Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Bonjour

Hello (that means Bonjour in English).

6 days until I take off. I'm about to create a list of things that I have no idea about...to give you a more accurate idea of just what i should be figuring out instead of writing a blog:
  1. I have no idea where the library books that I owe to the University of Washington. I believe they are in my car. it's a mess. I need to find them before I leave, or I'll be looking at enormous charges to replace them. (this is simple enough...i just need to clean my car)
  2. I have no idea where I'm staying before I go. I'm moving all of my things up to Anacortes on Friday...have to vacate the apartment by noon on Sunday. I know i'll be up in Anacortes for a little of the weekend, but other than that....well I suppose I might as well begin getting used not knowing where I'm going to sleep tonight.
  3. I have no idea how I am going to get to the airport. My car will also be staying in Anacortes (side note, I have no idea how I'm going to get from Anacortes to Seattle...and then Seattle to the Airport)
  4. I have no idea what I will be taking with me to the airport. I haven't begun to think about packing for my move back to Anacortes yet, much less the move across seas with only a couple suitcases.
  5. I have no idea how to speak French. Okay. So I have a little idea. I took French when I lived in Belgium...but then forgot almost all of it. I'm relearning it through some podcasts...but that is very basic French.
  6. I have no idea when I get into Paris and what I'll do there. I bought my plane ticket to London...and have not yet bought the one to Paris. One of these reasons is I don't know if I want to fly or take the Chunnel. Another reason is I want a very cheap ticket to Paris. Another reason is procrastination, and I'd rather play with my new iPhone than book a trip to my new supposed home. Once I get to Paris, I have nowhere to go. I am planning on booking a hotel for a while, as I am in the process of talking to this guy about living in this arts community. You should all check out this article : http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2008/05/18/style/t/index.html#pageName=18metcalf. Apparently, I'm pretty lucky, because many people want to live there, and this guy wants to come to Seattle to know the arts community, so he's very interested in having me join.
  7. I have no idea what I will do in France. I have no work visa. To get a work visa, one must show that they are employable in France in some way that its own citizens are not. Or else already have a job. The problem is, in order to get a job....you have to have the visa. Ever read that book Catch 22? I haven't. But I've seen the movie, and it is fantastic. Mike Nichols. Other than that I plan on writing, and exploring. Mostly surviving.
  8. I have no idea how long I will be in Paris. Again, with the visa thing, I can only legally be there for 3 months. so who knows.
Alright, that's just a basic idea of all the things I don't know and don't really care to figure out just at this moment. My last day at Specialtys is Thursday. My last Karaoke is Thursday. I'm moving out of my apartment on Friday. My goodbye party is Friday. After that it all becomes this nebulous blob of who-knows-what-may-or-may-not-happen. And honestly, isn't that why we move to Paris anyway? For the who-knows-what-may-or-may-not-happen? Or do we move to Paris not because of the who-knows-what-may-or-may-not-happen, but something else, something not the who-knows-what-may-or-may-not-happen. In the end, though, whatever your rational is behind moving to Paris, I think it all comes down to the who-knows-what-may-or-may-not-happen.

1 comment:

BurnPTCruisers said...

nathaniel!! nice to see the new blog, i'll be there on friday! we'll miss you like the dickens, but like i said before, just because you're leaving the country doesn't mean you can escape my calls! :) won't be the same without you, g.
abraços,