeks a year. For this reason, families take a large space to rest and relax.
“I also discovered that it is common for some French families to take the entire month of August off from work and go on vacation. Many local shops, restaurants and businesses also close that month… The school holiday calendar consists of six weeks of classes followed by two weeks of free time,” he concluded.
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