No Matter Where You Go

“It’s always been my experience that no matter where you go, there you are.”

When a friend and I vacationed in France many years ago, we started in Paris. He had a stack of travel guides and language books to help us navigate the city.

We had different flights and were to meet at the airport. He was about an hour ahead of me. When we met up, he was very agitated and anxious. When I asked what was wrong, he replied that he couldn’t understand a word that people were saying.

“Doesn’t it bother you?” he asked. Nope. I live in Miami.

Being quite jet-lagged, we took a nap before venturing out to forage for food. His idea was to go to one of the restaurants recommended in a guide and enjoy our first real French meal. It was across town and would have required navigating the transit system and then trying to understand the street signs. Although having navigated the crazy streets of Boston and Miami, I wasn’t up for such a challenge that night.

I suggested that, since we were both still adjusting, we should go to McDonald’s across the street and order a Big Mac. We didn’t have to speak French because the menu had pictures. He sulked until I enticed him with a cherry pie. My treat. Yum.

One of the travel books suggested a particular bar to begin our adventures in “Gay Paree!” We found our way to the Quetzal Bar on Rue de la Verrerie. It was packed with guys in Gap clothes leaning on the bar, watching Madonna videos on the TVs, or voguing on the dance floor.

I realized that I had been in the same bar in Tuscaloosa, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Boston, and Miami. The only difference was that they ordered their drinks in French.

We went back the next night and asked around about other places to go. It was getting late, so I left my friend on his own and took a taxi back to the hotel.

The next morning, I inquired about where he ended up. A piano bar … where they were not singing sultry chansons or even French pop.

They were belting out American Broadway tunes! With all the lyrics memorized and a great singing voice, my friend was the hit of the night.

“No matter where you go, there you are!”