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A few weeks ago I was sitting in a coffee shop answering some emails just before I was to speak on campus, when I suddenly overheard the woman next to me on a call.

To her friend, she says, with full conviction:

“I’m in Paris right now! It’s so beautiful! We saw the Eiffel Tower this morning and now I’m on a hot girl walk along the Seine. I’m so glad I took this trip.”

She was, of course, not in Paris. She was sitting three feet away from me. In Brooklyn.

When in public I generally try to be a mind-your-own-business type, but I couldn’t help but stare in disbelief. She caught my eye, gave a sheepish shrug, and smiled with mild embarrassment. I smiled back and returned to my laptop.

But the moment stuck with me.

We live in a jet-setting, filtered, ‘Instagrammable’ world, where it’s not enough to be content with a decent day, a nice coffee, and a few hours of work. We have to be “in Paris.” And if we’re not, we can at least pretend.

I speak on grad campuses around the country, meeting Jewish grad students who are just beginning to build their lives. Some are fueled by idealism, others by ambition-and there’s nothing wrong with wanting success. But Judaism teaches that happiness isn’t found in pretending to be somewhere or something you’re not.

It’s found in gratitude.

“Who is rich? The one who is happy with what they have.”

Not everyone can go to Paris, but anyone can learn to be present and to find joy in the here and now.

Even if the Eiffel Tower is just a screensaver.