It’s been more than a few days since I arrived in Paris and I’m…

It’s been more than a few days since I arrived in Paris and I’m starting to feel more comfortable and really starting to enjoy myself. I more or less have a good routine so far. I’m adjusting well to the new surroundings and it feels less like a foreign country. I’m getting used to hearing primarily French and reading it. I’ve also gotten more comfortable with speaking French and I’m not so timid when asking questions or ordering food anymore. Just a day or so ago, a women came up to me while I was walking on campus, rapidly speaking French and I was already thinking in my head the best way to tell her that I couldn’t understand her, but then I realized that I actually could decipher that she was asking where the post office was. I had noticed the post office earlier and was able to give her directions to it in French! And she understood me! It was simple sentences but it made all those years in French classes worth it. I never thought I would use what little French I retained, but I have and it’s been incredibly helpful since I’ve gotten here and it’s been such a good feeling to realize that I’m actually more familiar with the language than I’d thought.

In addition to getting used to the language, I’m getting more familiar with the metro and how to navigate it, which was something I was worried about prior to coming on this trip because I’ve rarely used public transportation apart from occasional train rides. The signage and maps that are the same at every station have quickly made me more confident and comfortable with traveling around the city.

Now, let’s talk about gender! Much to my delight, I’ve been getting correctly gendered by strangers here far more than I do back home. It’s been very nice to hear “sir” more regularly with the occasional “miss” thrown in here and there, rather than it being the other way around for once. It makes me curious about how the French view transgender people and what it’s like to grow up being transgender and/or a gay youth in France. And on a broader scale, how gender is viewed in French culture as a whole.