By Harrison Burke
Little Hawk Staff Reporter

Over spring break I traveled to France. I can easily say that it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and I brought home many things: French candy, French clothes, and a bit of French culture.

What I, and many of the other foreign language students who I traveled with noticed, was that there was an overriding attitude of – for lack of a better word – “chill-ness.” The very American sense of hurry, of rush and of “go-go-go” simply does not exist. There is a greater emphasis on a slower, more enjoyable lifestyle. There’s less emphasis on doing large amounts of work, and more on simply spending time doing do what you want.

I loved this way of life, and I think Americans need to get in touch with it. It makes your day-to-day life much better. There’s less stress and more time to have fun.

It’s evident in many things in France. For instance, most French schools have a 2 hour lunch period. Now, even if you tried, it’s hard to spend 2 hours eating your lunch. But instead of wolfing down food and then going to finish that report for your English teacher, as some of our nerdier students here might do, French students instead find a café to relax and talk in for the time, and will eat sometime over the 2 hours.

It’s a great way to take a break in the middle of the day, and it makes the long school days a lot easier to endure. There’s less homework too, and it allows the students to relax at home, or go out and spend time with friends in town.

I think we need to adopt a similar lifestyle, especially with regards to school. The kids just seem to have more fun, and it would make the entire high school experience much better.

Photo via FreeFoto.com.