Text and photos by Surya Vaidy
Pick any random person who has known me for a decent amount of time and ask: Do you think Surya is stressed? The answer would be YES. I don’t say this to boast, to claim that I am somehow winning a competition because I am constantly stressed. Rather, I say it because I’m self-aware of the fact that I am awful at managing my work-life balance. I’ve wholly subscribed to the hustle culture that makes the modern era function — working crazy overtime, working through lunch and dinner, taking calls and responding to messages at all times of the day, etc. I’m a devotee of the hustle, much to the chagrin of my friends and family. Even my own doctor has kindly asked me to “please do better, buddy.” Easier said than done.
When I applied to take an international journalism course abroad, I imagined I would simply transpose my lifestyle to France. The hustle would continue at all costs.
Quickly I realized that this was not the case in a city like Arles. People here take their personal time very, very, very seriously. Everything moves at a leisurely pace. At first, it was so alien to me. Back home, I am always ready to work, constantly caffeinated and on-edge. Once in Arles, it was as though I decelerated from 1,000 to 10 miles per hour in a matter of 24 hours.
It’s been more than two weeks since I’ve arrived in the beautiful city of Arles, and I’ve acquired a deep taste for the slow life. The life where I wake up at 8 a.m. and go for a walk, find a café that serves fresh croissants and strong coffee, and then sit outside watching the birds sing and fly overhead. It’s the life where, after working my required hours of work, I meander around the city watching others live the slow life, just absorbing my surroundings and watching people laugh and embrace each other in the night light. I finally feel like I have the time to do so. I haven’t felt this way in a long time.
Being in Arles is a reminder that I have time. It’s so simple a realization that I need to repeat it to myself constantly, because I’m afraid to forget it again. Being realistic, it’s not all play. Obviously, I still need to push myself to accomplish what I wish to do, especially when I have to return to America and go back to my usual schedule. But if there’s a lesson to be learned from Arles, it’s that you have to hold on to your own time with your own two hands, or it will constantly slip away or be taken up.
When I return home, I believe it will be with a better sense of personal balance. I’ll take the effort to slow down and save some time for myself.