Which do you prefer, France or the USA?

This has got to be the question I am hit with the most, and the one which, no matter how many times I’m asked it, never ceases to confound me. It’s like asking me, “Which do you prefer, Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream or foie gras with truffles?” They just aren’t in the same category. It’s a short-sighted view to say the least. A better question would be, “What do you prefer about France or the USA?” or better yet, “When do you prefer France or the USA?” Because I prefer B&J’s CCCD ice cream over foie gras with truffles, say, the week before getting my period, but I most certainly prefer the foie gras when drinking Jurançon. In the same way I could say that I prefer Paris in August when all the parisiens are on the Côte d’Azur with their little dogs and their cigarettes, and I prefer winter in Wisconsin when the lake is frozen over, the snow is actually white, and the house remains at a constant 72°F. I prefer France when I need medical treatment or pharmaceuticals, and I prefer the USA when it comes to tax time.

They simply aren’t the same worlds. There are things to love and like less about both countries. I know Americans who have come to France, bumped into the wrong person at the wrong time and so decided that the French are terrible people who hate Americans. I know others who come here as often as they can. I have talked with French people who have traveled so extensively in the US that they know it far better than I do (this is really embarrassing), and have talked to others who would never dream of setting foot in the place.

What do I love about France? The view of Paris from my apartment window. The farmer’s market at the Croix Rousse in Lyon. Two hour meals. Being able to discover a new cheese for every day of the year. There being the perfect wine for any meal. The daunting beauty of the French Alps. The luscious perfume of the lavender fields of Provence. The old shit (as my dad used to say). And of course all of the wonderful people I have met over the years (well, not all of them).

What do I love and/or miss about the USA? Burritos from El Grano del Oro, the restaurant/tortilla factory down the street from my parent’s old house in Pacifica, CA. The Pacific Ocean. Fresh crab. American cars. Wide streets. Shopping for clothes in huge stores with endless selections and decent prices. Taking long roadtrips. Everything being open all the time. And of course all of the wonderful people I have known over the years (well, not all of them either).