C’est la Vie en France!

La Rentrée is in full bloom. One minute the streets of Paris are dead—almost ghost-townish—and the next minute, it’s like Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras bumper-to-bumper with activity. And every year the same thing happens—the weeks of vacation doing nothing must be made-up the first week of September! Everyone is scrambling to accomplish weeks’ worth of work in just five days. It is a constant wonder why they do this to themselves…like rushing to an appointment at a doctor’s office, only to be waiting eons for the doctor to see you. It happens, doesn’t it?

Bourbon street during Mardi Gras

I’ve heard more English on the streets of my neighborhood than French. Maybe it’s the neighborhood, but I suspect Americans are here by the planeload. I can tell when the Americans are here just by how many times I get stopped by fans of House Hunters International!

I suspect that many of them are more than tourists. Many are traveling now with the idea that living in the U.S. isn’t what it’s cracked up to be…at least not anymore. They are searching for other answers. The thing is that it never has been as great as we thought it was…we just didn’t know any better…not until we had the capability of traveling, not only physically, but virtually. Now that we can discover how the rest of the world lives and thinks without even leaving our comfy couches, the blinders have been removed, and our view is clearer.

When I look back to when I was living in the U.S., like any good American born and raised there, it was just as racist then as it is now, if not more so. I grew up in the deep South and saw it firsthand from a very early age. Healthcare was always expensive and only for those who could afford the insurance premiums. Public education was never considered high quality, so private schools popped up to meet the demand. Gun control was always a problem, but it’s worsened now that women and kids think they need to protect themselves (from other people with guns). We were taught that capitalism was the only answer to a high standard of living, but they didn’t mention “quality of life.” The answer was to make more money, to raise your standard of living and therefore you’d have a higher quality of life…but that’s not actually true.

Then, I moved to France and learned that it was a one-sided point of view. It’s true that capitalism can make you rich, that there is a lot of opportunity as an entrepreneur to make something from nothing, but it can make you poor, too. And it doesn’t improve your quality of life. Quality of life happens when the wealth is spread and our government does things to benefit everyone…like universal healthcare, emphasis on education and on top of it all, a culturally rich society. These are the things we have in France, and in most of Europe, that the U.S. seems to have either forgotten about, or doesn’t value. It’s an eye-opener to say the least.

I can remember when I didn’t understand why the shops closed from 1 p.m. to 4 pm. for a lunch break, just when most of the shopping was done by those on their own breaks and profits would be higher. In August, when the tourists are in full bloom, especially in highly-touristed areas, you’ll still see restaurants closed so that their employees can have their own break, too. We, as Americans think how stupid that is…”make hay while the sun is shining” is what we might be thinking. But, now I get it. It’s called “quality of life.” They aren’t getting rich, but they’re happier. And you don’t need to be rich in France to have a high quality of life.

The French might not agree with me. They love to complain. Today, September 10th, is a grassroots call to “Block Everything”—oui, “Bloquons Tout” that threatens Paris, Provence, and beyond. Prime Minister François Bayrou’s 2026 budget, was unveiled with sweeping austerity: the elimination of two beloved bank holidays, plus deep cost cuts across public services…enough to ruffle many feathers—especially those not fond of austerity. And so, inspired—or incensed—a citizens’ movement has taken digital flight, rallying via TikTok, Telegram, and social media, urging a nationwide pause most reminiscent of the Gilets Jaunes, though with its own weekday twist.

Now, add fuel to the fire: unions like the Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT) and Solidaires are teaming up, offering workers a legal pathway to strike without marching under anyone’s flag, but rather under the collective banner of public anger. Transport, hospitals, schools, shops—many sectors could see walkouts or creative forms of protest.

And oh là là—the airports are trembling. Expect 50% of flights canceled later in the day at Marseille, Nice, Ajaccio, Figari, Bastia, and Calvi. Travelers: think “télétravail” or at least prepare for reroutes and restless waiting lounges. Yet, the high-speed trains (TGVs and Intercités) are planning to chug along with near-normal rhythm—thankfully, the heart of France won’t entirely grind to a halt. Still, local train services may bear the brunt and the anticipation of delays is best taken seriously.

Because the movement remains “horizontal”—leaderless and unpredictable—the full scope of disruption is shrouded in fog until today. An interior minister has promised 80,000 police and gendarmes will stand firm, with zero tolerance for blockages or violence. And here’s some insider scoop: across France, nearly half the population expresses support for the movement, and about 25% remain ambivalent. That’s no small wave of discontent. September 10th may just become “That Wednesday”—not quite May 1, not quite vacation, but a day when the rhythm of France slows, ever so intentionally.

“C’est la vie en France!” The French don’t put up with anything that threatens their quality of life!

My interview for French citizenship was supposed to happen yesterday, but the Préfecture postponed my appointment. Maybe this is why!? I was so disappointed, because I’d studied and was fully prepared to answer their questions to determine if I’d integrated into life in France or not. With 31 years under my belt, how could I not? But, now I await a new date and pray that it won’t interfere with other plans I’ve made…and hopefully won’t happen near another day of strikes!

A la prochaine…