I come from a land where retailers do their biggest business when others are not working, and food can be purchased 24 hours a day, every day. So, one of the biggest culture shocks for me was discovering that French retailers are closed during lunch, on Sundays and all holidays. Luckily, there were two markets within a five minute walk from my apartment which were open on Sundays, including Marché Plus, pictured (my scribbled additions in purple, lower right).With my current "job" (in quotes because the company is unfunded and I work from home without pay in hopes it will be funded) the largest problem with the store hours issue was remembering the day of the week and holidays. Thus, when I complained to my significant other, he granted nothing resembling sympathy! Yes, he was right, I just needed to adjust to the system.
But I can also see how the system was built for those who have someone to call on, for partnerships where one partner manages the domestic realm while the other is out earning a living. It was not built for those like me. When I need something, the only one I have to call for help is myself, and handling little issues that can pop up unexpectedly would have been difficult if I had a standard office job.
I appreciate the mobility the path I have chosen has afforded me and am grateful for having met wonderful people. But I also envy those who have a partner to come home to, someone with whom not only duties can be shared, but also little things that create happy memories -- walks, talks, dorky games, or just quietly enjoying each-others' company. Sometimes I wonder if the system is right and I have chosen the wrong path, but even if that were true, I have depended solely on myself my entire adult life. It would be very difficult to switch, now.
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