Lisa Versus The Volcano

And the volcano won.

Well I tried to leave for Paris today. I really did. Got to the airport early. Bags checked. Zipped through security. And found a quiet spot to wait for my flight to Charlotte.

Let me tell you, it's not a good feeling to hear your name called over the loudspeaker, directing you back to the gate counter. Kind of like being called to the principal's office.

A thousand thoughts went through my mind in two seconds flat. Was there something in my bags? Did I not check-in properly?

WTF?

Well, turns out it's this volcano in Iceland that has delayed my trip. By only by a day. Hopefully. And it could be worse. So much worse.

But really, who else has had their flight cancelled due to a volcano?

UPDATE: Cancelled again. Now leaving Wednesday.

Au Revoir, And No Poop!

With a few things left to wrap up, I'm pretty much ready for this crazy misadventure.

But this would not be complete without a reminder of the two boys I'm going to miss the most.

The "boys" have become such a sweet part of me, (Sherlock is snoring at my feet right now) that not having them with me will be the hardest part, especially in dog-loving Paris.

So this is for you, Sherlock and Watson, my boys forever.

Watson really hates having his picture taken and the cell phone...maybe he knows something...

This Will Be A Problem.

I'll be a five-minute walk to A l'Etoile d'Or. With these just waiting for me. A very good problem, indeed.

Source.

And So It Begins...

The official countdown is on! Thirty days to go.

During the countdown, I thought it would be fun to share some of the unusual sites I plan on visiting while in Paris. These are really off-the-beaten-path places that I'm really excited to see, places that tourists don't normally go.

One of the first buildings I want to see is Le Grande Arche. Part of La Defense in the Western Suburbs of Paris, Le Grande Arche is so big, Notre Dame can fit inside, it also creates its own atmosphere.

You can read more about Le Grande Arche here.

Support

The closer this journey comes, the more support I find.

And I'm simply amazed.

In the past two days, I've had emails flying back and forth from Paris to Cleveland, Cleveland to Paris, welcoming me to the City of Light, from people I've never met, people I may never meet, strangers more than happy to help.

I couldn't do this without this network of friends.

So thank you, Jim, Valerie, David, Denise, Michael, Gregg, Xian, Marlin, Melissa, Christopher, Jeff, Dallas, Jen, Beth, Lecia, Stephanie, Brit-Brit, Robin, Ben, Susan, Kurt, Will, Michael, Brian, Michael S., Doug, Nancy, Carol, Joe, Mary, Keith, Robin, Dennis, Bill, MaryLou, Danielle, Scott, Tim, Terry, Nikki, Dave, Ashley, Ali, Scott, Adam, Amy, Lawrence, Michelle, Holly, Michael, Terri, Tara, Mo, Bill, Randy and so many others who have supported this craziness from the beginning.

I couldn't do it without you.

Thank you.

Doubts

Since deciding to take this journey, I've occasionally had my doubts about this decision. On the surface, it is a fairly crazy thing to do.

Take a month off work, sans pay, go to a country where I really don't speak the language, I don't know anyone, and haven't been there for 20 years. What am I thinking? But the Metro is easy, I remember. And the food is a world unto itself. And, hey, this will be fun!

But today, I was overwhelmed with doubts. Some were the same I've had for months, the "what if's" of this adventure...what if I get bored (not very likely), what if I run out of money (as long as I stay away from Chanel and Dior and Louis Vuitton, I'll be okay), what the heck am I going to do at night (I'm pretty sure I'll find something to do). What if? What if?

Today was different. Today I had the big doubts. WTF am I doing? Is this really the right thing to do? I even considered postponing or cancelling altogether.

And then, the postman appeared at my door. At my door. Not at the mailbox. He didn't drop and run. He rang the bell and handed me an envelope, saying it was for "Miss Lisa" (ha! love that!). The photo is what was in the envelope.

I'm still going!

Bonne Année, 2010!

First lesson of 2010, how to navigate luggage across many, many steps!