Europe Week Six: This is Me

Hello! I'm Sophia.

For the past few weeks I've been so excited about my travels around Europe I started weekly photo diary blog posts. However as I published one after another I found myself enjoying blogging less and less. Every weekly post got less personal as I reported where I went and plugged in a stream of postcard-like stock photos of beautiful places. It got real repetitive, and I don't want to keep going. I was so focused on making my blog look like World of Wanderlust or Tuula Vintage, and instead Studio Sophy lost its unique voice. So I thought I'd mix things up and breathe some life into the blog today.

“She doens’t have a ring on each finger, or a big diamond on each ring. She doesn’t wear a gold watch that costs as much as a fancy car. In fact, she doesn’t own a fancy car. She doesn’t carry an enormous designer bag. But she might have a newspaper under her arm. She might mention Sartre or Foucault in a conversation. It’s her personality that sparkles and nothing else: the signs of intellectual wealth.”

— How To Be Parisian Wherever You Are

I don't know why I don't read more often. Books have always recharged my life, inspiring me in a way similar to the way traveling does. Today, during a long gap between classes, I went to the local bookstore. I plucked out How to Be Parisian Wherever You Are from my favorite section ("moda"!) and dove right in. The next two hours opened my mind. I jotted down some of my favorite excerpts.

“Despite all these routines, the Parisienne retains here little imperfections, cherishes them even (the gap in her smile or her slightly crooked tooth, her prominent eyebrows or strong nose): these are the signs of a certain strength of character and allow her to feel beautiful without being perfect.”

— How To Be Parisian Wherever You Are

Needless to say I really enjoyed the book. Sure, it gave some advice on how to act and dress like a Parisian woman (with tons of self-deprecating humor and sarcasm...much appreciated), but most of it really came down to empowering woman to feel good being ourselves. You can dress a certain way, or be a rebel and go against the flow. You're allowed to screw up and be human. You should live simply, have good taste, be independent, live your life free and confidently. Accept your flaws and value brains over beauty. I don't know how many Parisiennes actually live like this, but reading about it definitely liberated me, at least a little. I like to believe there's beauty in madness, and I feel no shame embracing the cuckoo je ne sais quoi Parisienne lifestyle.