The Third Continent

I was really looking forward to getting on this plane and emerging again on a different continent. Europe has always symbolized so much to me -- elegance, architecture, history, culture -- but it'd always felt so unreachable.

A seamless flight and a few movies later, I was on the ground and through customs to meet my second cousin, Ian, at Charles de Gaul airport.

How do you know you're a first-timer in Paris? When you go straight to the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. Ian and I swerved through neighborhoods in "Blue," the family car, and arrived at the cathedral in time to catch some of the Sunday service organ music. There weren't many people in the pews, but I wouldn't want a world tourist attraction to be my home church either. I'll

definitely make time to sit through the whole service sometime, but for now, I'm happy with my posthaste trip to the Gothic masterpiece. One guy, Jean de Jandun, was definitely a fan and praised it to the skies before it was even finished in 1345 (after nearly 200 years of construction).

"That most terrible church of the most glorious Virgin Mary, mother of God, deservedly shines out, like the sun among stars."

The next logical stop was the grocery store in our adorable monastery town of Meudon for lunch supplies with the rest of the family, who I will introduce soon.

But yes, I am finally here in Paris, after two months of waiting, and the adventure begins.

The Night Before France

It's the night before I leave for France, and I'm trading in my chopsticks for a French dictionary. The adventure has started, or rather, resumed, after a brief intermission and much-needed time at home with my family.

A few years ago, I'd mummified the dream of going to Europe, and never dared to even think of living there. I wasn't short-changing myself, just being realistic.

But now, as another move is about to happen, my experience in traveling this past year has made me wise enough to try to temper my near-continuous shivers of excitement. The unanswered questions on the other side of the Atlantic are both thrilling and scary. There will be euphoria and tears, laughing and learning. But all this will get me closer to heaven and deepen my longing for it. It's 2:05 and I'm finished for tonight. The coming months will give me time enough to spaz out over the history, style, architecture and people of Paris. Until then...

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

J. R.R. Tolkien