Heigh ho, heigh ho, it’s off to France I go! (Or: Am I really doing this?)

Well, everyone, this is it.  My inaugural weblog entry as well as my last full day in America for a very long time.  I’m leaving for France tomorrow, and despite being caught up in all the last-minute flurries of details, I’m still finding the energy to be nervous.  Quite nervous, and also a little homesick (already).  ::shrug::  Oh well - that’s part of traveling, isn’t it?

I will try to update this page as often as I can, although my connection to the internet is uncertain at this point.  Expect this page to be updated more often than you get emails, although emails from you will probably be answered fairly quickly (I hope).  Mostly this page will consist of descriptions of the life and times of me - plucky English assistant in the small French town of Laon.  (That’s pronounced like “long” without the “g” sound, as far as I can tell.)

Laon is a town of about 26,000 people about two-thirds of the way between Paris and the Belgian border.  I don’t know much about it (nor are most guidebooks very helpful), other than that it has a fantastic cathedral, was founded by the Romans in about 40 B.C., and was sacked by about five other groups thereafter.  Additionally,  there is a celebration going on until the 28th of September.  It’s called Les Ecrits Lumiere (Light-Writings), and apparently it involves big pictures being projected onto the walls of the buildings in the Old Town at night.  I’ll let you know how it is.  ::smile::  (If you want to check out the website for the town of Laon, you’re welcome to, but good luck - it’s entirely in French.)

I’m going to miss all my family and friends very, very much, and I hope that I hear from you frequently.  I know that I’m going to have fun and have an experience that I’ll treasure for the rest of my life, but right now I’m caught up in the emotional complications of leaving everyone I know for nine-ish months.  It’s tough.  ::sigh::  Take care, everyone, and write often!

P.S.  Check out the pretty pictures on the other pages!  ::grin::