Falling In Love

It was bound to happen. Only a matter of time. And last night... It happened.

I FELL IN LOVE.

With Paris :) I remember the moment exactly. It was 8:07 and I was walking back from watching the incredible movie, The Untouchables (if you haven't watched it, go rent it RIGHT NOW and watch it. extremely moving, funny, and beautiful). To get back from the ISA office and to the house, I walk past Notre Dame everyday. At this time yesterday, the sun was setting perfectly behind Notre Dame and the temperature was perfect, with a slight breeze blowing. I felt like I was in a movie. That moment was when it finally hit me that I was living in Paris and that I absolutely loved it. Despite the trash, the occasional B.O. on the metro, and a few creepy people, I love Paris.

Something I've noticed more and more, and something that I learned a lot about this past summer, is how tempting it is to be EFFICIENT. Don't get me wrong, efficiency is great and sometimes necessary, but not all the time. So often, it takes away from real, personal relationships, enjoyment, and attention to the beauty of detail. America, myself included in this, we love to be efficient. How can I get things done as quickly as possible but still retain the best results? But here, I can see how much detail there is. How much enjoyment in taking your time to do things. Truly tasting the food, enjoying the conversation, wanting to be personal and intentional during meal times, and noticing the detail in everything around you.

For example, the architecture. The reason everyone is so drawn to the architecture here (and Europe in general) is because of the attention to detail. There was a purpose to these buildings. The builders were not trying to be efficient. They weren't trying to make a quick profit, get things up and running ASAP. No, their building was going to be a work of art, the talk of the town. It may take years to build, but it will be magnificent-I'm sure that's what they said. And they were right. These buildings are magnificent. If only all our city halls could be like Hôtel de Ville- the city hall in paris. If only all our churches could be like Notre Dame, or Saint Michel.

So the reason so many people fall in love with Paris, you probably can guess it now, is because we begin to notice the detail, and there IS detail we can pay attention to. It truly is life changing. As I said before, though there are times that the culture or way of life may frustrate me because of how I expect things to work, I love that is forcing me to slow down and look around me.

Here's my challenge to you: What detail are you forsaking in order to be efficient? It could be a wide array of things, but I know there is something. So find it! And take note of how beautiful it is. And it is there for you to enjoy. Don't be so stuck trying to be efficient and quick that you forget to take delight in the things around you.

His love never fails.