l'avion de Houston à Paris

“I am a JAP”

As I type I am staring at a flight map, which is comprised of six changing screens. The first tells you all of your vitals: TOD, Local time, local time of destination, etc. Two other screens follow suit to include information on the altitude and distance traveled. The three remaining screens are visual maps of the travel from Houston TX (yee-haw) to Paris, France (oh la la). Can you tell yet that this is my first international flight?

I’ve noticed the man sitting diagonally from me is struggling to make his movie machine work, as I am struggling. I’m discreetly staring at him to understand how he is going to find the place where one’s earplugs go. … …Ahhh, he’s fiddling with his remote and has resorted, as I have, to looking at the flight map I described in the paragraph above. C’est dommage.

So, on a slightly sadder note, the realization that I’ll be gone and in a different country for three months finally settled in this weekend. I’m terrible with goodbyes and proved my inability by bawling like a baby when each of my parents told me goodbye. I even teared up talking to my brothers. Siiggggghhhhhhhh. To my father I would like to say merci beaucoup pour l’argent and I’m sorry I’m such a ditz. I didn’t have the foresight to pull out enough cash for my first rent payment. How stressful. Yuck. Part the custard.

Anyway, I love you Mama and Papa and Sibs and Grandparents. Friends I thank you for your kind words and excellent party skills.

Gosh you guys! I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous or flown on a plane for this long. Hearing the French announcements at my gate made me aware of my serious need to sit up and pay attention! You know how you half-listen to your foreign language profs when they give you directions in another language because you know you can always ask for clarification in English later…? This is not like that. This is like talking to an angry Spanish speaking phone rep from your bank. This is like going to my German neighbors house and having them talk Gernglish at me. This is like…this is like…this is like…really different!!!!!!!!!!

Oh crud, I just noticed that the man I was hoping would be able to show me how to use the movie machine has figured his out….and the guy in front of me is romping around like he’s in a rocking chair.

All right nearly 45 minutes down, and 7 hours and 58 minutes to go. Stay tuned for my travels (or will they be travails…?) in Paris. Go Big Blue.