Six Unique American Things We Miss in France
As Americans who decided to uproot our lives, move across the Atlantic Ocean, and establish ourselves in France, you might assume that Maria and I hate our home country, the United States. Bien au contraire – our years in France have enchanted us, but have also given us the opportunity to see certain aspects of America through a different lens. Though we have loved living, studying, and working in France, there are some things that we miss regularly about the USA. Read on to find out the top five things we long for as American expats in France.
American Food
French people are proud of their cuisine, and for good reason! However, American foods pack a punch that French dishes just can’t. The bold flavors, innovative fusions, and no-fuss deliciousness of American eats can sometimes beat traditional, lightly-flavored, sophisticated French cooking. We’d never say that French food isn’t delicious, but growing up in Virginia means that sometimes you have a craving only American food can satisfy!
American Television
Let’s just say that it doesn’t surprise us that French people watch tons of American TV. A flip through the French channels will usually amount to some dubbed foreign programming, a few poorly executed copies of American shows, and too many talk shows to count. Besides a handful of stand-out French TV shows, the low production value and cringe factor make them difficult to watch. We miss throwing on the TV and being able to know that whatever was on wouldn’t be half bad!
American One-Stop Shops
When your shopping list includes coffee, medicine, luggage, sports equipment, furniture, produce, clothes, batteries, cosmetics, and video games, you can get it all from one place in the United States. In France, with a list that long, you’re in for at least a week of running errands around town to different specialty stores to get what you need! We miss being able to get everything imaginable from a single trip to Target or Walmart.
American Holidays
While France and the United States celebrate many of the same holidays, we can’t help but feel that Americans sometimes do it better. Americans aren’t afraid to make holidays a big deal – on Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Independence Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and more, American stores, schools, and homes will be bursting with celebration and unapologetic decor. France’s subdued observances often pale in comparison.
American Customer Service
The customer is always right in the United States and always wrong in France. Between the dismissive employees, the lack of return policies, and the inconvenient opening hours, being an American customer in France can sometimes be unpleasant. It’s hard not to miss the American service-with-a-smile approach, especially after dealing with a particularly cranky server or being told c’est pas possible one too many times.
American Humor
While it’s possible to make an American and a French person laugh at the same joke, it’s not as easy as you might think. French humor oscillates between slapstick comedy, cutting mockery, and crude jokes. On the other hand, American humor consists of well-timed punchlines, playful jests, and structured stand-up comedy. As Americans, French humor often reads anywhere from immature to downright mean, and we can’t help but miss the more good-natured American comedy.
You can take the Americans out of the USA, but you can’t take the USA out of the Americans. We’ve come to the conclusion that no matter how much we love French culture, we’ll always be partial to a handful of exceptional American things. Do you live abroad? What do you miss most about the place where you grew up? Let us know in a comment!
One Comment
Dalma
“It’s hard not to miss the American service-with-a-smile approach”
or the “with-a-smile-because-I-must-pretend-to-be-friendly-to-get-those-tips approach”, as we call it here.