4 DAYS IN PARIS

by Roxana Chavez Elorriaga (Mexico)

I didn't expect to find France

After two months traveling all around Europe, it was finally my first day in Paris and I was exhausted. However, I also felt excited. I visited the Mouline Rouge and some of the most famous landmarks until, having arrived in Montmartre, I could no longer go on and just sat down. I then started drawing at the street. That sunny afternoon, in the distance, I heard a scratchy voice, singing, coming from a bar. I could only think, "That sounds quite nice, I have to go there as soon as the sun sets". And of course, the sun went down, I was out of light, and I could not finish my drawing, yet that sound kept calling for me. In the distance, there was this man, no older than 40, with pink skin and blond hair, suggestive of a Scottish hairdo. He was balding and missing a tooth, but he had the voice of an angel. I was astonished and could not believe he wasn't filling up stadiums, just like many unknown artists! Having come closer to him, I thought I would carry on, keep walking after listening to a couple of his songs. However, I decided to approach this mysterious man whose name I didn't know and praise him for his talent with the microphone and the guitar. He asked me if I wanted to have a beer with him, continue talking so we could learn more about our musical tastes, and I said yes. That night, we ended up talking and laughing until 11pm. I had planned to arrive at my hostel at 7 pm to rest, get up early, and start my tour the following day, which did not happen. We exchanged contact information and, the following night, we met again at that bar. I listened to his singing once again, and the story of the day before repeated itself. When I arrived at home, John Taney, this mysterious singer, sent me a text asking me what my three favorite songs were. He told me to learn the lyrics and sing with him the next day, at that same bar. Apparently, we were now great friends. I've always liked to sing but I have stage fright. Still, I thought, "You know what? I'm in Paris, and I would love to share a stage with one of the most beautiful voices I've ever heard. Nothing could go wrong". I tried to learn the lyrics as best as I could. The next day, there I was, singing in Paris, which, had become my favorite city. This not only because of its incredible architecture but also because of the fantastic turn my trip had taken. Our conversations had a lot of depth; we talked a lot about life. I asked him how he had ended up playing in Paris if he was Scottish, to which he responded with a great anecdote: John is 35 years old and was an extraordinary student at Cambridge. He finished his Ph.D. in actuary and used to make a lot of money. His parents always bragged with their friends about how amazing his wonder boy was. He worked behind a desk every day with an 8-hour schedule, wearing an uncomfortable suit; a person full of creativity, trapped in his parents' dream. One day, John decided to go on a spiritual journey to Nepal, where he realized that he hated his life and his passion had always been music. He connected with himself so much that after that trip, he abandoned his career, picked up his guitar and followed his true path, the one his inner child had always wanted to walk. The decision had been made. He now would travel to Scotland to collect his belongings, go to Paris, play a little to earn some money and then travel to his final destination: Nepal, where he had met the love of his life. His days weren't that monotonous because he spent three months in each place and returned to the initial cycle. Meeting John, aside from making my trip more fun, opened my mind to think that we should do what we truly want and not just what someone tells us to do.