DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH ? ? ?

There is a nasty rumor going around that I like to make life harder than it needs to be. That I tend to go looking for ways to make easy things hard, and hard things harder. I don't know what they're talking about.

Tomorrow morning I leave for Paris. It is the first time I am going to be traveling to non-English as a first language country by myself. And lets all remember that my French vocabulary consists of whatever is in that phrasebook on the other side of the room, that I really should think about opening :o) Ok, Ok, I have looked at it a bit and do plan to read it on the train. I may be a little masochistic, but I am not an ass.

I am excited, scared and a little unsure.

I am think it is going to be a good time. There is a lot that I want to see. And I think it is going to be a great opportunity to explore another culture and my own feelings. I feel like lately I have been surrounded by people, but people who make it to easy to not be myself, and to not really look at why I keep ending up hurt by love. And I feel like the potential loneliness created by being in a foreign country where I do not speak the language is a great opportunity to be alone with my thoughts and feelings. And then also stop thinking and take care of basic survival needs. What a unique opportunity. Maslow would be proud.

I am a little scared about not speaking the language, but that I think is coming mostly from relatives of mine who live life very different than me. And since I am not going to live there fro years and years, and more for a personal journey for four days, I think it will be ok.

I get in around noon tomorrow, and have the rest of Saturday and Sunday to explore Paris, then all day Monday I am going to go to Caen, to visit their Peace Memorial, which is about half about WWII and half about the progress of human rights and the peace movement. Then back to Paris that night to finish up on Tuesday, when I leave around six. So I think it is going to be a good few days.

Of course next weekend I am headed up to Edinburgh to see His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama speak, and that is exciting as well, but for the next few days I will be wanting to focus on Paris.

As always it just doesn't feel real yet. I am sure once I get to Waterloo station, Ironic, yes? You have to leave from Waterloo to visit Paris? Anyway once I get to Waterloo I will feel like I am actually going. I am going to try to pack everything I need in one little backpack, I think I can do it, it just will be so much easier than hauling around a big ol giant one just for four days.

Well, that's is for this morning folks, I may try to write again before I go, but I wouldn't count on it, I need to do laundry and sleep after class. We'll see what I kind of adventure this one turns out to be.