First off, Happy One Week Bordeaux Anniversary to me!
Amazing how it has taken only one week for me to fall in love with this city. Before I came I had done absolutely no research on Bordeaux, had not looked at photos beyond that of my apartment and had not looked into restaurants. This was odd because normally when I arrive to a new place I love having a safety net of places to visit and things to do. But this summer I think I was too busy working and then when summer was over I was in Holland and then somehow was in Bordeaux – everything happening in the blink of an eye. But here I am now, living in a city in France, living in Bordeaux, my home for the next 3 months.
First things first I LOVE MY APARTMENT. Finding a place to live was the only prepping I did for exchange (well beyond actually registering for courses and the important stuff). Finding an apartment proved to be difficult so I decided to go with Air BnB and am so happy I did. My place is right downtown, within 5-10 minute walk to some of Bordeaux’s most beautiful sights, close to grocery stores, bakeries, restaurants, bars and so much else.
Second.. why do I love Bordeaux. Well the buildings are incredible – think old style European with stone, curving alleys and every building seeming to have a story. Some like the Opera and museums are wonderfully grand and seem to have come from a fairytale story. And other central places like Place de la Bourse which is a mirror pool by the river that reflects the surrounding buildings is nothing short of magical.
I have spent time walking (according to my Iphone on average 10km a day) through the city with no destination in mind – simply getting wonderfully lost in Bordeaux and waiting to see what I discover. Outside of buildings and monuments one thing I have found is the culture of the city is vibrant – mixing nomads who hang out on the street with dogs, people hanging out at cafes eating dinner or drinking with friends at 11pm on a Tuesday and a cultural mosaic of languages, dress and habits. One thing in common is there is an air of freedom, authenticity and a joy of life – all of which is infectious.
So perhaps you are wondering why in the midst of all this walking, and exploring why I have not Instagrammed a photo nor posted a photo to this blog and my snapchat has been bare of city sites. Well I realized that in many of my travels I have a habit of shooting first and perceiving later – that is, I arrive to a monument, take a picture, look at monument and leave. Now not to say that is good or bad but I have realized that by doing that I am not fully enjoying the wonderfulness of the moment I am in and not fully experiencing that moment. Think of it like when you go to a concert and snapchat half or more of the concert without listening and enjoying the songs with everyone around you. I believe that this can create a diluted experience. So on this exchange (when I have the opportunity to visit sites multiple times) I am challenging myself to on the first visit only perceive the moment with my 5 senses and no technology. I hope that by doing this – by having my first views be uninterrupted – that I can achieve a more authentic, vibrant memory of the city, beyond that of a few hastily snapped photos.
I challenge you to do the same with the new moments in your life.
Follow