A Journal Entry: What an American Can Learn From a Week in Europe
A focus is placed on the quality of time: Americans so often run, run, run, then decompress in a swamp of laziness. Europeans dedicate time to allow themselves to enjoy life and think well and deeply. Siestas were very conspicuous in Barcelona, and in Paris, the city didn’t seem to fully wake up until around 9:30. On a morning run on Tuesday, the Champs seemed rather empty. At this time in New York on 5th Avenue, the city would be alive as ever. The lesson from this is that while the hard work is essential, it is equally essential to create time in our schedules for other things. As Americans, we often devote this time to browsing social media and watching television. Instead, the European model of immersing oneself in their community and surrounding environment (appreciating the rich culture around them) and devoting time to cultured activities such as thinking, reading, writing, and exploring the arts is something that needs to be implemented -- perhaps gradually -- into the American system.
The attention of Europeans is focused on culture and thought, along with community and historical context: In America, we tend to focus on materialism and building ourselves up (as a generalization). Our focus tends to be on ourselves and solely ourselves. This is apparent in land, as one person tends to dominate a few acres of land in America. Conversely, the European system involves clusters of houses in buildings built in places optimal for trade or defense -- things that were very much in demand throughout early history. As a result, a community feel is created, and people seem to buy into this community feel. There is a level of uniformity created by this community feel (i.e. all buildings in Paris have a very similar design -- all of which are truly beautiful buildings). Within the community, people genuinely seem to appreciate the culture, particularly in the arts and in the food. Granted, this is easy to accomplish when you are surrounded by absolutely stunning architecture and rich tastes, but people seem immersed in the culture and thus in a state of continual thought. Each village or town has its defining idiosyncrasies, and everyone seems to embody these idiosyncrasies by embracing the culture and subtly flaunting it. Additionally, cities are built to embrace the deep history (i.e. Rome is defined by 3 parts: modern, old, and ancient Rome). While these cities can function in modern times, they maintain a deep appreciation for what has happened in the past on the very grounds that their citizens live and function today. This self-respect of heritage ultimately leads to the attraction of so many tourists, as these sites have been chosen to be preserved rather than terminated.
Natural beauty can be a defining factor in the way you see a place and how happy you are: Driving down a highway in Italy, you’re surrounded by impressive white marble mountains and vast Tuscan vistas. The highways seemed to be a part of the landscape. Getting off the plane and onto the LIE in New York was depressing: it was disheartening to see the over-industrialization and overpopulation of certain areas in America. Ultimately, all of the Europe we saw was beautiful and awe-inspiring. From narrow streets with brightly-colored buildings to mountainous landscapes flowing into turquoise blue tranquility. From seaside cliffs dotted with villages to unobstructed vistas unharmed by a torrent of industrialization. From harmoniously-designed cities to quaint little towns filled with eager vendors. Europe, you truly are beautiful. That beauty was genuinely inspiring, and it manifests the importance of being in an environment that truly makes you happy -- that happiness largely can be derived from the surrounding beauty.
It’s in the details: Even 2,000 years ago, everything was in the details. From meticulously-etched buildings and statues carved by famous Renaissance art to extremely well-designed cities featuring common areas and drainage systems well ahead of the time (i.e. sliding doors in Pompeii store front), the design of ancient societies revolved around deliberate planning and immensely advanced considerations. In slightly less ancient designs, the attention to detail was carried on. Cities such as Paris featured detail-oriented designs (i.e. Parisian railings on each balcony). It seemed that this attention to detail was largely driven by a cultural affinity for the arts.
Roman society was incredibly advanced: It’s hard to appreciate just how much Romans did. Textbooks will tell you about all of their incredible inventions and ways of life, but seeing it first hand shows you how much they thought of. (i.e. 2,000 year old roads on the Roman Forum, which were marched on in parades by the Roman army and walked on commonly by citizens, are in a more functional state than the sidewalks -- and even some roads -- of my hometown.)
If Romans were so advanced, doesn’t that raise the question of what exactly we are doing today? : From our current president to countless useless inventions, are we effectively innovating? For example, if those in the times of Ancient Rome were able to create republics and design roads and sewer systems and develop ways to bake, why are we on the verge of passing out on a 104 degree day? So many of their inventions took care of the large amount of needs they had. I don’t think that the quantity of our needs is less than that of their needs, so it is important for us to identify what we really need and innovate.
So much of what we have was what they had: There is a path of invention -- they invented so much, and as a result, we have built off of their inventions. Nonetheless, the parallelism -- despite the time gap -- is incredible. (i.e. Stadiums are so similar to the Coliseum, roads are so similar to the roads of ancient Rome, and the pizza oven in Pompeii looks identical to the ones we have now). It is amazing that we have adopted so much of what they have invented, which shows just how amazing ancient Europeans were.
We look back at the Romans from 2,000 years ago with so much respect and glory. In 2,000 years, however, how will people look back at this time? : This should be a defining thought of each generation, even though that’s not why I’m writing this. I add this point because while standing on the Roman Forum, I simply thought about what will we be remembered for 2,000 years ago -- not in any sense of being philosophical. Nonetheless, it is a question that should define us as individuals and as a society.
It is truly amazing to stand in the places that are on postcards and are so often discussed in textbooks : To be in a place like Amalfi, Monaco, Florence, or Pisa -- all extremely picturesque, renowned gems -- and to stand on the grounds of ancient Rome and Pompeii and experience what you see and read in textbooks and imagining it unfold before your eyes, it’s incredible.
European food is other-worldly: From the crepes, to the gelato, to the pasta, to the pizza, to the churros, to anything else in between, the food was insane. Very light and rich, and truly savory. Ever since coming home, nothing has tasted the same, especially desserts. I really miss my gelato and crepes.
There’s a duality when I look at Europe: I see Europe for being amazing in its modern times as I experienced it, but I truly marvel over the rich history it still holds and preserves.
