I first came to Paris when I was 8, it was my first trip outside of war stricken Iran where I had grown up, and soon after we moved here for good. The contrast was stark.
During the first year my mother took us to visit every monument and museum. My most striking encounter back then was the Musée d’Orsay and it’s impressionists’ collection. I also remember vividly the Centre George Pompidou and the adjacent fountain with the Nicky de Saint Phalle statues and the general atmosphere there. And of course seeing Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower and the Arc de Triumph and the whole experience of getting up there. I enjoyed the street performances, the old green swings, the merry-go-rounds, the Jardin d’Acclimatation... I also remember hating the smelly cheese at the school’s cantine, the unfounded rudeness of some Parisians and missing the unflinching Tehran sun.
photo by Maryam M.
photo by Maryam M.
photo by: Maryam M.
I remember understanding my father’s philosophy of life regarding happiness and grasping and enjoying the present, walking in the Jardin de Luxembourg and the parks at the bottom of the Champs Elysées during my student years. I also remember countless hours in cafes drinking expressos and smoking cigarettes discussing small and grand matters with my friends. I always enjoyed discovering Paris through the eyes of others. I remember afternoons where I picked up random metro stations and trajectories to discover what I didn’t know yet.
Then I went to London for new adventures, to get lost again and make new discoveries. I loved London, but I was always excited to travel back to Paris. Then I had my son, and after some time I realized that I wanted to share Paris and the French culture with him, and so we came back when he was 3, and by chance moved to the same street where I had first shortly lived in Paris. I was worried about Paris being too static, to get bored. Every corner has a memory for me, but we are making new ones. I realized that the city changes under its timeless appearance, and so does our experience of it at different times of our lives and with changing mindsets.
Despite having lived in Paris for over 17 years in total, the city continues to fulfill my thirst for new experiences, and I never get used to how beautiful it is. I believe it is a true privilege to live here; it’s not easy to get the permit to stay, the language and culture are not obvious at first, nor is the job market for newcomers; it also comes with high taxes and prices, but for me it’s worth the effort and sacrifices.
Maryam M.