Why do you think Kanigel felt isolated in Paris? What would you have done in his place?

Kanigel spends some time in Paris but fails to enjoy the experience, largely blaming the language barrier. Why did he end up isolating himself to such a great extent? What would you have done in his place?

I think his natural introversion was intensified by his lack of language skills. He couldn't communicate easily so he often opted not to communicate at all.

Kanigel is an introvert and language issues made it worse- I would suggest not traveling alone, or stay at a place where there are other lone travelers such as a hostel. Another alternative is to see the sights yourself and chat with other tourists standing in line.

Sorry, I didn't answer the second part of the question. I'd pick up a few basic phrases and carry a pocket dictionary, and find an English-speaking community to interact with at least occasionally.

I visited Paris in the early 70’s and although I was extroverted the experience was not a pleasant one because of what Kanigel described about the language and the people. Americans were not readily welcomed and the faces were not friendly! It did cause us to want to find a safe friendly place as a refuge. Even ordering a pizza resulted in us getting one with a raw egg cracked open in the center-yuk! So we ended up eating a lot of bread & cheese and wine on our journey which was not bad at all! Paris was very dirty and the skies overcast during our visit and I do not want to return for that reason. We did see all the sights making our way with our own touring guides.

At his age, I would probably have done the same thing. Today, I would learn the language and get out, meet people, and have experiences.

I think that's why I've never traveled much. As an introvert like Kanigel I think I would have done the same thing - hide in my hotel room - so there never seemed to be much point. I do think using his lack of French as an excuse is a cop-out, though; I imagine he'd have felt like a fish out of water regardless.

Kanigel like myself is an introvert and not speaking the native language adds complexity to traveling. I have found staying near where ex-pats live and eat helps whether its in Paris, Rome, or other cities. Although I don't speak French its never stopped me from walking the streets, going to museums, or visiting landmarks.

As others have observed above, Kanigel was an introvert so it was probably easier to stay back and observe than jump into the fray - especially when he didn't know the language. And, having been to Paris in the early 70s, they were exactly nice if you couldn't speak French, and especially if you spoke French poorly (my husband and I got served wrong food at one Parisian restaurant when we tried to order in French) - though today the French as much nicer (my daughter just returned from 5 days in Paris and feel in love with all things French, especially with how nice they were). I will say I was a bit annoyed with him during this period because it seemed like he just didn't want to try and felt sorry for himself but I also think upon reflecting on this, he recognized he had perhaps missed some opportunities.

First, I would never have gone! As an introvert and not knowing French I would have been miserable. I remember traveling to California for the first time from the east coast to visit a friend. I knew my friend wouldn’t be constantly around during my stay, but I got tips on things I could do on my own and everyone spoke English so I had a nice time. To me it took a lot of courage for Kanigel to travel to Paris. And though he didn’t take full advantage of the trip, in some ways he grew up more.

I think he felt isolated for a number of reasons which included not knowing the language, not part of a group, not having a plan for what he wanted to see/do, etc.I agree with Janines that he did not want to do differently.
I’m also an introvert and understand that doing something new when alone is challenging, but have found that things are manageable when tackled in smaller tasks or smaller segments of time. I think I would gotten a book with basic French phrases and learning some phrases in advance of the next day’s activity. I would have spent part of my day exploring and then part of the day in activities that gave me time to decompress and re-energize.
It’s interesting to me that many of responding to these questions are also introverts. I’m curious whether anyone feels the author used his introversion as an excuse or as a crutch for how he managed his life after he finished college?

As an introvert to begin with, adding a language barrier made it that much harder. I think the obvious answer is to try to learn a bit of the language before going to a foreign country, but if that is unattainable, maybe traveling with a friend who was a little more outgoing would have been helpful for him.

I agree with all the opinions above, adding that this was such an impulsive trip for him that he didn't think through what he was going to do after Maura left. These days, a LOT more people speak English than in the late 1960's, so I didn't feel that out of place (also, I wasn't alone either).

I was so frustrated with Kanigel’s experience in Paris. He did not plan and then he did not cut his losses. Even if he would have just ventured outside and walked. Nature might have restored his unhappiness. I love to travel and I have fallen in love with traveling solo. I am not an extrovert, but I do see the wonderful value of connection. Traveling solo places me in situations where I am more apt to speak to strangers. I do agree it is much easier now to find those who do speak English or are more forgiving with your bad pronunciations.