On Taking Part in the American Festivities in France

Homesickness is one of the inevitable downsides of traveling and living in foreign countries. Many times you can’t predict when or why you will be hit with the feeling, and there are other times when a certain day is coming up and you know that it will make you feel homesick. For many people, these  days include holidays or special events in the lives of family and friends. For me this year, after having just recently celebrated Thanksgiving overseas, I felt this way about missing out on the Super Bowl.

I never really watched football while growing up, but after living in the U.S. for several years during which I learned some basic rules and attended a few fun-filled Super Bowl parties, the event grew on me. So I knew that this year I would miss watching the game with my friends and eating the unhealthy but delicious food.

Luckily, although watching the Superbowl is not part of the American culture that has made its way to France, you can always count on Americans to figure out a way to watch it almost anywhere they may find themselves. A friend told me about the Great Canadian Pub sports bar, and my friends and I made our way there at 11:30 PM Paris time in order to wait for the 12:30 AM kickoff.  As advertised by my friend, the bar was full of Americans, Canadians, and other Super Bowl enthusiasts, and they served up the same type of Super Bowl food you can get in the States.  I felt right at home.