I arrived in Paris with a pronounced intention to find inspiration in its fabled sublimity. I came to write - that is, I came to work. I was wrapping up my book on the conflicts of bohemian values and Paris was the Mecca. I arrived hoping for a lingering bohemia and for a piece of the je ne sais quoi inspiration that sent a penniless Henry Miller to roam its streets and cafes. I arrived searching for that spark of creative inspiration that would give birth to new ideas and leave me glued to my lap top, chain-drinking espressos in second-hand smoke cafes. I came to find bohemia's creative edge, but what I found was something much more foreign and bizarre - a common appreciation for friendship and the social life displacing work as the central element of good living.

I've rarely seen friendships develop among my American friends that could rival the deep connection I've seen among most Europeans. Trying to arrange a time to meet my friends is itself an ordeal, since we're all so busy with our work and side-projects. Once we're together it seems that we never leave much of our work behind. It's still always with us. It forms a major part of who we are and fundamentally defines us. When we talk to each other, a large chunk of the conversation revolves around our different jobs and our hopes for future successes. I have fantastic friends and I love them, but I've never quite realized how much further our relationships could develop, nor been so envious of how naturally they seem to arise among Europeans.

When Americans come back home exhausted from work (and often frustrated from traffic delays and long commutes) they flop on the couch and reach for the remote. They have little time and energy left for other considerations. My friends in Paris spend almost every night together, have a very active social life, an athletic life, a night life, a family life - and still carry on full time jobs. What is so astounding about all of this, is that although they're life encompasses so much, they're virtually never rushed. They have time - about 300 hours worth...