Coming and going...lots of people from here to there... As i sit here on the train from Paris to Brugges, I love the freedom and having the chance to wander from place to place with no expectations or intentions. It breathes new life into me each time I step foot in a new place.
All around me, the French countryside has cute little farm houses dotted all throughout the hills...not that different than what you would see in parts of the U.S., yet somehow more charming. Maybe it is because the houses are so old and it feels like glancing back in time? Even the suburbs are charming...not every house is cookie cutter like back home. It makes me think that America's focus on cost and time efficiency forfeits our personality as a nation. I wander when value shifted from one to all?
I guess that is more of my fascination with France currently... They seem to truly value history, art, bread from the baker, meat from the butcher, cheese from the fromagerie (cheese store)...Specialization overall and not the "Wal-Mart" one-stop-shop mentality. America started with having homes modeled the same after each other, forfeiting "character" and identity, the same way we devalued our food and small business owners by introducing large chains.
Don't get me wrong, I love my country and am quite happy to be a citizen...these are just unfortunate truths. Hopefully, we can get back to the butcher shops and the bakeries at some point. I think this is a perfect example of what traveling shows you...the world out there is so different. Unless you get outside your comfort zone, you will never know the richness the world has to offer you.
In reverse, there are things that really make you appreciate things in America...such as not having to pay for a public restroom or tap water at a restaurant. These are things we take for granted (I know I did).
I wander what Belgium will offer me...here goes nothing!
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