I’ve done much complaining about France since I arrived. But of course, the experience is far from being “all bad”. In truth, I love being here. Many people are jealous upon learning that I’ve moved to France; their heads fill with visions of éclairs and the Eiffel Tower and accordion players in the Metro. Of course, in reality, living here is much like living anywhere: there is work, there are chores, there are bills, there are noisy neighbours, there are unfriendly coworkers. (However, France does seem to have its own particular brand of red tape, that is unlike anything I’ve ever encountered.)
Quite frankly, the advantages of living in France should be obvious, which is why it can be worthwhile to list the disadvantages. However, lest you think that I am not enjoying myself, or have only negative things to say about my temporary home, here’s a brief, non-exhaustive, off-the-top-of-my-head list of things that I will miss when I return to Canada:
- superb public transit system, with fully integrated train, subway, and bus networks
- well-made and inexpensive bread, made round the clock in wood-burning ovens
- shops that stay open until 20:00 every day
- cheap chocolate, wine, and dairy products that are everywhere you look
- the town market, where local vendors sell their specialties twice a week
- an abundance of goat cheese products: not only different varieties and formations of the cheese itself, but also pre-packaged foods like pizza, quiche, and other products (it’s a lactose intolerant person’s dream)
- charming cobblestone streets and narrow passageways (even if they do tend to break the heels on my boots)
- the expectation that one should (and will) take care of oneself: staying home when ill, eating fresh foods, not rushing through coffee breaks
- small shops that specialise in a single craft or trade, with vendors who therefore really know their stuff (even if it can be a hassle to have to visit half a dozen stores just to do your day’s shopping)
- stunning architecture around almost every corner
- 2 weeks of holidays for every 6 weeks of work
- the green grocer’s just down the street: never have I seen so many fresh fruits and vegetables in one place. (Everything is gorgeous and ripe and there’s never so much as a cherry tomato out of place. And most of the produce is grown locally. And it’s not often one can compare 30 varieties of apple at once!)
- being a 20-minute train ride from the heart of Paris
- being in a society that values culture, education, philosophy, and beauty (even if it does sometimes – okay, perhaps often – lead to pretension in some)
- éclairs, the Eiffel Tower, and accordion players in the Metro… 
