Why The French Live Longer

When AC and I traveled to Paris last year, we were amazed at how the Parisians lived their lives. They seemingly broke every rule we were trying to live our own lives by, including:

Diet - Breakfast usually consists of a carb and fat bombshell including a croissant, buttered french bread and OJ finished by some strong coffee with sugar. Lunch varied, but dinner could have fatted goose liver (mmm ...) with a bottle or two of wine.

Exercise - I will concede that they walk a lot more than Americans do (as evidenced by the fact that we've seen exactly three gas stations, consisting of two pumps each in the miles and miles of ground we covered). Who doesn't walk more than Americans for that matter? However, every jogger or muscle-head I came across was either American or some other non-French person. They are generally skinny, but not terribly fit.

Vices - In addition to the copious wine consumption, they almost all smoke. And if you don't smoke you spend much of your time involuntarily inhaling other people's smoke. Parents practically blow it lovingly in their childrens' faces.

So why aren't these people simultaneously clutching their hearts and livers and falling over dead in the street? I'll tell you my theory -- they know how to freaking relax!

The French kick back like nobody's business. On the occasional day we got a late start, we'd see the city generally waking up around 11:00. Stores were still opening, people in fine suits enjoying their breakfast or walking their dog. When I was working, by 11:00 I had been up for at least six hours and at work for at least three of them. No one is in a particular rush. I swear you could order a glass of water at a cafe and remain there for three hours and no one would look at you cross-eyed.

No matter the time of day, the parks were filled with people enjoying they weather. Maybe they finished their 35 hour work week early or were enjoying one of their 40 days of annual vacation.

At least for me, spending time in France makes me think America, well, sucks. I keep reflecting on how much of my life has been spent slaving away for managers or faceless shareholders -- time I can't ever get back. While I try to think about their sky-high taxes and their supposedly sub-standard socialized medicine, it still seems like they're seriously coming out ahead.

If I'd like to learn one thing from my French friends, it's how to relax. Something tells me that the people in our next destination of Amsterdam may have a thing or two to share on that topic as well. :)