I notice among people I talk to more enthusiasm toward learning French than Spanish. This confuses me; my feeling is that Spanish unlocks far more countries and speakers than French does and so is a more natural first choice.

What do people think motivates this choice?

French was my third language in secondary/high school. It was the only non-English European language available in my school. The possibility of reading Jules Verne was appealing then, but later too, French cinema, poetry and literature is significantly more appealing to me personally than Spanish or Hispanic American.

For a more utilitarian perspective - I'm also much more interested in visiting or living in France, Western/Cenral Africa or Canada than the Spanish-speaking countries. It will depend on one's personal preference, I know many ethereans love South America - Spanish is clearly a great choice there.