Je Ne Parle Pas Francias?

I am packing it up to jet away to the city of never-dying romance and croissants for an entire week. Paris, here I come!! Business (I will be interviewing an architect for a magazine I work for - I'm talking... this will be my entrance to the big leagues of the writing world, without ever getting a degree in journalism) and pleasure (I will be visiting a friend who is interning at a French firm) combined, I expect this trip to be both overwhelming and exhilarating.

Knowing absolutely no French at all, I purchased a pocket English/French phrasebook and carefully wrote down the French translation for "I don't speak French, I speak English" in the empty Notes section in the back of the book. I have a feeling I will be using that phrase a whole LOT. I also printed out maps, maps and more tiny little maps, upon which I scribbled notable attractions and points of interest. Of course, with so many places that need to be visited, I need to be careful to not overextend myself on drinking too much wine during my, sure to be, numerous nights out. My hangovers have been getting more severe lately - I think it's cause I am getting older - and I cannot afford to spend an entire day in a hotel bed, when there is so much beauty to be seen.

My friends and Mr. January instructed me on not speaking to anyone at the airport and the metro. Mr. J scared me with some stories of two girls being picked up at Charles de Gaulle airport and being sold into slavery. Sweet, it's not like I was already a little apprehensive of meeting French men with curly hair who do not know the importance of using deodorant.

Despite the warnings and my complete lack of knowledge of the French language, I have no doubts that this will be an adventure that I will remember for the rest of my life. With all the upcoming sight seeing, partying, dining and debauchering, my only regret is that Mr. J won't be there to experience it all with me. After all, what a perfect setting it would be for us to explore the romance capital of the world, before he goes away to law school. Oh well... maybe someday, if we'e still dating and have the money, I will let him propose to me atop of the Eiffel Tower. Hell, I will let anyone propose to me at the Eiffel Tower - just feed me a bucket of wine first.

But I think I am getting ahead of myself just a little bit here.