Why Europe?
let me explain...
There are a million and one things I could write about here. So, why Europe?
On a fundamental level, I decided to focus on Europe in my Master’s Degree and write about it here because it has been one of few constant interests in my life. I cannot shake my fascination with European lifestyle, culture and its essence.
When I was a boy, I would pour over maps.
I recall flipping through my world atlases with an intensity and attention to detail which was suspect for someone so young. I would trace the lines of borders and wonder who chose that this is where one nation ends and another begins. My mind would try to picture what it looked it on the ground in faraway places like London, Oslo, Paris or Reykjavik. Did people experience the same inconveniences in Germany or eat the same foods as I did in Italy, Denmark or Russia? What was on television in Switzerland right now? It was rumination like this that would never settle.
As I got older, Social Studies was of course my favourite class. Maps, geography, politics; all of it intrigued me far beyond Biology, Algebra or Psychology.
My favourite films were those set in Europe as well. I remember watching the Bourne Identity in high school over and over, never tiring of the action, changes of scenery and wondering if they actually travelled to Zurich, Paris or Prague for production. Naturally, I looked it up before too long, just to confirm the answer was, yes.
At the end of a long day, it was effortless to lay back and picture myself looking out the window of a tiny flat in Berne onto the street below, ordering café crème in the native language on a Parisien street, or perhaps roaming a produce market in Porto on a sunny afternoon and ponder the European lifestyle.
I’ll be the first to admit, I romanticise my life and what it means to live a European lifestyle. As I still reside in North America, it can be challenging to emulate, but I think I do pretty well: I intentionally purchased a home set near town centre, so I can walk for groceries and necessities, I work remotely and seldom need my car (if only I could rid myself of it entirely…), and thanks to my wife’s influence, I have come to eat more naturally, live more slowly, and appreciate the everyday moments and quiet times.
Hustle and consumer culture are not conducive for thriving and it is pervasive in America. It is also not as ubiquitously aesthetically pleasing, especially architecturally speaking, as Europe, which enjoys an incredible breadth and depth of history and artistic expression.
I assert that the key to happiness lies in finding a job where you can get your work done with no particular amount of effort, check out at the end of the day, spend time outdoors, and savour a good meal and drink, the company of a loved one and convivial conversation. It is not about living for retirement. We should be pursuing our ideal life, as best we can, as soon as possible.
I look around and see an alarming number of people who stress about their 401k yet tend to live in excess.
They drive cars they cannot afford (which sit idle 90% of the time), commute long hours to jobs they hate in order to purchase more things they do not need. They are not mindful of their routine and cannot see how unhappy and unhealthy it makes them; in mind, body and spirit.
I used to buy into the trap that this is what made happiness, and that those around me needed impressing. When I began to understand though that most people are so self-involved, they aren’t even paying attention to you, a lot changed.
A simpler life, an affordable life, can be even more fulfilling and is certainly healthier in every realm.
When I think of the things which make up the typical European lifestyle: sensical public transport, walkability of many cities and towns, a focus on eating locally sourced produce and food (and in much more reasonable portion sizes), and on making the most of smaller spaces my heart is full.
That is what I am wired for.
The typical American life is so draining. The driving, the propensity toward stress, feeling like we need to impress our neighbours and the tendency to have an unhealthy relationship with food affects people more than they realise.
I want to live differently and studying Europe has slowly guided me to a happier, healthier existence.
I write about what’s happening in Europe because its ideals have made me a better person. This is not to say, it is not a continent without flaws or that every European embodies what I’ve discussed, but, I’ve taken from it what makes it special and applied it to my own life.
As summer progresses, I have an idea to diverge from a political focus and write more about European culture, trends, urban design, and lifestyle. I want this to be a space where myself and others like me can revel in their appreciation for European living and aspire to lead more sensical and happy lives because of it.
Salut, for now.