Rachel del Valle | An American (Election) in Paris

PARIS — I’ve probably spent more time listening to NPR over the last three months than at any other point in my life. I don’t think I ever realized how much of a news junkie I’d become until the constant stream of pundits and sound bites was pulled away from me.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. I guess being abroad has made my bleeding liberal heart more passionate, too.

The thing is, being in Europe makes it hard not to care. At least, it’s harder than you’d think. Especially when so many of the people you meet in hostels and dorm rooms want to talk about politics — American politics specifically. Even if I hadn’t considered myself a political person when I left the states in August, living abroad probably would have urged me into it.

You become an ambassador when you travel, whether you like it or not. Most young people I’ve met have an opinion when it comes to the government — even if it’s not their own.

I’ve defended my political leanings in half a dozen European cities — with both foreigners and fellow Americans — and learned about myself in the process. I’ve also learned a lot about how the United States is seen in the world.

People care about the things that happen in our country far more than we care about politics in our global community. I know, you hear that all the time and it’s a bit of a generalization, but in most ways, it’s true. One casual look at a newsstand, McDonald’s or prime time TV tells you why. For better or worse, American culture is everywhere — and that includes its politics.

It’s a little inconvenient to be an American news junkie abroad: You have to stay up until 4.00 in the morning to watch a debate live. You can’t watch “The Daily Show” on, you know, a daily basis. But being away from all the noise or at least being obliged to filter through the noise does offer you some perspective. Over here, in the last few weeks, the race seemed like it was going to be really, really close. Like, scarily close. As far as I can tell, this was the sense in the states as well.

But it’s tough to be sure when you’re an ocean away, getting bits of footage at weird hours of the night. I felt like I was seeing this funhouse mirror reflection of what was actually happening. I tried to read and watch and listen to all of the same sorts of things I would have been in Philadelphia, but I couldn’t help but feel that something was off. So I overcompensated a little. My media diet didn’t change all that much, but it required a bit more discipline than I was used to. I felt like going just a few hours without streaming public radio or refreshing the home page of the International Herald Tribune would leave me out of the loop. Let’s just say I’m glad the Wi-Fi in my dorm room has been pretty good.

It’s reading week at my school in the U.K., so I’ve been staying in Paris. Last night, MSNBC’s coverage poured into my tiny Montmartre rental apartment through uncomfortable ear buds.

The tacky little map of the United States on the ice rink at Rockefeller Center felt so far away. As the polls closed and states were filled in red and blue, I grew nervous. I stayed up until 5 a.m., pushing myself to make it until Ohio was called. Even though I had a few cups of coffee, I didn’t make it. But thankfully, Obama did.

I wish I could say that I glanced at the papers lined up on the kiosk as I went to buy my morning baguette, saw Obama’s face on Le Monde, and knew that all was right with the world. But instead, I rolled out of bed around 11 a.m. and checked my laptop — then I went and got a baguette.

Rachel del Valle, a former Daily Pennsylvanian columnist, is a College junior from Newark, N.J. Rachel is studying abroad in London, U.K. Her email address is rdel@sas.upenn.edu.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.