Why I Love The U.S. As A French Person

I miss my life in France. The smell of fresh bread in front of bakeries makes me nostalgic just thinking about it. I want to complain without being ashamed to my French friends about how the quality of our favorite pastries has gotten worse. (If you’ve never been to France, complaining or râler is one of our favorite hobbies.) I miss the moldy cheese.

Despite many French things I miss, I have good reasons why I prefer to stay in the US. And for those reasons, I can’t leave the U.S. and go back to France.

The Convenience

My wife, who is American, tells me how her childhood was so much fun. She tells me that she and her friends did a lot of exciting activities. Her favorite season of her childhood was summer. She would go to drive-in theaters to see movies. I didn’t think that really existed. The concept is to pay for a parking space instead of one seat at the theater and park the car in front of a giant screen. I liked the concept. She even told me that in high school, she often went to buy ice cream at drive-throughs with her friends. I also loved the concept. Drive-throughs are a good example of how lazy Americans are, but let’s face it, it’s really convenient and great. Life is so jovial with a car in the U.S.

I came to the U.S. at the right moment to realize how great these concepts were. Drive-in theaters and drive-throughs are really practical nowadays in the COVID crisis. You can enjoy a lot of activities, like eating out, buying ice cream, or even going to watch movies, all while staying in the car! It’s a stroke of genius that allows you to have a nice comfortable life without the risk of infection.

Perfect for sharing

I miss how walkable the cities are in France. In France, there is no drive-through, and everything is done on foot. In the cities in France, it is difficult to park a car, and the French naturally choose to live by walking a lot. And I, too, naturally, walked a lot. And it is one of the activities I like to do in any city to discover the city’s charm.

Cities in the US and cities in France have different ways of charming you. I think France is more elegant and more beautiful. But the crucial point that makes me like city life in the U.S. more than in France is the customer service. I still have a hard time getting used to being treated with a smile in the U.S. At the checkout at American grocery stores, they ask me how I’m doing or what my favorite movie is. The salesman gives all his energy to help me find what I want.

Another thing I appreciate about the U.S. is that in any ice cream shop or fast food restaurant, after pleasant customer service, I am served very generously. So generous that when I order ice cream at Coldstone, I always share the small size with my wife because I can’t finish it alone. Most times, when I even buy drinks like smoothies or desserts at fast food restaurants, the quantity is so big that it takes me two days to finish them.

Don’t get me wrong, I love this part of the U.S. I take advantage of the astronomical quantities to eat for two at the price of one menu or to buy a meal for several days. It’s cheap, and I can live well without gaining too much weight!

The differences between France and the U.S.

There are so many other things I love about the U.S. I know there are some parts the French can’t copy. France is more exemplary in being environmentally friendly. The drive-through will not develop in France to avoid the regular use of cars. While in the U.S., we are dependent on cars. I must also admit that life without a car in the U.S. seems almost impossible.

In terms of customer service, it admittedly is really lacking in France. There is no excuse for this, and I think there are so many things to criticize about it, but in any case, the French should take inspiration from the U.S.

For the astronomical quantities, I think the reason is quite clear — Americans eat too much. Actually, if each person thinks more about sharing rather than eating alone, maybe Americans will be healthier and happier.

I try not to be too dependent on taking trains to big cities. When I go to the city with my wife, it’s always a fun time because before we go back, we always go to an ice cream shop and order a small ice cream to share together. And I always leave a tip to thank for the pleasant customer service.

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