Ah, to be lionhearted!

Today is the day; off to France I go. How do I feel? Terrified. Seriously doubting my decision to run off to Europe by myself with only $1000 AND I'm immediately regretting putting off the majority of the work until last minute. Mais, c'est vie? I suppose. I also suppose that one way of looking at this situation is that this is my first adventure and although the horizon is foreign I must blindly walk forth.

It is in times like these when I think of Frodo and Harry; they must have been really terrified. Facing the greatest dark powers imaginable seems far more difficult than leisurely traveling around France for a few months. I guess I should probably just start thinking of this as a personal, yet epic(!), undertaking....leading me into the unknown. A story not for the fate of heart.. a quest for eternal glory! Wits will be tested, strength will be measured, GOD knows if I'll return!!!

But as someone, somewhere, once said "all glory comes from daring to begin."

So, ere I go.

OH herro

So I'm off to France in t-minus 4 days. LOADS of stuff to do. Good thing I'm an expert procrastinator and left it all for my last few days in the states. I wish I was capable of being one of those kids (Alexa) who is almost always perfectly prepared for things like this, but ALAS I am not. I have this horrid habit of thinking "eh I'll just figure it out when I get there" which commonly results in me standing confounded in front of the masses..its fine. My biggest concern this morning is a lack of ipod. I can't fathom going 3 months in a foreign country without Biggie and T-Swift. So i've been scouring craigslist for cheap old ones, hopefully something will pop up.
When I finally make it to Paris I'll be staying with an ol' high school buddy for a day or so, which is extremely comforting because she might be the only person I actually know in France as of right now. She is doing me a HUGE favor and letting me crash for a night before I flit away to my first farm. My first farm is the in the north-western corner of France in a town called Plogoff. I found out a few days ago that I'll be doing some traditional stone masonry here which is going to be SICK. I'm staying with a man named Franck, his family, their 2 dogs, one cat and multiple ducks. Franck sounds (surprisingly) excited and enthusiastic about my arrival, which is not what I expected from the supposed stuffy French disposition. I'm reading this book called "French or Foe" by a lady named Polly Platt. Great book, I would suggest it to anyone who is traveling to France and wants a good shot at surviving encounters with the natives. Platt keeps talking about how if you want the French to work/cooperate with your requests you have to "seduce" it out of them. HAH we'll see about that. "Seduction" is not my forte.
Anyway, JS is bugging me about "starting my day" and "getting things done! Don't you know your going to France in 4 days?! You have to PREPARE!!" My "eh" response just resulted in a large scoff and some kind of mumble which I'm sure was him financially cutting me off...GREAT.

Here, watch listen to some Edith Piaf.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3Kvu6Kgp88

Chers Amis,

As some of you may already know, I'm going to France. I'm taking a semester off from the lovely CU and romping my way around the French countryside. Now, as much as I really do love the ever gleaming flat irons, the righteous mid-western attitude, and of course the lovely, brilliant folks of 17th street; I feel a need to pause all that and seek foreign adventure. Thus, through this blog I intend to provide myself, family, friends and random facebook creepers a method to keep (detailed) track of my travels.

So, on that note I'll end this entry with the hope that you will read and get enjoyment out of this blog.

Salut!




(Map of France from 1453... completely irrelevant)